Do you score better on par 3s, par 4s or par 5s? If you are not sure, it's time to start collecting and utilising that data.

Comparing your scoring on the course against previous rounds is a great way to get started, but you could also benchmark yourself against the average amateur golfer at your handicap index.

This is a useful exercise to help you shoot lower scores and cut your handicap in 2026, as it allows you to identify areas for development and create a robust plan for practice sessions at the driving range.

Well, we've done the hard work for you... or, at least, Shot Scope has.

After crunching the numbers from the latest 2026 Shot Scope data, we can now reveal how golfers at different handicap indexes perform on par 3s, par 4s and par 5s - and the scoring patterns of the average amateur golfer!

Average Amateur Golfer Scores On A Par 3, Par 4 And Par 5

According to data provided by Shot Scope, collected via measured rounds from its registered users, the average amateur golfer scores 3.7 on par 3 holes.

On par 4s, the average score is 4.9 and on par 5s the average sits at 5.8.

Interestingly, if you round those averages up to the nearest whole number - the average amateur golfer is playing bogey golf.

So, the next time you walk off disappointed with a bogey - perhaps it's time for a reality check.

Clearly, not all golfers score in line with the average player.

High-handicap golfers are almost always scoring at least one shot over par on each type of hole, whereas low handicap players average less than half a shot over par.

You can see a full breakdown on scoring by handicap index and hole type below.

Average Score Par 3 vs Par 4 vs Par 5

Average Score By Amateur Golfers (By Handicap) On Par 3s, Par 4s and Par 5s

Average Score (Par 3)

0-handicap

3.2

5-handicap

3.4

10-handicap

3.7

15-handicap

3.9

20-handicap

4

25-handicap

4.2

012345

Average Score (Par 3) Data

Product	Value
0-handicap	3.2
5-handicap	3.4
10-handicap	3.7
15-handicap	3.9
20-handicap	4
25-handicap	4.2

Average Score (Par 4)

0-handicap

4.2

5-handicap

4.5

10-handicap

4.8

15-handicap

5.1

20-handicap

5.4

25-handicap

5.9

0123456

Average Score (Par 4) Data

Product	Value
0-handicap	4.2
5-handicap	4.5
10-handicap	4.8
15-handicap	5.1
20-handicap	5.4
25-handicap	5.9

Average Score (Par 5)

0-handicap

4.8

5-handicap

5.3

10-handicap

5.6

15-handicap

6

20-handicap

6.3

25-handicap

7

01234567

Average Score (Par 5) Data

Product	Value
0-handicap	4.8
5-handicap	5.3
10-handicap	5.6
15-handicap	6
20-handicap	6.3
25-handicap	7

But, what else does the data tell us?

The first interesting finding is that par-5 scoring is heavily biased towards the lower- handicap player. This is no doubt due to the extra length they tend to have at their disposal.

A scratch golfer, for example, averages a score of 4.8 on par 5s, whereas a 25-handicapper averages a score of 7.0 – a double-bogey.

On a par 3, however, a 25-handicap golfer only averages 1.2 shots over par.

Another interesting nugget is that every ability of golfer has a higher average score relative to par on par 4s versus on par 3s and par 5s.

This will likely be down to the sheer volume of par 4s golfers play compared to the par 3s and par 5s, which typically only make up for around 40% of a course set-up.

The final takeaway from the Shot Scope data is that par 3s make up the lowest increase in score relative to par, the highest being a 25-handicapper at 1.2 higher than par.

So, while it's clear every ability of golfer could do with improving their strategy on par 4s and keeping double bogeys off the card, some extra distance would clearly make a big difference for higher handicap players on par 5s.

Hopefully, this has provided you some food for thought as to the holes that require the most attention the next time you play.

For the first time since 2001, Suzann Pettersen is approaching a Solheim Cup without a formal role in Team Europe. The Norwegian icon, synonymous with some of the most high-drama moments in golf history, including her fairytale winning putt at Gleneagles in 2019, has spent over two decades carrying the European flag as a player or two-time leader.

I sat down with the former Solheim Cup star, who now channels her energy into running her female-focused management agency, VOXA, while giving back to the game as the global ambassador for The Alto Club Golf Academy at Sotogrande. We discussed the realities of a captain's role, the learning curves of team leadership, and what she expects from this year's European captain, Anna Nordqvist.

"It’s kind of a little bit weird to be completely on the sidelines," Pettersen reflects. "I’ve been a part of every single one since 2001 in some capacity. It's weird not being on the inside, but it’s exciting. Bernardus looks like it’s going to be a tough test, and seeing the shift with new players coming through on both sides is very healthy."

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Loss Of Control And Managing 12 Individuals

Having led Europe through back-to-back captaincies, Pettersen admits that captaincy forced a profound personal shift. Known for her fiercely competitive and direct approach, stepping off the fairways tested her in ways hitting a tight approach shot never could.

"The hardest part initially was to sit on the sideline, not having control over what was happening," Pettersen admits. "You lead the players to the first tee, and then off they go. What happens from the first tee to the 18th hole, you have no control over. Sitting on the sideline is a lot more nerve-wracking than having a golf club in your hands."

Beyond watching the golf unfold, for Pettersen the single most challenging aspect of leadership was learning to navigate 12 distinct personalities and accepting that not everyone operates the same way she does.

"What I learned from being captain is that every human being has their own way of doing things," Pettersen reflects. "You have to accept that and respect that. That was probably the most challenging part - getting 12 individuals to kind of work towards one goal. It was fun when we got it going, but it was definitely hard."

Crucially, that meant adapting her direct communication style to suit each player’s needs, even when it meant delivering tough news.

"It's the hardest thing, you can't please all 12 players," she says. "That was heartbreaking. As much as you want to send all 12 players out at all times, you only have so many spots available, and someone is going to get disappointed. Some players want just the facts straight in their face with no bullshit, and others need a softer, more caring approach. That was hard for me because I like to just say it as it is and be done with it. I learned a lot about myself."

Learning From The Greats

That self-awareness came in part from observing the leaders who came before her. Pettersen points to the lineage of European captaincy - a torch passed down from Annika Sorenstam to Catriona Matthew, and now to Anna Nordqvist, as the backbone of the team's ongoing success.

When asked what advice she passed along to Nordqvist, Pettersen emphasised the single biggest lesson she took from her own time playing under Catriona "Beanie" Matthew during Europe's historic back-to-back victories in 2019 and 2021.

"She needs to bring her DNA that she truly owns, because that's going to go a long, long way with the players," Pettersen says. "That's definitely something I really appreciated with Beanie. She was herself 100% from the very start to the end. It was easy to relate to because you always knew she wasn't trying to be anything else but herself. She was so easy to be around."

It was a lesson echoed in Pettersen's conversations with Solheim Cup, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup leaders alike: "You can base a lot on stats and analytics, but at the end of the day, if you want to find peace when you go to bed, you have to follow your instincts and trust your gut."

Full Faith In Nordqvist's Leadership

Pettersen speaks with immense admiration about the character, work ethic, and advantage Nordqvist brings to the role as an active player on tour.

"I’m 100% sure Anna is going to do it fantastically," Pettersen says. "She is such a dedicated girl with a huge heart. Whatever philosophy she decides to go with, she’s going to go 100% with it."

Crucially, Pettersen points out that Nordqvist’s active playing career gives her a direct pipeline to the team room that Pettersen herself lacked during her tenure.

"She’s still out on tour, which is so helpful," Pettersen explains. "She’s around all the girls all the time - that was maybe one thing that I was less of in the last couple of years. It’s so important to keep that close, first-hand connection with the players."

Predicting a distinct shift in style between her own fiery nature and Nordqvist’s calmer demeanour, Pettersen sees quiet strength in Europe's new leader:

"Anna might be less 'in-your-face' than I was because I’m a bit fierier. I picture her being a little quieter, but extremely well prepared - her notebooks are probably already full!"

The Backroom Magic

Nordqvist’s leadership strategy is built on human chemistry, starting with her choice of vice-captains. At the centre of her backroom team is Caroline Hedwall -one of Nordqvist’s oldest and closest friends.

"She’s brought Caro, who’s one of her dear friends," Pettersen notes. "They played junior golf and literally did the golfing journey together. They’ve shared so many great memories from the tour and the Solheim, so it’s always special to share an experience like this with someone you're so close to."

To complement Nordqvist’s calm demeanour and Hedwall’s quiet familiarity, Nordqvist has brought in Mel Reid and Anne van Dam.

"Anne van Dam and Mel Reid will bring that killer energy and get right in your face, while Anna leads with that quiet, calm, prepared heart," Pettersen smiles. "Thank God there’s only one Mel Reid, but you definitely want her on your side! Together with Caro, they’ve got a fantastic setup."

A Blueprint Built On Friendship

While leadership styles change, Pettersen remains confident that the foundational DNA of European golf will carry through at Bernardus.

"The European blueprint is friendship," Pettersen says. "We don't come together once every two years and try to learn to play for each other. These girls are great friends to start with. They care for each other, and that gives us an initial edge. We’ve been very good at passing on that torch of leadership. Players like Charley Hull are taking on that responsibility now, taking the new ones under their wing. That culture isn't a blueprint you write down, it’s just how it goes."

While Anna Nordqvist will undoubtedly bring her own quiet, meticulously prepared style to the role, she inherits a group bound by genuine friendship and a shared refusal to give up. And as Pettersen knows better than anyone, that is precisely what makes Team Europe so dangerous.

It's a tale as old as time. A golfer hits one great drive down the 18th and completely disregards the 17 holes of mediocrity that came before it.

But, why do we feel compelled to immediately book our next tee time off the back of one decent strike?

Despite what your partner, relatives or friends might say - it's not because we want to escape the house for four hours every day (or not just because of that, anyway).

It's actually because our brains crave the dopamine spikes that the game of golf provides, as outlined in a number of research studies that explain phenomena like variable-ratio reinforcement and reward prediction error.

These studies discuss the relationship between the spikes we experience after hitting a great shot, or even waiting for that moment to occur, to playing slot machines and video games.

As a totally obsessed golfer myself, I was captivated by the findings. Golfers think they want perfection, but perfection would actually ruin the game of golf. Let me explain the science behind why that is...

The Scientific Reason Why Playing Golf Is So Addictive

I've been addicted to golf for almost a decade, after coming into the sport a little later than most, but I have always wondered what it is that prevents me from walking away despite hundreds of dreadful performances on the course.

If I was playing darts and barely hit the board, or playing tennis and couldn't keep it on the court, I am fairly confident I would have chucked away the arrows and snapped the racket a long time ago.

So, in order to find out why, I decided to do some research.

I am certainly not claiming to be an expert in human brain function - but the information I read about B. F. Skinner's theory of variable-ratio reinforcement and W. Schultz's theory of reward prediction error answered many of my questions.

In the interest of helping other golfers understand their compulsion to tee it up or helping them to explain to their spouses why they do in fact need to play again this weekend... I've broken down some of the key points below.

Variable-Ratio Reinforcement

In a number of studies between 1938 and 1957, B.F. Skinner outlined how schedules of rewards dictate human behaviour.

Skinner explained that variable-ratio schedules, meaning delivering a reward after an unpredictable number of actions, produces a high response rate from humans and provides resistance to quitting.

In relation to golf, this links to the familiar feeling of chasing that next great shot.

Every golfer, irrespective of their handicap index, will be able to recall a shot that exceeded their expectations - and it's the dopamine spike that provides which keeps us coming back.

As we can't predict when that outcome will occur, the anticipation adds to the excitement.

This is similar to the feelings experienced when playing slot machines or video games. Every time a player spins the slot machine they anticipate the possibility of a big win.

Often, the result fails to live up that - but we keep spinning anyway as we chase the dopamine-inducing moment where the reels fall into place and the coin dispenser kicks in.

Similarly in video games, we perform actions in anticipation of a reward.

When defeating the opponent, you might pick up some loot or tech that can improve your standing in the game - but if you received that every time it would become less exciting.

Intermittent reinforcement is a key reason for the hold that the game of golf has over players.

When playing slot machines or video games, the intermittent and unpredictable nature of the reward, and the size of the payout, is what hooks us... and it's no different on the golf course.

The centred strike after 10 bad shots is what produces the dopamine spike that keeps players hooked.

Reward Prediction Error

In studies published between 1997 and 2002, Wolfram Schultz published research papers that outlined reward prediction error.

This suggests that dopamine neurons fire most intensely when an unexpected reward occurs, or when it exceeds expectations, when compared to receiving a predictable reward.

When I stand on the tee, I expect a horrendous slice that will most likely end up in the trees on the right. So, when I flush a 240-yard drive down the middle, I get an intense dopamine spike due to that reward prediction error.

I wasn't expecting it, or at least I couldn't predict that would happen based on previous shots and the likelihood of a positive outcome, so the neurological reward is far better.

Uncertainty in reward timing and value maximises the release of this addictive hormone, which again explains why chasing a great shot or lower scores on the golf course is a compelling reason for continued participation.

This again is similar to outcomes like hitting the jackpot or large payout on a slot machine or unlocking a legendary player on a sports video game.

If we experienced the same outcome every time we hit a golf shot, the game would lose its addictive pull.

Rather than the excitement and anticipation of the intermittent reward potential offered by a slot machine, the experience now becomes similar to the 100% predictability of a vending machine - and I don't see casinos in Las Vegas filled with those.

Motor Skill Acquisition

In golf instruction and sports psychology papers/literature, researchers explain why we continue to return to the driving range in search of answers to our golfing problems.

Hitting a bad shot creates a dopamine crash, but a good shot delivers a surge.

Golfers crave that positive feeling that comes after hitting a good one, so they repeat the swing over and over again until they find it.

So, the better we get the more we will receive that feeling, right?

Well, our brain constantly shifts the goalposts in line with our expectations and improvement. You would receive a huge dopamine spike for breaking 100 for the first time, but when that happens again in the future the reward diminishes.

Instead, you now need to break 95 or 90 to experience that high.

That's why you will hear scratch golfers complaining about a 'terrible' shot that lands pin-high around 15-feet from the pin, but a high-handicap golfer would trade their left foot for a shot that good.

The parameters for what is 'good' and 'bad' are different for every golfer, but we are all chasing the sensational reward that hitting a great shot brings.

By the end of IMG’s employee resource group WISE (Women Inspiring Success & Empowerment) Women's Golf Day in partnership with the Women’s Sport Collective I had possibly, tentatively, maybe sorted out my grip under instruction. But that wasn't the only thing I left thinking about.

Over the course of the afternoon, woman after woman told me the same two things: that she had never picked up a golf club, or that she had turned down a corporate golf invitation because she didn't feel confident enough to say yes.

If you live in the women's golf corner of the internet, or you're a member at a club, it's easy to believe the game has already changed. Beginner sessions, women's golf days, range mornings, women's communities, the whole post-Covid growth story.

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After three or four years of playing, I've started to see golf from the inside rather than remembering what it felt like to take it up. My algorithm, my social circle and my diary have made the barriers invisible to me.

Which is exactly why the day put on by Lizzie Cottrell, Rachel Mitchell, Emma Hawkins and Hania Fisher from IMG, with additional support from Samantha Hammonds from the Women's Sports Collective was so useful, and I was pleased to be asked to speak at it. Though, to be fair, I'm always pleased to do golf stuff on a work day.

I was on a panel with Georgina Lewis from The R&A and Sarah Blythe-Wood, a PGA Professional and Coach at Duke's Meadows where the event was hosted about access to the game. And the format was precisely the kind of introduction to golf I think more women should get.

After the panel and the Q&A there were five teaching stations for driving, irons, pitching, chipping, putting, so you experienced the whole of golf in an afternoon rather than being handed a driver and wished luck. Then we played a team scramble on the par-three course. Two people in my team had played a fair bit. Two had barely played at all. It was simply fun, working it out together.

But the conversations kept returning to the same place. I've never picked up a club. I've said no to the corporate day. I assumed I wouldn't be good enough to be there.

What struck me wasn't that these women were beginners. Everyone who plays golf was a beginner once, it was that they had decided being a beginner meant they couldn't belong and that's the bit I think we need to change.

Why I Keep Telling Senior Women To Learn

I've written before about why I encourage senior women to take up golf, and it has never been about becoming brilliant at it. It's about the access of several hours alongside people from your organisation, outside a meeting room, with the conversation unfolding at its own pace.

You get to know them and they get to know you, in a slightly more human way than a video call or ten plus people meeting allows. And everything downstream of that; the working relationship, the strategic conversation, the difficult work ask, it all gets smoother.

Mainly because golf occupies a peculiar space, because the game is a mirror. Spend four hours with someone on a course and you'll see how they handle pressure, frustration, risk and their own honesty. Whether they're generous when they're winning and what they do after a terrible shot.

A round also gives you an increasingly rare thing of uninterrupted time with someone, which is how the conversation drifts from your swing, to your score, to the actual business, the challenges, the ideas, the opportunities. I have done business on a golf course because you get to know people in a specific way.

Now, women shouldn't have to learn golf in order to get that access. But while those relationships continue to be built on golf courses, women should at least feel able to walk into that space. And golf, with handicaps, is one of the few games where it’s possible that a beginner and a good player can compete in the same fourball, on the same afternoon. So this isn't about adapting ourselves to the old boys' club. It's that out on the course, we can all play as equals.

Nobody Tells You How Badly Everyone Plays

Here's what I wish more women knew before they declined that invitation, a surprising number of people on a corporate golf day play very badly indeed. Any club member who has ever been stuck behind one of these groups can confirm this.

When you don't play, it's easy to imagine that everyone out there is competent, they are not. Some of them are simply better than you on that particular day. Corporate days are full of rusty golfers who haven't played in years, and of the man (sorry but it usually is a man) putting every tee shot into the bushes. Although I have been there too.

A PGA professional told me recently that men routinely book lessons with them because they've been invited to a corporate day and don't actually know how to play. I'd love women to borrow the permission to have a go before you feel competent.

Because readiness has never been a polished swing or a respectable score, it is about confidence, basic etiquette, and the ability to keep play moving. You don't have to be a good golfer, just don’t be a slow one.

Most of what a beginner actually needs is logistical rather than technical. Where do I stand while someone else is hitting? Where do I leave my bag? How do I get to the next tee? When should I pick up my ball? How long do we look for it? How do I be an enjoyable person to spend four hours with? Nobody is born knowing any of this, and almost nobody thinks to tell you.

Those Of Us Who Already Play Have A Job To Do

Every golfer is an ambassador for the sport, whether we volunteered or not and we can close the information gap for women.

That means inviting people and reassuring them. Being honest about what we shot in our last round, because we are not playing professionals, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.

It means taking a friend to the range one-to-one before she has to do anything in front of strangers, or simply telling her where the beginner sessions are. And it means not only posting the perfect swings and the beautiful golf days, because that quietly reinforces the very idea we're trying to dismantle, that competence is the price of entry.

Golf is presented as a game of excellence. For most of us it is fleeting moments of brilliance, considerable stretches of mediocrity, and the unshakeable belief that next time we will hit the perfect shot.

That's the message I think more women want to hear, and it's the one the team at IMG delivered brilliantly. You don't have to wait until you're good enough to walk into the room, or onto the course. You only have to be willing enough to give it a go and take the first shot and then, if it doesn't go well, pick up, recover, keep going, and have a great conversation anyway.

Following on from the FedEx St. Jude Championship, we are left with the PGA Tour's top 50 players in the overall standings.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will be among the 50 players making their way to the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club. That number will be whittled down to 30 for the Tour Championship at East Lake.

Throughout the 2026 season, we have tracked the most successful clubs used by the winners on the PGA Tour and, in this article, we've crunched the numbers to bring you notable equipment trends around the circuit's top 50 players.

Obviously, players' set-ups change regularly, so we've done our best to acquire the most used what's in the bags of the players listed below.

The Spider Tour Range

Although Scotty Cameron putters are the most popular within the top 50, the TaylorMade Spider Tour franchise is the most popular range of flat-sticks .

In total, 17 Scotty Cameron putters are in use at the BMW Championship, while 12 TaylorMade and 11 Odyssey putters are present.

The Spider Tour range, though, is by far the most popular and most successful, as it's accumulated 11 victories throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season, including five of the first six events.

McIlroy and Aaron Rai used the Spider Tour X and V for their Major wins, while Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup were just some of the other notable names to have a Spider model in play for their victories.

Mini Drivers On The Rise

Mini drivers continue to grow in popularity, with nine players using them inside the PGA Tour's top 50, which is an increase of two over last year.

This number will change depending on several factors, such as course set-up, but it seems that more players are opting for the club due to the fact it provides excellent distance with more control.

Tommy Fleetwood and Gotterup are among the notables with the mini driver in the bag, specifically TaylorMade models. Si Woo Kim and Min Woo Lee opt for Callaway mini drivers, while Jake Knapp uses a PXG Secret Weapon.

Last year, one in four players used a mini driver at the BMW PGA Championship, with the club proving to be a valuable asset in the modern era.

Hybrid Numbers Continue To Drop

Although mini drivers appear to be gaining more popularity, the same can't be said for hybrids, as the number of users has dropped from 10 to nine in 2026.

Our gear writer, Joe Ferguson, alluded to this recently, claiming one of the reasons is down to the larger footprint of 5, 7, and 9-woods, which project the CG further back, creating superior stability and far less volatility at impact.

Looking down the top 50, Cameron Young is the only player in the top 10 with a hybrid in his bag, while the likes of Xander Schauffele, Akshay Bhatia and Alex Noren have the Callaway Apex UW.

That particular model is the most popular hybrid used within the top 50 but, although it blends the mix of a fairway wood and hybrid, many argue it falls more under the former category.

Either way, the number of players using a hybrid continues to deplete among the top-level circuits.

Mixed Iron Sets

Approach play can have a huge impact in the outcome of the tournament and, looking at the figures, 37 players use a mixed set of irons, while 13 have just one set of irons in the bag.

In fact, from our findings, nine players use three different sets of irons, with the reason being the fact that certain irons excel in different ways.

The 3 to 5-irons are the hardest to strike cleanly, so players will use more forgiving models in this area of the bag, while 6-iron to 9-irons require more control and workability.

Generally, you'll find cavity-back clubs in the low-numbered irons, while muscle-back configurations feature in the higher order of the set-up.

Titleist Vokey Wedges And Pro V1 Golf Ball

After being the most popular models by some distance in the regular season, the Titleist Vokey and Pro V1 line continue to eclipse their nearest challengers.

A total of 46 Titleist wedges are in play, which is 36 more than its nearest challenger TaylorMade. Out of those Vokey wedges, the oldest is the SM7 used by Sungjae Im, which was released in 2018.

In terms of the golf ball, you'll find 28 players using a Titleist model, which is 21 clear of TaylorMade and Callaway, who have seven players apiece using their TP and Chrome Tour franchises.

Breaking the numbers down further, 11 have the standard Pro V1 in play, while 15 are using the Pro V1x, one the Pro V1x Double Dot and one the Left Dash.

The Qi10 Has Finally Been Overtaken

We've raved about the TaylorMade Qi10 fairway wood for some time now given it's arguably one of the most influential golf clubs to grace the sport, claiming six straight men's Majors from The Masters in 2025 to the 2026 PGA Championship.

It's been the yardstick since 2024, but, in 2026, its popularity has been overtaken by the brand new TaylorMade Qi4D, with the latter featuring 14 more times than the former.

Both are still regarded as the best fairway woods money can buy, but in the competition of the most popular, a total of 24 Qi4D models have been put in play compared to 10 Qi10s.

In total, TaylorMade dwarfs the competition when it comes to fairway woods, as it has 48 models present, while Titleist is the nearest competitor with 16.

Surprising Amount Of Low Spin Drivers

Because of the technology in golf, many felt the low-spin driver would become obsolete, due to the fact that other models can still provide a low-spinning nature but with more forgiveness.

However, looking through the top 50, there are a surprising amount of low-spin options on show from TaylorMade, Ping, Callaway and Titleist. These are the best players on the planet who possess the fastest ball speeds, so perhaps it's no surprise.

TaylorMade's LS models are used by five players, while seven Ping LST drivers have been spotted. Callaway's Triple Diamond range is also being used by seven players, while Patrick Cantlay has the Titleist GTS4 in his set-up.

Lack Of Zero Torque And Blade Putters

It's no secret that blade putters are becoming less common on the professional circuits, but what is surprising is the lack of zero torque models being used the professionals.

Adam Scott is the only player using a zero torque putter, specifically a L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Prototype, while other players, like Wyndham Clark and Kristoffer Reitan, are using low-torque Ping models.

JJ Spaun claimed the US Open using a zero torque L.A.B. Golf DF3, but switched to a Scotty Cameron midway through the year, meaning just one player inside the top 50 has a zero torque model in the bag.

Blade putter-wise, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Aberg, Ryan Fox, Alex Noren, Sahith Theegala, Eric Cole and Maverick McNealy are the seven players using one at the BMW Championship.

Garmin Approach S70 vs Voice Caddie T11 Pro: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict

If I take any new piece of golf tech out onto the golf course, it needs to give me some sort of tangible benefit. A golf watch certainly does that, not just for me but plenty of other players out there, offering functions like yardage, wind direction and speed confirmation, shot and putt tracking, hole mapping, and now even green undulation data at the press of a button.

The best golf watches are a cost-effective way of improving your golf game since many of their golf GPS features help you with your course management while standing over the ball. They also give you plenty of performance data to analyze after the round so you know what to work on next, and some golf watches now come with settings that help you on the range too.

While there’s a lot to be said for simplicity when it comes to a good golf watch, the two options I’m comparing today are among the most feature-rich options on the market. The Voice Caddie T11 Pro and the Garmin Approach S70 are absolutely teeming with functions for you to play around with, making them both fantastic options for the golf techie. However, if you’re the sort who thinks less is more and doesn’t want to be overloaded by so many different features, consider looking at the best golf GPS devices or best golf rangefinders instead for more specialized pieces of golf gear.

Styling

While style and design may not be the number one thing you’re looking for in a versatile golf watch, it’s still important since you’re going to be looking at it as it sits on your wrist over and over again throughout your round and, in all likelihood, for a good amount of time before and after playing golf as well.

With that in mind, both of these watches hit the right notes from a design standpoint. The Voice Caddie T11 Pro looks and feels every bit the premium product that it is, and it sat nicely on my wrist even though it’s a little bigger than the Apple Watch I’m used to. This real estate is much needed given the features I’ll cover later, and it’s not anything I’ll begrudge given just how good the casing and screen look.

The Garmin Approach S70 is also a sleek and sporty golf watch, perfectly usable as your all-day smartwatch although it might be just a touch too chunky for the most formal of occasions. It’ll fit the bill everywhere else, especially given that you can choose between a 1.2-inch or 1.4-inch AMOLED display, with the smaller size being much better suited for everyday use and the larger version offering excellent resolution to make full use of the S70’s feature list.

The high resolution makes both display options crystal clear, and the graphics on the S70 are a clear, meaningful improvement over its predecessor, the Approach S62. You may have heard that some of Garmin’s lower-priced models have brightness issues, but the S70’s display is vibrant and sharp to show off new features like green contours and updated, higher-detail hole maps.

While I can’t find fault with the S70 in this department, the Voice Caddie T11 Pro’s OLED screen takes things to a whole other level. It’s incredibly bright and clear, and the perfectly responsive touchscreen is one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of testing recently. These clear graphics really helped me to make use of the T11 Pro’s different features, and they go hand-in-hand with the way the watch gives you a lot of automatic, at-a-glance info.

Ease Of Use

When you buy a new GPS watch and trot it out onto the course, all you want is to access the course easily, get your round started without any hassle, and find and use all of the features that are most important to you as easily as possible.

Both of these watches get the job done in that regard, but the Voice Caddie T11 Pro offers a surprisingly hands-off experience by automating a lot of functions. Having it zoom in and offer more pertinent detail as you get closer to the hole is a nice touch, and it’s the best way to offer so much complex information.

That’s not to say the Garmin Approach S70 is difficult to use. Far from it, with its three right-side buttons letting you navigate smoothly through its different functions. It’s intuitive despite the seemingly endless number of functions and customization options, and it won’t give up the ghost mid-round either, with up to 20 hours of battery life while using GPS and 16 days in smartwatch mode.

Features

Both of these golf watches really come into their own in this category, so strap in! It’s almost as if these two watches can do everything for you bar actually swing the club. The Garmin Approach S70, for example, can show you the weather forecast and let you integrate that into your round. It’ll also give you accurate yardages to greens, bunkers, and other course features, track your score and shot distances, and even pipe up (if you want it to) during club selection.

The S70 comes preloaded with over 43,000 courses, and when you get to your club, it’ll ready up your course automatically and download it if needed. If you’re not playing in a tournament, you can use the watch for “Plays Like Distance” which accounts for slope, wind, temperature, and even barometric pressure. Once you’ve logged five rounds, the watch can also start making club recommendations for you.

The S70 also brings back Garmin’s 'Pinpointer' compass to show you where the green is on blind shots, and there’s an automatic distance tracker which shows you how far away from your last shot you are - this is priceless when trawling the heavy rough as long as you have an idea of how far you might have hit your last club.

There are even more features available to you if you sign up for a monthly Garmin Golf membership. The highlight of these is green contouring, giving you an idea of the main contours and slope percentages of each green on the course. Subtle breaks aren’t accounted for, though, so you’ll still need to read your putts yourself.

The S70 has plenty to talk about from a features and functions standpoint, but the Voice Caddie T11 Pro is no slouch either. I really enjoyed its hole mapping, which is about as comprehensive of a course management feature as you’re likely to find, down to the driver distance arc that you can set at your own average drive distance to see what elements of the hole are in play, and the ability to touch spots on the hole to check yardages to, saving me the time and trouble of having to get my rangefinder out.

The T11 Pro’s hole mapping works really well because the watch tracks where you are, and as you make your way down the fairway it keeps adjusting the view of the hole, zooming in to display key info around the green for your approach shot. Voice Caddie’s ‘Smart Approach View’ displays the exact shape of the green and slopes, such as run-offs and false fronts, at play. It also rotates to show your exact position on the hole, meaning that you don’t have to adjust your perspective.

‘Smart Putt View’ kicks in next, and it’s an impressive bit of tech. The watch provides you with all of the critical information related to slope and break on the green, then actually prompts you with a green read like an actual caddie might, saying things like “aim left”, “aim right over a club length”, or “uphill, then flat to the pin”.

While this could be extremely useful for someone who’s poor at reading a green or actively needs that sort of prompt, these suggestions were a step too far for me, and I didn’t want my watch telling me what to do. I did, however, really like the clear color gradient and arrows that gave me an excellent idea of the green’s contours.

The Voice Caddie T11 Pro also features a tempo practice tool for the range, allowing you to practice your swing against a set tempo. While tempo training is definitely a thing, this feature fell short for me because I didn’t know what tempo number to input into the watch and test myself against. If you know what your ideal tempo needs to be, you’ll get more mileage out of this feature than I did.

Versatility

It’s a very good product on the course, but the Garmin Approach S70 would be excellent if you just looked at it as just a smartwatch, too. You can connect it to your smartphone to get all of your usual notifications, whether that’s emails, news alerts, social media pings, credit card charges, or just about anything else, all of it in real time.

Importantly, you can edit those notification settings to trim down what your S70 will funnel through to you. You can also play Bluetooth music or see who’s calling your phone, though you can’t answer calls directly from your watch. Garmin has quite the reputation in the fitness space, and the Approach S70 is a tremendous option as a fitness watch and health tracker too, with a heartbeat monitor, step counter, and a whole lot more.

The Voice Caddie T11 Pro is serviceable as a basic smartwatch, giving you call and text notifications when you connect it to your phone, but that’s about all it can do off the course apart from telling the time. It’s an out-and-out golf watch to be sure, and doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

Value

For me, the Voice Caddie T11 Pro goes above and beyond in terms of functions, so the value you’ll get from it depends squarely on how much use and enjoyment you’re going to get from those many different features. I really liked its hole mapping feature, and while they weren’t to my taste, you might be a fan of the green reading prompts the watch offers and the tempo training feedback feature, which some smartphone apps charge for. If you don't need all of those features and are instead just looking for a stylish golf watch that also gives you some basic yardage info and not too much more, the price tag may be a little too dear.

The S70 is an extremely versatile smartwatch on top of being a feature-rich golf watch, so if you want the best of both worlds, the Garmin option may be the one worth turning to. It’ll take charge of all your fitness-tracking and health monitoring needs too, so the price can be easily justified as an everyday purchase. Both the Garmin Approach S70 and the Voice Caddy T11 Pro are premium products, however, so if you want a cheaper model, make sure to read our guide on the best value golf watches.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose the Garmin Approach S70 if...
- You want a sleek watch for everyday use
- You also need high-end golf functions
- You’d like to see the effect of weather on your game

Choose the Voice Caddie T11 Pro if...
- You’ll use a lot of its many golf features
- You want great hole mapping and plenty of data
- You need help reading greens

You’ve played a nice shot into a pin cut close to the left-hand side of the green. You’ve been aggressive and fired straight at it. The bold move has paid off and you’re just 15 feet from the cup. But, the ball has landed on the surface and just rolled off onto the fringe.

When you reach your ball it is sitting nicely and is highly puttable. Unfortunately, your pitch mark on the putting surface is a whopper and is directly on the line between your ball and the hole.

What can you do given your ball is not sitting on the green? Can you repair it or do you just have to put up with it until after your stroke? Do you have to go through the pitch mark or attempt to avoid it?

There’s good news on this one. You can repair the pitch mark on the green. It’s covered by Rule 13 – Putting Greens.

Rule 13.1c deals with improvements allowed on the putting green. It starts by saying – that players can take certain actions on the putting green no matter whether their ball is on or off the putting surface.

One of those actions is “repairing damage” and within the bullet points for what counts as damage, you will find ball marks.

You can then repair a pitch mark on the green when your ball is not on the green.

But you do have to be a little careful. If your ball is on the fringe of the green and a pitch mark is in your way on the fringe (not on the putting surface) you cannot repair it.

If you repaired a pitch mark on the fringe when you were making a stroke from the fringe, you would have broken Rule 8.1 – Improving conditions affecting the stroke.

In that instance, you would receive the general penalty of two shots in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.

If your ball came to rest on the fringe and then another player played a shot that created a pitch mark on the fringe (after your ball had come to rest), you would be entitled to repair it. Rule 8.1d allows a player to restore conditions that have been worsened after a ball has come to rest.

But if the pitch mark was there in the fringe before your ball came to rest, you can’t repair it.

The simple answer though to the main question in the title of this piece is, yes, it is allowed. You can always repair pitch marks on the green.

Golf Rules Quiz

It’s that time of the year when Kick Point hosts Dan Parker and Joe Ferguson get their marker pens out and provide their summer grades.

How have the game’s biggest manufacturers performed so far this year? What have they been up to? What do we like? What don’t we like?

Kick Point Grammar School is really just a good excuse to have a good chinwag - a chance to rave about our favorite clubs and also have a bit of a moan about the brands.

As we always like to stress, this is subjective - so please feel free to share how you’d rate each brand so far this year by leaving your comments in the box below.

For the full report, we recommend watching this episode (click below) - it's a real cracker and might just help you decide what club/clubs to buy next...

WATCH: Dan and Joe from Kick Point explain their manufacturer grades (from 32:30)

TITLEIST

Grade:
Joe: A-
Dan: A

Strengths:
T Series superb, T-250 possibly the best-looking iron on the market, Pro V1 Left Dash now a retail offering, GTS metalwoods are exceptional.

Could improve:
More creativity. Time for a new blade? (But how do you improve the 620 MB?)

Teacher comments:
Without doubt the most complete overall offering in golf from driver to ball.

Summary:
The best kid in school in terms of results. Dominates the academics. Want to see more X factor, a spark, a bit more personality.

TAYLORMADE

Grade:
Joe: A-
Dan: A

Strengths:
Qi4D driver, Qi4D moving onto a two-year release cycle, face radius change, fairway woods, Spider putters, head cover game, tour bags.

Could improve:
Room for a super cool, brushed steel blade, perhaps (minimal, retro, use the old logo). Wedges not quite there but getting closer.

Teacher comments:
Everything they release in fairway woods is dominating. Just brilliant. The Qi4D Max is an absolute stunner for the high handicap players. The talented maverick kid. Wanting and willing to try everything.

CALLAWAY

Grade:
Joe: B+
Dan: A-

Strengths:
Quantum. New Apex UW really strong. Opus SP wedges. Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X balls seriously good. Quantum Tour staff bag delightful.

Could improve:
Ranges need refining. Too many options? More clarity (get Marie Kondo in).

Teacher comments:
Quantum off the charts visually and performance-wise. Quick, feels great, forgiving. The whole Quantum driver range is superb. A child who is struggling to find themselves - just chucking everything at it.

PING

Grade:
Joe: B+
Dan: A

Strengths:
G440 predictable and strong performing as ever. Ping iDi utility. s259 possibly one of the best-looking wedges ever. White putter heads.

Could improve:
Aesthetics (not Turbulator fans).

Teacher comments:
The iron range might be the best in terms of the sum of its parts. Model child, ethically sound, polite and well-behaved. Academically superb. Would like to see a little glow up.

COBRA

Grade:
Joe: A-
Dan: B+

Strengths:
Cobra King Tec-MD might just be the best mini driver on the market. Equally good off fairway and tee. 3DP irons (huge fans).

Could improve:
Short game offering (wedges and putters.).

Teacher comments:
Some stuff in the range we’d have down as an F, some of it would be an A++++++++. Work on your friendship groups (tour presence). Keep playing to your strengths and lean into 3D - you’re the pioneer here and ahead of the game.

PXG

Grade:
Joe: B
Dan: B+

Strengths:
Strong naming game. For example, Lightning. Secret Weapon superb. Imagination. For example, Desert Club. Driving irons excellent. Black Ops game improvement irons. Premium accessories.

Could improve:
Sugar Daddy III wedges, especially the look from the back. Putter range a bit overwhelming (more Marie Kondo/Stacey Solomon assistance required). Ball just Ok.

Teacher comments:
Let’s get some core models here, and maybe give some options within those. Less is more sometimes. Do we really need a ball? You’ve got everything you need for greatness. Great friendship group (Aldrich, Knapp, Penge). Incredibly fun to have around. Always got some witty answers in the back of the class.

MIZUNO

Grade:
Joe: B-
Dan: B

Strengths:
Pro S-1 and Pro S-3 staggeringly good. Beautiful shapes, shelf appeal, feel. JPX 925 Forged a rocket - just class. Pro T-1 and Pro T-3 wedges criminally overlooked.

Could improve:
Putters and drivers not getting traction.

Teacher comments:
A top student that has gone slightly off the boil this year. Possibly distracted. Let’s get back to what we do best: craftsmanship, heritage, luxury. Maybe we’ve taken on too much… should we drop a subject? Putters, maybe.

SRIXON

Grade:
Joe: B
Dan: B

Strengths:
ZXi driver family solid as a rock. ZXiU a brilliant performer. ZXiR a great addition to the game improvement section - nailed it. Ball’s tour presence speaks for itself. AD333 also still a go-to mid performance ball.

Could improve:
Not as keen on the fairways.

Teacher comments:
A really nice year so far. Solid results in all areas without bringing out a ton of new stuff. Favorite subject is irons - and that certainly stands out. Lovely child, would love to see them come out of their shell a little bit more and tell everyone how great they are.

WILSON

Grade:
Joe: B+
Dan: A

Strengths:
Brand heading in a good direction. Cool website with a heritage vibe. Irons range superb, one of our favorites in the game. Special mention for Staff Model range. Infinite Zero Torque putters, with simple shaping and good tech. Apparel range gorgeous.

Could improve:
Looks-wise, drivers and fairways need a little work. Still a slight package set look. Ball, mixed feelings. People love the product - need to invest more in custom fitting.

Teacher comments:
Drivers and fairways still very underrated as performers. Overall, exciting times for the brand. Could do with some more friends (just to remind you, we’re talking tour presence here); friends with the teacher (Padraig Harrington), but that’s about it.

Do you agree with Joe and Dan's grades? Let us know in the comments below!

As we move towards the conclusion of the FedEx Cup, it's clear that tour golf is approaching yet another crossroads. The future of LIV is uncertain and the other tours are continuing to evolve their offerings in a bid to engage modern sports fans at scale.

We are likely to hear more grand ideas about event formats, venues and schedules that all have a role to play in moving the sport forwards. As someone who has always watched tour golf but has become increasingly weary, I welcome any innovation that will add excitement and interest.

To my mind, however, it is the difficulty of the challenges presented to the players each week that needs to be addressed first. The truth is, those at the top of the game have become so good that many of today's top courses are starting to feel tame.

We've seen how the ruling bodies have tried to, at least in part, combat this by introducing a golf ball roll back to reduce the distance players are hitting the ball. The future of this is currently in doubt but regardless, the problem extends beyond just distance.

From better understanding of the golf swing and improved club technology to nutrition and smarter mental game techniques - the top players have improved beyond all recognition. It might sound strange to say it but I think this has harmed the product.

Today's army of predictably (some might say robotically) brilliant professionals are breezing past the sort of trouble that would have sent previous generations of players into meltdown. And frankly, that's no fun to watch.

To rediscover a sense of jeopardy and drama within the tour game, serious thought needs to be given to making the venues more challenging. The easiest place to start would be the bunkers.

I'm not the first person to moan about the bunkers on the PGA Tour and I suspect I won't be the last. All too often they present such little challenge, they may as well not be there.

The value of good bunkering was brought into sharp focus recently by what happened both at Shinnecock Hills and then at Royal Birkdale. In different ways, they underlined how bunkers can, and indeed should, take the best players outside of their usual comfort zones.

At Shinnecock, there was a different type of sand. It was stonier and perfect strikes were not guaranteed. We regularly saw players struggling with seemingly simple greenside shots. Then at Royal Birkdale, the small bunkers had magnetic properties and frequently threw up difficult stances (remember Ryan Fox on the 15th in the final round).

Without wanting to sound like a sadist, the jeopardy created by proper bunkering was entertaining to watch. By contrast, at too many tour courses, the bunkers serve a purely aesthetic purpose, like landing lights guiding the eye of a pilot towards the runway. They are to be taken on, not avoided.

Reinstating the challenge that bunkers are supposed to pose is both obvious and easy to do. Without having to rip up the playbook, tours could use rakes with much wider teeth or Shinnecock-style sand to make their bunkers real no-go zones. Some people have even gone as far as to suggest that bunkers on tour shouldn't be raked. While I don't necessarily agree, I do think the onus is on the powers-that-be to acknowledge that proper bunkering is a central component to the excitement of a tour event.

At the moment, it feels like the game bends over backwards not to upset players and in so doing, sometimes forgets that fans are tuning in for sporting drama. The truth is, distance isn't the only problem facing tour golf. The players are now so good that too often the final round lacks any real sense of jeopardy. One small change to the way bunkers are kept could make tour golf more exciting to watch and who doesn't want that?

A year ago, I wrote about the casual sexism that women encounter on the golf course. Not the big, headline-grabbing incidents, but the throwaway comments, assumptions and unsolicited advice that can make you feel, even for a moment, that you are somehow a guest in a game you have every right to play.

So, a year on, I wanted to know: has anything changed? Perhaps the more interesting question is whether we are seeing the beginning of a much bigger shift within the game.

Talking to women who play golf regularly, the overwhelming feeling is that the worst casual sexism behaviour is becoming less common. It hasn't disappeared, but increasingly it feels like an older way of thinking that is being challenged by a younger, more diverse generation of golfers coming through.

Are We Playing A Generation Game?

When it comes to issues with men, there does seem to be a pattern. The majority of the stories I hear involve men in their 60s and beyond. Part of me wonders whether we really are only one generation away from significant change.

Russ Chrystie, one half of the entertaining online duo “Couple a Golfers”, agrees that age plays a part. He thinks it will be hard to change the views of the older crowd and believes women need to be prepared to call out behaviour when they see it.

His argument is simple: it is much easier for one man to make an inappropriate comment to one woman than it is to make the same comment in front of a group of women who won't tolerate it. There is strength in numbers, and women are finding that strength and their tribes with so many communities of female golfers forming.

Beth Roberts, the other half of the duo, experienced dismissive behaviour from an older caddie when she played in a pro-am recently. The caddies didn’t have any time for her or her female pro on the team and went above and beyond to belittle them. They got their comeuppance, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

The army of young golfers is growing in the background and becoming impossible to ignore. They are playing competitively, playing socially, taking up space on driving ranges, entering club competitions and, importantly, expecting to be treated as golfers rather than as women who happen to play golf. I suspect some of the dinosaurs won't know what hit them. For now, comments are fewer but still experienced on a daily basis and often put new golfers off.

Strength In Numbers

There are plenty of moments where golf feels lonely when you’re a solo woman. Walking into male-dominated clubhouses can be extremely intimidating - I know, I do this on a daily basis.

Some men deem it ok to be derogatory towards women just because they’ve paid their membership fees. Some women also feel the need to display their tail feathers and talk down to newer golfers, so this isn’t necessarily just a gender issue, but more of a traditional entitled members issue.

Throughout my career as a female coach I’ve got used to men being utterly gobsmacked that I even play golf let alone teach it. I’ve also come to expect such derogatory comments and block much of this noise out, though I have far more guts to call men out than I used to.

Even recently, I’ve had unnecessary banter from a group of my pupils’ golfing mates; they asked if he was paying me for my time and told him to “Stay out of the bunkers with her.” Let’s just say I choose where I coach carefully.

Staff at clubs often experience extreme levels of sexism. There have been many cases with cart staff in the USA reporting inappropriate behaviour from members and their guests. Peyton Stover, from Long Beach, worked at the Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach in Orange County for two years, where she provided drinks to golfers.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Stover says they would often grope her and ask her to lift up her shirt. Her suit alleges that after she complained to her supervisor and club manager, they defended the behaviour on the grounds that the golfers had paid a premium to become members of the club.

This behaviour leaves a huge imprint on these young women and their ability to trust men. Just because you pay membership never gives you the right to belittle women in this way. I often wonder what their wives would think - would they realise what a “boys club” some golf club environments are?

Recently at a friend's fairly modern golf club, the General Manager stood up and thanked all the staff after Lady Captain's Day, but then singled out a young woman working behind the bar and went on to say that if he were 20 years younger he’d be in the cellar with her. Plenty of men in the bar erupted in laughter.

The girl in question was visibly upset, a sentiment echoed by many of the women who are members. Why is it ok to make these kinds of comments in this day and age? Yet I hear them on a daily basis when attending golf clubs all over the country.

Patronising Assumptions On The Course

Liz Harwood experienced a textbook example of the behaviour that needs to disappear. Playing in a corporate event at The Grove, the celebrity in her group immediately told her to keep her head down and proceeded to coach her for seven holes without knowing her capability, even moving her ball. When he eventually asked if she minded him "helping," Liz’s response was brilliantly clear: he could carry on if it made him feel better, but she wasn't listening or changing her game.

Beyond that specific interaction, the behaviour remains insidious. Liz also remembers asking a male friend to play a mixed knockout, only for him to decline because he couldn't face the flak and innuendo from his male friends, proving how powerful club culture can be when simply playing golf with a woman is seen as a threat to social standing.

Ann Osman has found a different solution: refusing to take any nonsense. Playing at a small UK club full of "old guys and chauvinists," she rarely has an issue because everyone knows she is blunt and won't tolerate disrespect. Recalling a solo golf holiday where a male partner crossed the line, she made her disdain abundantly clear by the end of the round, refusing to shake his hand. "I think we should all be more Ann," I was told - and perhaps we should.

Broadcaster Naga Munchetty takes a similar no-nonsense approach. Not exactly someone who sits quietly and accepts being patronised, Munchetty rarely encounters overtly sexist comments. Interestingly, she finds some of her biggest frustrations actually come from other women at golf clubs rather than men. It’s a reminder that golf's old hierarchies and attitudes don't belong exclusively to men, and sometimes the barriers women face are perpetuated by the very people who fought their way through them.

Calling Out Mate Behaviour

But there is another group of people who need to step up too: the men who hear this kind of stuff and say nothing.

One of the most telling comments came from a woman who has played golf for 50 years. She said she regularly hears from her husband about disparaging comments made by men in their groups. When she asked him what he said in response, she got the proverbial deer-in-the-headlights look.

That matters, because silence can be mistaken for agreement. If the men who aren't sexist challenged their friends when they crossed the line, rather than laughing along or saying nothing, the culture would change much faster. We don't need every man to become an activist. We just need more of them to say: "That's not OK."

Teeing Up Equality

Inequality often stretches beyond interpersonal comments into everyday club operations. One contributor on the Facebook group Women Who Golf noted: "In a club competition recently, men over 60 were allowed to move forward to a shorter tee, while groups of women over 60 had no equivalent option."

When she mentioned it afterwards, a member of staff simply said: "I never thought of it like that." That sentence may be more encouraging than it sounds - sometimes change begins when somebody makes you see something you had simply never considered. Like the mixing up of ability with distance.

The same applies to the golf course itself. Not only should women be enjoying the same experience playing a hole, the tee boxes should have as much care taken over their condition. Women tell me about forward tees that are poorly maintained, uneven, or left on hardpan, while other teeing areas are looked after much better. Perhaps more men would notice if they played from them.

There are also the familiar complaints about women's competitions being pushed into less desirable times because, heaven forbid, the men might have to give up a Saturday morning. Yet another woman offered a wonderfully simple counterexample: her New York club allows its women's day to take place on a Saturday morning at 10am. It works. Women play. Women compete. Women enjoy the club.

The Future Of Golf

And that is ultimately what this is about. There is no shortage of wonderful men in golf; almost every woman I spoke to was quick to say that 95% of the men she is paired with are lovely and that courses are generally becoming kinder to women.

But good intentions aren't enough if the structures and assumptions around them haven't caught up.

The most encouraging thing I hear is that women are no longer willing to quietly accept the old rules. Young women are taking up golf in huge numbers. They are less apologetic about being there, expecting to play from the tee that suits their game, expecting decent facilities, and expecting to be listened to.

That doesn't mean sexism will suddenly disappear when the older generation leaves the game. Every generation has its problems, and young golfers are not magically immune to prejudice. But culture changes when the people coming through have different expectations.

The future of golf isn't simply more women playing it. It is women becoming an ordinary, unremarkable part of every aspect of the game: women in fourballs, on boards, running competitions, setting handicaps, designing courses, and taking up space on the range without having their swing analysed by a stranger.

Maybe the tide is beginning to turn. The comments haven't disappeared, and the old attitudes haven't vanished. But something has changed. The women coming through aren't waiting for permission. They're already here owning that first tee. That is the golf I'm seeing. Finally, I think it's the future.

Dan Grieve has built a reputation as one of the world's leading short game coaches, so we are very excited to be able to share his wisdom with you.

It doesn't matter if you are a scratch golfer or a 20-handicapper, everyone should strive to improve their short game.

Whether it's diagnosing the 7 most common mistakes made by amateurs or sharing his favorite drill, Dan Grieve has helped countless amateurs to do just that.

You don't even have to be on the golf course, either. Dan's expert advice extends to a great bonus tip that you can practice in the comfort of your own home or at your desk in the office - so there really is no excuse.

If you want to shoot lower scores and cut your handicap in 2026, a focus on your performances around the green could be the perfect starting point - and Dan's 5 best chipping drills should be your first port of call...

Dan Grieve's 5 Best Chipping Drills

1. Thumbs Off

The first one, which I call the ‘thumbs off’ drill, is designed to improve your touch and feel, while also helping to create more spin around the green.

The reason I call it the thumbs off drill is because most golfers get very anxious around the green. They get a little bit tight and tense towards the top of the backswing… and that’s where the thumbs tend to squeeze.

The pads squeeze and you will see in the video that it creates this drag or lag, which really creates too much of a hit. The ball starts to jump and I've thrown my hands at it because of tension.

Now, if you take your thumbs completely off the grip and make some swings, perhaps for the first time in your golfing career, you might actually feel the weight of the club head.

This drill lets the club swing almost on its own momentum, which creates so much more control and spin on the golf ball because you start to collect it versus hitting.

If you want to, you can actually hit some balls with the thumbs off totally and see how you get on. Then, when you put the thumbs back on the grip, make sure they're very lightly placed. This will help to increase your feel, control and spin around the green.

2. Lead Arm Only

This is a great drill if you're a bit of a flipper. If you use too much of the bottom hand and it comes off the blade thin or heavy - give this a try. I call it the ‘one arm only’ drill.

The benefit of using your lead arm only is it takes away the trail hand, which is the one that generally wants to flip. Start by making some swings.

The goal is to make sure that the shaft extends through the arm into the follow through. The butt of the grip for a chip and run low shot should really be pointing at that lead hip when in the finish position. I call that release number one.

Start without the ball and when you feel comfortable you can hit some with the ball. If everything matches up you should achieve a strong strike.

This drill teaches you to keep the leading edge down and, while it might feel a bit strange if you've not done this before, it shows you how to get the shaft into the right position without the interference of that dominant trail hand.

Once you've hit a few doing that, put your trail hand back on and then hit some chip shots. Aim to finish in that same manner, with the butt of the grip on that lead hip. That's how you get real consistency on those low basic chip shots.

3. Trail Foot Backwards

Another short game fault I see a lot is where the player leans back to try and help the ball up into the air.

It's human nature, in a way, and I understand why players do it. But, when you're trying to go over something and you lean back, you usually hit the ground way before and the club can either dig or it can hit the ground and kick - depending on the time of the year.

To fix this, we need to control our low point. What I mean by that is the golf swing has an arc, so we need to move the lowest point of the arc forward. One way we can do that is with the trail foot backwards drill.

In the video, you will see I have pulled my right foot backwards and placed all my weight on my left foot. I’m up on my toes on the back foot, which forces me to shift the pressure forwards onto the lead leg.

The goal with this drill is to maintain this stance throughout the strike. Do some practice swings first with your trail foot backwards and on the toes.

If the weight moves backwards, you will become unstable or put your trail foot flat on the ground. This instant feedback is great.

Then, hit some shots and really feel that left leg loaded. You will notice straight away how that strike really firms up and it gets so much stronger and crisper straight away. This really is the drill that you'll see instant results with if you're hitting that heavy shot.

4. Trail Arm Only

Sometimes, you’ve got to go in the air… and it requires more of a swing of the club head and a little more release of the club. Try the trail arm only drill for this one.

Place a ball positioned in line with the heel of the lead foot. You need to have lie that allows the club to slide under the ball, so bare that in mind when setting this one up.

Place your lead hand on your trail shoulder and grip the club with your trail hand only. If you clamp that shoulder in, so that it doesn’t disconnect from the torso, you get a lovely feeling as the club moves through impact.

In the video, you can see how the butt of the grip is swinging towards my belt buckle. I call that a release two. It provides the feeling of how the club should be releasing when you're looking for that higher shot.

5. On-Plane Alignment

Here's a drill if you suffer with what I think is perhaps the most common short game fault - where the player gets under plane.

When I take it away, as demonstrated in the video, you can see it rolls inside. This is a real killer because from there you've got to manipulate it.

If you practice a lot, you might hit some decent ones like that. But, you're never far away from a really bad one if you're rolling it inside.

So, it's quite a tough change to make if you've been doing it for a long time. What you require when you're making swing changes is feedback.

Set up to the ball you're intending to hit. Place the clubhead of another wedge under your trail heel and stand on it.

Now, If I roll the club and go under, you can see in the video that I'm going to hit the club.

That’s the instant feedback you need. If you hit the shaft of the club under your trail foot in the backswing, you’ve rolled inside. I know I'm offline.

In order to get on plane, you need to bring the club back without making contact with the wedge under your foot. The shaft will be running through your arm and the clubhead is outside the hands.

Hit a few and very quickly you will teach yourself that really nice swing plane to get quality strikes. This is a simple exercise to get that strike and improve your swing plane.

Bonus Tip To Try At Home

Put your thumbs together and spread your fingers out wide with flat palms that face the ground. Tuck your elbows into your body and get into golf posture. I want you to really feel like your triceps are connected to your torso.

From that position, simply make a little turn towards the trail side and the same to the target side.

This practice drill stops you getting too handsy and promotes keeping that connection. You don't need a club, so you can do that in your living room or in the office, and it'll just keep you on top of the basics.

Do you have a favorite iron? Should you have a favorite iron?

It happens naturally for a lot of club golfers, but ask a professional this question, and you’ll probably get quite a few black expressions - which is to say they’re comfortable with every one in the bag.

For your typical club golfer, however, there’s usually a favorite - and nine times out of ten it’s a club with a little bit of loft, the club we’ll go to when we’re struggling.

And we’ve all been here: one, two, three holes played, and you’re desperately trying to hit one decent shot; just one that gets airborne would be progress.

That’s when you hear that line every golfer dreads: “Maybe just try hitting a 7-iron,” says one of your playing partners (they might as well say, ‘Give up, we're just going to carry on without you’).

Sometimes the change in strategy works: out comes the trusty old 7- or 8-iron (forget the fact that you’ve got 250 yards to the green), and you get that clean strike you’ve been searching for. A couple more of these and you’re off and running. When even the favorite club doesn’t fire… it's just not your day.

This subject recently came up in the office, and before long it had become a full-on debate.

“Having a favorite iron is amateurish,” said one member of staff who wished to remain anonymous - and he was deadly serious.

“Only high handicappers have that mindset.” Wow. Really?

“My favorite iron is my 2-iron,” said another (really something only an annoying low handicapper might say).

Keen to find out whether club golfers have a favorite iron in the bag (excluding wedges), we put the question on our Facebook page - and here are the results...

As we expected, there’s a lot of love out there for the 7- and 8-irons, which makes these clubs the ‘go-to’ for many amateur and recreational golfers.

But is having a go-to club necessarily a good thing?

“Sometimes I think having a favorite iron can be an issue,” says our resident PGA professional Joe Ferguson.

“I have played in a lot of pro-ams with people who try to shoehorn their favorite irons, whatever it may be, into shots that simply require another club, often with disastrous consequences!”

So why do many of us gravitate towards using a ‘comfort club’ like a 7- or 8-iron?

“I think it stems from an industry tendency, personally,” explains Joe.

“Every lesson I have ever had, the pro has told me to grab a 7-iron straight off the bat. Every custom fitting session seems to be based around a 7-iron too.

“I get that it is the mid-point in many people's iron set, but I wonder whether a lesson with a potentially more challenging 4- or 5-iron may be beneficial for some.”

Talking of the 4-iron, we enjoyed reading the responses from those golfers who named a longer iron as their favorite.

“My 4-iron. Love it for tight lies and stingers,” said Lee Hall, who has our full respect!

Clearly, a favorite club for some golfers will be one that strike fear into others.

There will also be those who have an old favorite because of how it looks and feels, perhaps a 5-iron that remains in the bag despite being replaced by several newer models.

At this point, the make and model of the iron comes into the conversation, and whether you play a set of the best irons money can buy.

It's not unusual for tour players to play with irons that have been updated, like Matt Fitzpatrick, who is still using a set of Ping S55 irons from 2013, clubs that feature a particularly blunt leading edge to help with turf interaction

Maybe the World No. 3's 9-iron is his personal favorite, for it was this club that he called upon to play that bunker shot to set up his US Open victory at Brookline in 2022.

Take the make and model out the the conversation, though, and do you have a favorite iron in the bag?

What is it and why? Let us know by leaving your comments below.

For the record, Joe has always been “an 8-iron guy”. “I much prefer the rounded toe of the 8,” he adds.

A good choice. A nice, safe club (in theory).

Last week was another case of close, but no cigar.

I tipped Sam Burns as my best bet at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but despite entering the final round in 2nd place he failed to kick on - ultimately finishing third.

That's the sixth time that my best bet has finished in the top three in the last eight tournaments, including a winner at the John Deere Classic, so confidence is high ahead of the BMW Championship 2026.

After burying myself in stats and trends, I have scoured the strong field at the BMW Championship and found four names I believe have a great chance at Bellerive GC...

BMW Championship 2026 Betting Tips

Bazza's Best Bets

Top Tip: Tommy Fleetwood To Win @ BetMGM

Tommy Fleetwood is having a typical 'Tommy' season.

He has once again been impressive with eight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, the same amount as he accumulated in 2025, but unlike last season he is yet to get over the line.

There are still two events left to rectify that, and he did leave it until the final event at East Lake last year, so I fancy him to capitalise on what is becoming a strong part of the season for him.

Fleetwood hasn't finished outside the top-14 on the leaderboard since he missed the cut at the PGA Championship in May, so arrives in great form.

In the last 12 months he also ranks 10th for SG: Tee To Green and 15th for SG: Putting - so has been super consistent throughout his bag in 2026.

While the venue has changed each time, Fleetwood has a great tournament record at the BMW Championship too, finishing in the top-11 in four out of five appearances.

With the price offered for the Englishman, I like his chances and his value.

Next Best Tip: Hideki Matsuyama To Win @ BetMGM

I backed Hideki Matsuyama last week and was pleased to see him return another top-10 finish, but I believe he is trending towards something better. The reasoning for my pick is very similar to last week, as I can't abandon him now.

The 2021 Masters Champion has finished in the top-15 in each of his last six tournaments, with the highlight being a third-place at the 3M Open a few weeks ago.

His last four starts have all yielded a top-7 finish, which shows how hot he is right now.

Matsuyama is an elite ball striker with a world-class short game, ranking 6th for SG: Around The Green in the last three months, so I like has chances on this difficult golf course.

Form Tip: Si Woo Kim To Win @ BetMGM

Scottie Scheffler has been the player of the season in 2026, there is no doubt about that, but Si Woo Kim has had a phenomenal year that deserves recognition.

This time last year, Kim ranked outside the top-60 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He now ranks 13th, showcasing the consistency and quality he has demonstrated in 2026.

Si Woo Kim has accumulated 11 top-10 finishes this season, including three runner-up finishes and two third-place efforts.

He will consider himself desperately unlikely not to have won at least one PGA Tour title to add to the four he already has, but the season isn't over yet.

After finishing second to Scheffler last week, albeit by a distance, I think Kim represents a great value bet if he can continue to play at the high standard of recent months.

Value Tip: Ryan Gerard To Win @ BetMGM

Another man with a series of near misses this season is Ryan Gerard.

He kicked off the year with back-to-back runner-up finishes and added a third at the Memorial Tournament later in the season, ultimately losing in a playoff to JT Poston.

Ryan Gerard was very impressive at the Open Championship and kicked on at the Rocket Classic the week after, but I am most impressed by his form on tough, long golf courses that are similar in profile to Bellerive GC.

Runner-up finishes at Torrey Pines and Muirfield Village caught my eye, but he was also in the top-30 at Riviera, TPC Sawgrass and Trump National Doral.

If he can find another gear to finish the season, I think he can add a second PGA Tour win and really elevate his career to the next level.

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Picks

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Pick One: Tommy Fleetwood To Win @ BetMGM

The Englishman finished T7th at last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship, despite the fact that he carded a two-over-par final round at TPC Southwind.

Since missing the cut at the PGA Championship, Fleetwood's form has been incredibly consistent, highlighted by the fact that he hasn't finished outside the top 14 in seven straight events.

Bellerive Country Club should suit his game, given that Fleetwood finished T35th at the PGA Championship in 2018. He loves the Playoffs, so I suspect he'll contend this week.

Pick Two: Alex Noren To Win @ BetMGM

Noren's form has been under the radar of late, with the Swede finishing T18th at The Open, T7th at the Wyndham Championship and T3rd at last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Ranking fifth in Strokes Gained: Putting for the whole of the PGA Tour, Noren has started to find some form in the long game department and, with his accuracy off the tee a key aspect to his success, I think he possesses good value this week.

Pick One: Scottie Scheffler To Win @ BetMGM

My pick to win this week is Scottie Scheffler. The World No.1 looked back to his best last week, and I am allowed one more Scheffler pick in our GM Tour Issue podcast Tipster Challenge - so I am looking for him to go back-to-back. He's the best golfer in the world who has his confidence, and putting, back.

Pick One: Adam Scott To Win @ BetMGM

My outsider for the BMW Championship is Adam Scott. The legendary Australian was 3rd here at the 2018 PGA Championship so I'm hoping he'll have some good memories when he arrives back on-site.

Scott was a very solid T12th at the FedEx St Jude to continue a season that has included two fourth-place finishes in Signature Events and a very respectable T9 at The Open.

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Tipping Record

I can’t work out what’s making me feel more uncomfortable: the golfer who’s been caught faking a hole-in-one, or the noise that’s followed on social media to the point that the offender sounds as though he’s seriously considering upping sticks and changing his name.

Zach Holland has, no question, had a nightmare. A quick recap: he drove to his golf course nice and early and popped a golf ball in the hole, then rushed ahead to take his tee shot on the par-3 4th in the competition so he could speak on the phone with his sick grandmother (especially low, that). Conveniently, the ball ended up in the cup, even though no one was there to see it.

Wow.

There was no hole-in-one - and he’s been busted. The story has spread like wildfire. He’s the “Brian Devine” of golf - Brian being the cricketer who was recently caught clicking his fingers in the slips position to convince the umpire that the batter had nicked the ball. I like to think Brian has already called Zach to offer his support.

Because here’s the thing: at what point will anger turn to sympathy? I’ve experienced the full range of emotions from afar. When the story broke on the BBC late yesterday, I must admit that I found myself chuckling; it was so predetermined, so deceitful, so desperate that I… well, laughed.

Then I started thinking about the game of golf I love and how it is built on personal integrity and sportsmanship. I thought about the members of WingHaven Country Club in Missouri who had been hoodwinked by Holland’s scam. Some people will tell you that cheating in golf is rife - and, even if that’s not entirely accurate, isn’t it a shame that the sport gets tarnished by such incidents?

Now, though, I’ve started to feel a bit of sympathy for Holland, just as I did last month when Devine made international news for his grubby attempts to trick cricket umpires and cheat his opponents. For days afterwards, it was all that appeared in my news feed: meet the cheat, the 38-year-old dad who works as a company secretary for a livestock auction and estate agents, etc.

We had club statements, interviews with players, former professionals and cricket pundits weighing in, and social media influencers calling for a public flogging. It felt as though we came very close to Andy Burnham calling an emergency Cobra meeting.

I don’t like it. There’s no question that Holland has cheated - he’s admitted such. However, I feel uncomfortable with the amount of attention such stories get. I know, I know, I’m adding to the noise here, but I want to make a point.

Massively Over The Top

Maybe I’m being soft, and I’ll brace myself for being told I am, but here’s why the reaction feels massively over the top. Holland has admitted he cheated and that he “completely made a fool of himself”. It was only right that he resigned his membership. “You do something as dumb as I did, there are consequences for that,” he told radio station 101 ESPN in St Louis.

Holland, a former college golfer, added: “I made a terrible mistake, the lack of moral character. I can take the banter and the chatter because I deserve that from a golf perspective.” (Maybe a bit soon for banter, I think, Zach).

“But what I am most worried about is my family, breaking trust with a marriage I have had for five years next month. We have two kids that are under three, and you know, it's not fair to them for me to put them in that situation where they walk in a room, there is a stigma there that your dad [is a cheater].”

He’s always going to have this reputation - and for that, like most golfers, I have no sympathy. When you concoct a plan as he did, your reputation won’t ever recover. For as long as he plays the game, he’ll have this hanging over him. Would you want to enter a competition with Holland in the field? No, me neither.

Unfortunately for Holland, he has also been labelled as a “sandbagger” (that’s handicap manipulation if you’re wondering). It’s all going to come out now. More stories, more noise, more calls for firmer punishment. It’s the world we live in.

All that said, I’m not one for going on social media to call for the guy’s head. I dare say there are a fair few golfers out there who have employed the old leather wedge at times, or done that counting thing with their hands - you know, ‘One to there, two to there, three, four…yeah, par.’ Hmm, really?

Nathan Charnes, the acting PGA of America president and general manager at WingHaven, said in a statement to Golf.com that the club had “promptly addressed the matter” and added they “care deeply about the integrity of the game and the experience we provide for our members and guests”.

In fairness to Holland, he’s admitted his wrongdoing. Let’s move on and leave the man to try and do likewise, for it sounds as though he’s going to find it quite difficult.

We often talk about the midlife crisis and how it affects our golf and our lives, but we rarely discuss the underlying cause of this blip in the journey. For women, navigating hormonal changes is a tough gig that hits everyone in one way or another.

Perimenopause presents symptoms like brain fog, joint pain, and heavier periods, to name but a few. The latter can cause massive problems on the golf course, especially given how many facilities lack on-course toilets and leave you nowhere to save yourself.

Men have their own version of menopause - the Andropause - where testosterone drops about 1.6% a year from age 40, bringing similar (if less intense) symptoms. However, men also have to deal with us going through mood swings, lower tolerance, irritability, and exhaustion. So often, they haven’t got a clue why their other half has suddenly turned from Dr Jekyll into Mrs Hyde!

I’ve had male clients come to lessons completely miserable, having lost all motivation for life and golf. They feel lost in their relationships, making golf an escape. Relaying my own symptoms and teaching them about perimenopause is often a lightbulb moment.

This needs to be talked about more so men can support women through it instead of feeling victimised, and women need to make sure their partners know what’s happening to them. It’s not a taboo subject, and it directly affects both life and golf. Divorce rates peak between ages 45 and 55, aligning perfectly with these hormonal shifts; a survey by the Family Law Menopause Project showed that 73% of women felt symptoms contributed to their marriage breakdown.

For me, the last two years of perimenopause have been an utter assault on my ability to focus. I’m not alone. I recently chatted with Linda Scrace - a low handicapper and author of A Mind For Golf. Despite having all the mental tools to navigate a course, perimenopause hit and she lost the plot. Her experience mirrors mine completely:

“I suffered from aching muscles and joints that hampered my swing, and I struggled to even walk 18 holes. Brain fog made it hard to concentrate or make the right decisions. Anxiety and fear of playing even the simplest shot were my constant companions. Low mood, lack of joy, and low self-esteem meant I wasn’t enjoying life or golf, and my usual competitiveness disappeared. My handicap crept up, which compounded the anxiety.

"Luckily, a consultant gynaecologist friend who’d been watching me on the course put me on HRT. Within two days, the brain fog lifted. I was moving better, sleeping better, and felt hope return with more confidence and clarity. My game is still a work in progress... but this is golf, after all!”

Whether you’re going through it as a woman or desperately trying to survive it as a man, here are a few practical ways to manage your golf during this time.

Manage Your Game And Your Symptoms

If you’re wondering how to navigate this stage like Linda, HRT may be worth exploring. Alongside medical advice, try these strategies to lighten the load:

Warm Up Longer: Joint stiffness caused by dropping oestrogen can hamper your swing. Take extra time to warm up and stretch. I’ve found taking magnesium helps massively.

Prioritise Strength Training: Bone density and muscle mass drop after 40. Hitting the weights is non-negotiable if you want to remain active long-term. Beyond easing my symptoms, strength training gave me added length and consistency on my shots.

Hydrate and Fuel: Hydrate well with electrolytes. Limit caffeine (opt for green tea—its flavonoids help counteract symptoms despite the lower caffeine content), and cut back on alcohol and smoking, as both accelerate symptoms.

Adjust Your Expectations: Acknowledge what’s happening. Make small changes to how many competitions you play, when you play, and who you play with. Be kind to yourself and say no more often. Saying no to a round that feels like a battle due to brain fog is saying yes to a relaxed, solo practice session instead.

Find Your Golfing Tribe: There’s nothing quite like a supportive group of women going through the exact same thing to offer encouragement and lighten the load.

Refine Your Pre-Shot Routine

A solid pre-shot routine is essential during perimenopause. My brain fog manifests as a sudden inability to judge distance; even as a pro, I struggle to calculate breaks on greens or choose clubs. It’s not because I don’t know what I’m doing - my brain is simply discombobulated, causing me to stand over the ball and lose control.

My routine is now short, critical, and non-negotiable. It serves as my cue to take control, tuning out playing partners and internal doubt. A brief, simple routine, free from technical swing thoughts and focused entirely on breathwork and commitment is key.

Play Smart, Not Hard

Plan your route down each hole using strategy rather than raw distance. Course management pays huge dividends when focus is low.

I’ve also come to love short-game practice and quiet "GardenGOLF" sessions at home. It feels like meditation, spending time among the plants and focusing on landing wedges into a wheelbarrow or a square of garden canes offers a welcome escape from indoor chaos. It also builds incredible landing-point precision. Your scorecard will love you for it, and taking those quiet moments for yourself is essential.

A New Perspective On The Game

While perimenopause disrupts our "normal" on the course, some find golf to be a complete godsend during this chapter.

Jane Lees, 61, who has spent her career in golf marketing, has witnessed firsthand how the sport elevates women during midlife:

“Menopause can be tricky to navigate, and golf helped me in a number of ways,” Jane says. “The reduction in oestrogen affects bone health, and golf provides valuable exercise without high impact. It’s also great to get out in the fresh air. Plus, any loss of confidence is counteracted by golfing girlfriends sharing their experiences so you don’t feel alone. A few laughs with sympathetic friends always helps.”

Starting Fresh

If you've never played, learning golf at this stage can actively ease symptoms. Exercise supports long-term metabolic health and hormone stability, while fresh air boosts mood and alleviates anxiety.

If full rounds feel overwhelming, opt for shorter formats to boost your confidence without draining your mental bandwidth:

Targeted Range Practice: I love driving range sessions using Inrange at Iford Golf Centre, where I coach. The gamified challenges force me to hone in on the shot at hand without getting distracted.

Accepting Your Limits: Without structured target practice, my ADHD combined with perimenopausal brain fog, anxiety, and irritability makes it hard to stay present. Right now, I can play 9 holes, but anything beyond that and I lose focus. That is completely fine, it’s just a temporary blip on the hormonal journey.

Fueling for Focus

Diet makes a massive difference to daily survival and range performance. During practice, I bring green tea, dried fruit, and take regular fuel breaks.

Phytoestrogens: A diet rich in soy is great for falling oestrogen levels. Foods like edamame, miso, tofu, and soy milk contain natural phytoestrogens that gently mimic the hormone we are losing. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas work similarly - whiz them up into dips or soups to help ease aches and sharpen focus. (Even beans on toast for tea is a great option!)

Fruit: Berries, apples, pears, peaches, and especially pomegranates are packed with benefits.

Anti-Inflammatories: Ginger and turmeric shots are a lifeline for my sore hands and wrists. If you dislike the fiery taste, turmeric capsules work just as well.

Heaven On The Fairways

Whether you’ve played for decades or never picked up a club, golf offers a powerful way to manage the physical and mental shifts of perimenopause. Acknowledging these changes is the first step. Striding out with a club in hand gives you much-needed headspace, relief, and a renewed lease on life.

Midlife doesn’t have to be hell on earth; you can find heaven on the fairways. I’ll return to loving longer rounds once my focus returns - after all, this is just a phase.

Last week, I produced an article about how golf licenses should be introduced in the US and UK to help beginner golfers with their journey on to the course.

The idea popped into my head after multiple incidents of people picking up, or playing, my golf ball, as well as the general failure to rake bunkers and repair pitch marks.

This system of a golf license has been introduced in countries like Germany and France, and I feel it's a great idea.

Not only does it benefit the newcomers, in that they learn the basics, but it helps more experienced players as they can focus solely on their games instead of worrying about those around them.

Following the article, though, I received very mixed responses via the comments section (which you can check out below this piece), as well as social media.

One particular comment stood out for me. "Every single experienced player started exactly where new players are in their golf journey and the best ones always remember that," it read.

"It can be incredibly frustrating to face elitism or harsh criticism from experienced players when you are just trying to learn and have fun.

"It is a game meant for enjoyment, camaraderie, and personal improvement, not the high-stakes pressure of The Open Championship.

"Let's embrace everyone with encouragement and guidance. When experienced players choose mentorship over judgement, everyone wins.

"The game thrives, the atmosphere on the course improves, and new players get the confidence they need to enjoy their journey.

"Golf is inherently difficult, and a little kindness goes a long way in easing that learning curve."

I completely agree with the sentiment. Golf is a fun, social game that can lead to lifelong friendships and memories.

We're not here playing a Major for millions of dollars, we're here for four hours of fun and a beer and a laugh afterwards.

I was lucky that, growing up, my dad and a PGA Professional were able to teach me the basics when it came to etiquette and rules.

Now, if I'm ever paired with a new golfer, I try and impart something on them if they ask for it. Whether it's a way of playing a shot or a particular ruling, if they want advice, I'm happy to give it.

As the comment alludes to, we've all been beginners and taking up a new sport can be extremely intimidating, especially as, within golf, there are hundreds of different factors to think about, aside from the golf swing itself.

The point I was suggesting is that the enjoyment of the game can be heightened by knowing the basics when you tackle the golf course for the first time, so that you aren't as intimidated by other golfers and possible scenarios that might occur.

As I mentioned, although some countries require a golf license, others have removed it.

One commentor wrote on our Facebook post: "Here in Denmark, all new golfers are required to pass a rules test and a practical test before we are allowed on the course.

"In my local club, we also have a group of mentors who show new golfers the ropes and talk about flow and general behaviour on the course."

Interestingly, another one of our commentors from The Netherlands explained how the removal of the golf license had led to many older members asking for it to come back.

The post read: "In the Netherlands, we used to have a golf license. It was called the Golf Vaardigheids Bewijs.

"It had a practical part, playing three out of four par 4s in less then 20 strokes, and first a theoretical exam including etiquette questions.

"If candidates didn’t repair pitch marks or divots, walked in putting lines etc, during the exam, you corrected them but didn’t help them with tips or not counting some strokes.

"Sadly enough they stopped these exams and everyone can get a fake handicap if you just register yourself at the Dutch golf association.

"Many longer-playing golfers would like to see the old system back. Etiquette and knowledge of rules and regulations went completely through the drain.

"So my advice is to start with examinations yesterday."

Whatever the solution is, I do believe that something along the lines of obtaining a golf license, or perhaps being paired with a willing experienced golfer for the first few rounds, would be a big benefit to newcomers.

At the end of the day, we've all been beginners and nobody is perfect. There will be times when we have done something wrong on the course so, until you have that experience, you're never going to learn.

Should lower handicappers and experienced individuals help as much as possible? Most definitely. I still feel, though, there could be an added level of protection to help guide, and support, newcomers through their golfing journey, which is where a golf license comes in.

There's an increasing amount of uncertainty over the future of the LIV Golf League, and much of it rests on its best player.

While its biggest star Bryson DeChambeau looks committed to the new era, what comes next for its most competitive golfer, Jon Rahm, is currently unknown.

Rahm recently wrapped up his third consecutive individual title but it could well be his last after The Telegraph's James Corrigan cited LIV sources who indicated they are "almost resigned" to Rahm departing. LIV Golf offered no comment when approached by Golf Monthly.

The LIV Golf League has likely not turned out to be how Rahm believed it would be when he signed a huge nine-figure deal at the end of 2023 to leave the PGA Tour, and his future may well be back Stateside if reports of an impending departure come true.

He is said to be owed up to $150m from his original contract, which could still be paid by the Saudi PIF or by way of equity in the new-look LIV 2.0.

LIV 2.0 plans to hold ten tournaments, down from the 14 on this year's schedule, with prize funds also lower than 2026. It comes following the Saudi PIF withdrawing its funding earlier this year after ploughing a reported $5bn+ into the start-up circuit.

Its Asian Tour pathway also looks in doubt after the circuit partnered with the DP World and PGA Tours, which could impact its Official World Golf Ranking points next year.

Rahm may have thought moving to LIV would pave the way for the framework agreement to be signed, whereby the PGA Tour and LIV Golf could work together and coexist with freedom of movement for the big names.

That has not come to fruition, and LIV is increasingly finding itself cast adrift from the established tours.

A report from The Athletic stating the DP World Tour was preparing to start fining and sanctioning its members for playing in LIV Golf events next season is yet another blow to the team circuit. Especially as 2027 is a Ryder Cup year.

Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and a number of other LIV players hold DP World Tour cards and require them to be eligible for Luke Donald's European team at Adare Manor next September.

Whether they can appeal the fines and continue playing, as per last year before the DP World Tour made an agreement with its players, remains to be seen.

When asked at LIV Golf UK if he expects to be playing in the league next year, Rahm wasn't able to give an answer.

"I'm not going to share anything that I can't share with you guys right now," he said at his press conference.

Then, a week later, Scott O'Neil was also unable to confirm if DeChambeau and Rahm would be staying put.

"Would certainly love them to come along for the ride and journey because they carry maybe more weight than anybody in the game and I have a lot of time for that," O'Neil said when specifically asked about the multiple Major-winning duo.

"I think we have enough support from enough players, and we have such an interesting format and global format, I think we'll do quite well in getting the right stars for this game."

So, what could be next for Jon Rahm? Here are some of the possible scenarios:

An instant return to the PGA Tour

Brian Rolapp brought Brooks Koepka back to the PGA Tour earlier this year thanks to the Returning Member Program.

The scheme saw the five-time Major winner and former World No.1 resume his PGA Tour career instantly despite players having 12-month suspensions from their last LIV tournament.

It came with concessions, like a $5m charitable donation, no sponsor's invites into the $20m Signature Events and excluded him from the PGA Tour Player Equity Program for five years.

That same Returning Member Program was offered out to Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm. All three declined it to stay with LIV.

If Rahm leaves LIV Golf and asks Brian Rolapp and Tiger Woods for an olive branch, he would almost certainly get one.

He is still one of the best players in the world in the prime of his career and would instantly strengthen the tour, both from a competitive and commercial standpoint.

The two-time Major winner won 11 times in seven seasons on the PGA Tour and has close affiliations to the circuit's San Diego and Phoenix events. He has never resigned his membership or spoken negatively about the tour in public, and he could well be targeting the 2028 Championship Series - which will feature the world's best players, the biggest prize money, the largest TV audiences and the most OWGR points.

The US legacy circuit is undergoing big changes under Rolapp's leadership, and 2028 promises to be a big year with 23 to 24 huge events, comprised of the four Majors, The Players Championship, a 'reimagined' postseason and an annual team event (Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup).

If he did make an instant return to the PGA Tour, he would still hold DP World Tour membership and play his minimum of four events to keep his Ryder Cup eligibility.

A full season on the DP World Tour

Rahm took three months longer than his peers to sign a conditional release agreement that ended his fines and allowed him to play on LIV without penalty, so there's no guarantee he would willingly accept any Returning Member Program sanctions from the PGA Tour.

If he can't come to an agreement, we could see him play a full season on the DP World Tour and return to the PGA Tour for 2028 - like what Patrick Reed has done this year.

Eligibility for the new Championship Series hasn't been confirmed yet, but Rahm could well be eyeing that up. How he gets there in the fastest, and easiest, way possible will be the goal if he does leave LIV.

Topping the Race to Dubai as the European number one might be the answer.

Remaining with LIV Golf

While the signs point to Rahm departing LIV, he currently remains contracted to the league - for another two years according to reports.

He could go ahead and play his ten tournaments next year on LIV 2.0 along with the four Majors, the Ryder Cup and a minimum of four on the DP World Tour.

If reports are true, he could incur fines of around $1m from the DP World Tour for doing so. Could he cut a deal with LIV to have them paid by the tour? Or could he come to another agreement with the DPWT to mirror the one he signed this year?

He could threaten to quit the DP World Tour unless a deal can be made, which would be a 'who blinks first' scenario that risks his Ryder Cup spot.

If the fines issue can be worked out, he may still be happy to compete on LIV Golf 2.0. He has certainly appeared to enjoy his time on the circuit, where he has earned tens of millions and won plenty of trophies individually and with his Legion XIII team.

So it's a period of uncertainty for Jon Rahm, who remains one of the sport's top players. He has a few options and what happens next will have big implications. If he leaves LIV, the tour may struggle to keep its other stars like Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann and many others, which would risk complete collapse.

If he stays, it would keep the circuit alive while putting his immediate Ryder Cup eligibility in question. It will be fascinating to see how it pans out.

What do you think Jon Rahm will do next? Join the conversation in the comments section below.

For decades, amateur golfers have treated the 14-club limit not as a maximum cap, but as a mandatory requirement. We pack our bags until the zippers strain, stuffing every available slot with low-profile hybrids, utility irons, and an endless array of specialized wedges.

The logic seems sound: if the Rules of Golf allow us 14 tools to solve a complex puzzle, why leave any in the shed?

Yet, for many players, I believe this abundance of choice does more harm than good. Maximizing your club count can quietly stifle your natural feel, paralyze your decision-making, and strip away the very element that makes golf an art form: creativity.

Modern golf culture is obsessed with data and hyper-precise yardages. We shoot a pin at 152 yards, check a chart, and automatically pull the 8-iron designed to carry exactly 152 yards. But golf is rarely played in a vacuum. Wind, elevation, turf interaction, and even a sore back (in my case!) constantly shift the equation.

When you have a club for every possible distance, your mindset becomes purely robotic. You expect the equipment to do all the heavy lifting.

Conversely, when you find yourself between clubs - say, standing 145 yards out with only a 160-yard 7-iron and a 135-yard 9-iron - you are forced to react rather than just compute. To bridge that gap, you have to fashion an answer.

You might grip down on the 7-iron to play a low, flighted knockdown, or open the face slightly to hit a high, soft cut that takes five yards off the carry. Alternatively, you might step up to the 9-iron, move it back in your stance, and turn through aggressively to squeeze out extra yardage. This process shifts your focus from a simple outcome to deliberate execution, reconnecting your hands and brain to the feel of the clubhead.

Nowhere is this over-specialization more obvious than in the modern short game. It is not uncommon to see amateur bags featuring four or even five wedges, each meticulously gapped by loft and customized with specific bounce and grind profiles.

While custom fitting has its place, for me, relying on specialized equipment to dictate trajectory often comes at the expense of genuine technique.

If you carry a single wedge instead of three, four, or five, you are forced to learn how to manipulate the face and your delivery. You discover how opening the blade adds effective bounce, how leaning the shaft can lower launch, or how striking the ball lower on the face generates check-spin. Learning to get five different trajectories and spin profiles out of one wedge builds an intuitive grasp of face control that no custom-ground lob wedge can ever replace. Just ask Shane Lowry.

This isn't just romantic nostalgia for a bygone era; it is a proven method for elite skill development. I recently interviewed six-time Major champion Sir Nick Faldo, who highlighted this exact philosophy as a crucial part of his learning and progression in the game.

He revealed that even when he was at the absolute peak of his career in the early nineties, he would frequently go out for a practice round with just 6 or 7 clubs in the bag to test himself, force creative thinking, and sharpen his shot-making abilities.

The next time you head out for a practice round, try leaving half your set in the trunk of your car. Carry an odd-or-even set- a driver, a hybrid, a 5-iron, 7-iron, 9-iron, a single wedge, and a putter.

You might miss a specific distance gap once or twice, but you will quickly notice a newfound freedom in your swing. You will stop overthinking, start shaping shots, and remember what it feels like to truly play golf rather than just manage inventory.

With so many impressive equipment releases hitting the market in 2026, choosing the right clubs for your game can be a daunting task.

For mid-handicap golfers - typically those playing between a 10 and 18 handicap - the equipment challenge is unique. You don't need maximum game-improvement oversized heads that compromise on workability and feel, but you also likely aren't hitting the middle of the face on every single swing like a tour pro.

For me, the ideal setup for a mid-handicapper requires a precise balance: high MOI forgiveness on off-centre strikes, clean aesthetics at address, distance output, and the shot-making versatility needed to lower your score.

We’ve reviewed our testing notes from across the year to curate the ultimate 14-club bag for mid-handicappers in 2026. From the tee box all the way to the putting green, these are the standout clubs that deliver maximum performance when you need it most…

Driver: Ping G440 K

Driving stats have proven time and again that off-the-tee performance is one of the single biggest differentiators in lower scoring. Mid-handicappers need a driver that keeps the ball in play on off-centre strikes while still providing competitive ball speed and a confidence-inspiring look. Enter the Ping G440 K.

Following up on the legendary G430 Max 10K, Ping had a monumental task to improve on what was arguably the most forgiving driver on the planet. With the G440 K, Ping has succeeded by introducing a 32-gram adjustable back weight - 4g heavier than its predecessor - making this Ping’s straightest and highest-MOI adjustable driver ever.

Discretionary weight saved via the Dual Carbonfly Wrap and Free-Hosel Technology has allowed CG to be positioned low and deep to preserve maximum ball speed across the face.

Why It’s In The Bag

At address, the 460cc rounded footprint inspires immense confidence over the ball. On the launch monitor, the G440 K retains incredible speed on heel and toe strikes without sending spin rates into unplayable territory - a common pitfall of super-high MOI drivers for faster-swinging mid-handicappers.

Additionally, the new adjustable back weight lets you shift CG into neutral, draw, or fade settings, or align it directly behind your standard miss to maximize energy transfer. With dampened acoustic sole ribs providing a refined, solid impact sound, the G440 K stands out as the ultimate fairway finder.

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Qi4D

Fairway woods are notoriously difficult clubs for mid-handicappers because they are called upon to do two very different jobs: serve as a reliable, tight-fairway alternative off the tee, and launch cleanly off the turf on long approach shots into par 5s.

The TaylorMade Qi4D 3-Wood hits the sweet spot between high-speed distance and landing control. Featuring a refined 185cc head profile with a slightly flatter lie angle and a matte carbon infinity crown with subtle navy and orange accents, the Qi4D sits remarkably square behind the ball and frames it effortlessly.

Why It’s In The Bag

Under the hood, TaylorMade’s proven Speed Pocket slot and Twist Face bulge-and-roll technology safeguard ball speeds and keep spin down on thin or off-centre strikes.

In our testing, the Qi4D produced an effortless blend of ball speed (averaging over 155 mph) and controlled spin around the 2,800 rpm mark, delivering a strong, penetrating flight off the tee alongside a steep 107-foot peak trajectory from the fairway. That combination gives mid-handicappers the stopping power needed to hold greens on long approaches while maintaining maximum roll-out off the tee box.

Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW

The transition gap between your longest iron and your fairway wood is one of the trickiest areas of the bag to fit. Traditional high-launching 5-woods or 7-woods can float up into the wind, while long utility irons often lack the forgiveness and height required off tight turf or rough.

The Callaway Apex UW (Utility Wood) solves this problem entirely. Positioned as a crossover between a larger hybrid and a squashed fairway wood, the Apex UW delivers tour-level versatility with mid-handicap friendly playability.

Why It’s In The Bag

Featuring a Traxial carbon crown that lowers the center of gravity for easy launch, the Apex UW features a step sole design that glides through turf and rough without digging. Down behind the ball, the contrasting silver satin face and gloss black crown make highlighting loft effortless. Whether you need to punch a low, penetrating bullet off a windy tee or flight a soft-landing approach over water, the Apex UW offers unparalleled trajectory control and shaping ability that mid-handicappers will fall in love with.

Irons: Srixon ZXi5

For mid-handicappers, iron play requires a clubhead that doesn't look like a chunk of metal behind the ball, yet still packs serious ball speed and forgiveness. The Srixon ZXi5 represents the absolute pinnacle of the player's distance/mid-cavity category.

Srixon has elevated the feel of the ZXi5 through its new i-FORGED condensed forging process. By combining an S20C steel body with a SUP10 steel face that is 14% softer than the previous ZX5 Mk II, Srixon achieved a buttery-soft impact response without sacrificing face flexing or speed.

Why It’s In The Bag

Visually, the ZXi5 strikes a brilliant balance: a sleek, monochrome brushed steel and chrome finish with moderate offset that blends seamlessly into the hosel.

Address views remain tidy with a moderate topline that appeals to players progressing toward single-digit handicaps. Furthermore, Srixon’s signature Tour V.T. Sole offers elite turf interaction, preventing fat shots and preserving clubhead speed through impact.

It yields powerful, consistent distance with minimal vibration and exquisite feedback - giving you pro-level feel with game-improvement reassurance.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM11

Around the greens, mid-handicappers need short-game tools that deliver predictable distance gapping, tight spin control, and consistent flight trajectories regardless of lie or turf condition.

The Titleist Vokey SM11 takes the world's standard-setting wedge line and refines every detail. The most notable technical enhancement is progressive, centralized CG placement across all grinds within a given loft, ensuring consistent feel and flight whether you’re playing a pitching wedge or lob wedge.

Why It’s In The Bag

Visually, Titleist cleaned up the back of the clubhead by relocating the 'SM11' badge to the hosel, creating a minimalist, tour-proven visual at address in finishes ranging from Tour Chrome to Jet Black and Nickel.

Up front, new Spin Milled grooves with 5% increased volume work alongside directional face texturing to channel away moisture and debris.

On pitch shots and full swings, the lower lofts transition seamlessly from your iron set, while the higher lofts produce a fizzing, predictable drop-and-stop ball flight that brings total confidence to your short game.

Putter: Odyssey S2S Tri-Hot #7

Zero-torque putters have taken the equipment world by storm due to their uncanny ability to resist face twisting relative to your path. However, early zero-torque designs often required awkward forward-press setups or extreme shaft onset.

The Odyssey S2S (Square 2 Square) Tri-Hot #7 solves this issue by moving zero-torque forward. By utilizing over 140 grams of tungsten alongside lightweight aluminum and steel, Odyssey shifted over 80% of the head weight below the topline. This allows the shaft to enter the head directly over the CG right at the topline, giving it the clean, square setup look of a traditional center-shafted putter.

Why It’s In The Bag

The classic #7 "fang" geometry combined with Odyssey's new cross-hair alignment system makes framing the target effortless at address. Touch and roll are handled by an upgraded Ai-dual insert (a soft outer layer paired with a firm inner layer) featuring 19-degree F.R.D. grooves that get the ball rolling end-over-end immediately. The result is a plush, White Hot-style feel with unrivaled face stability through impact - making it an absolute cheat code on the greens for mid-handicappers seeking consistency.

The term 'lag' will probably be familiar to most golfers, but how many of them actually understand what it is and how it works?

According to Top 50 Coach Ged Walters, who has more than two decades experience coaching golfers of all abilities, a common misconception around when and how you should release lag in the golf swing is holding many players back.

When trying to cut their handicap and shoot lower scores, many chase the 'lag' holy grail, based on what they think they see from the best golfers in the world, but all is not as it seems.

Below, Ged shares his wisdom on the topic and offers a great drill to help you utilise lag in the golf swing and improve your ball striking...

Lag In The Golf Swing: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Lag in the golf swing is a byproduct of the wrists hinging at an appropriate rate in the backswing.

The best players are then able to unhinge that lag at an appropriate rate and point in the downswing rather that trying to hold onto it, or releasing it too soon. Many golfers try to retain lag long into the downswing and this will cause problems.

There are reasons why many players fail to deliver the club with any forward shaft lean at impact and it's mainly down to a poor body pivot, the wrists and arms overloading in the backswing or no weight moving forward in the downswing.

It could be a combination of all three.

A drill that I see great success with when coaching is for pupils to hit shots with a yoga wedge behind the ball.

All you have to do is not hit the wedge in your downswing. If your wrist angles unhinge too early, your club will strike the wedge.

Remember, you're not trying to hold onto the angles; you're just trying to miss the wedge.

In the image below, the wedge is highlighting the angle of the club through impact if the wrists unhinge too soon. The club travels beyond the full radius of the swing before impact, which can result in fats, tops and thins.

The connection between arms and ribcage is something most golfers would benefit from working on, to help create the ideal impact factors.

If the arms are swinging optimally, the wrist angles will unload at a more functional rate to help you deliver the correct amount of shaft lean through impact.

Golf is not a race. However, a round of 18 holes should also never take more than four and a half hours.

Sadly, many of them do... and it really winds me up. Slow play isn't just rude, it's shows flagrant disregard for the time and commitments of others.

Maintaining a steady pace of play isn't difficult, if you adopt the right practices, but so many amateur golfers contribute to the slow play problem rather than helping to fix it.

Below, I share five of my main gripes around this well-documented issue and offer some advice to those who need a nudge (or a shove) into the right direction...

1. Ponderous Pre-Shot Routine

I am all in favour of a pre-shot routine, especially as many of our Top 50 Coaches advocate for a process that is consistent and simple to follow.

However, especially at the amateur level, you do not need to take four practice swings before every single shot.

I once played with someone who did two practice putting strokes by the ball, stepped back to read the line, walked around the hole to do the same on the other side and proceeded to then step back in for two further practice strokes before pulling the trigger.

The absolute lunacy of it all took minutes, on almost every putt, which isn't fun for those in the group (or those behind) and certainly didn't make said person a world-beating master on the greens!

How to fix it

Refine your pre-shot routine to be less than 10 seconds and start it as early as possible. Take a practice swing if you need ONE and be conscious of your pace of play.

2. Ball Searching Snoozefest

The lost ball rule states you have three minutes to search... and it would be great if more people remembered that.

If you, like me, hit a wild tee shot or two - hit a provisional ball straight away.

Getting down there and not finding it leaves you two options, in my opinion, which is to 'pick up' for that hole or post an NR, because heading back to the tee after not hitting a provisional and wasting time searching should be a crime punishable by expulsion from the game.

Nobody wants to traipse around the weeds looking for a ball so far off line that the ground hasn't been walked on since 1999 - what would you even do if you found it anyway?

How to fix it

Pick a sensible club off the tee, hit a provisional if you need to and stick to the three minute search limit. If you lose a ball, it's not the end of the world.

Oh, and maybe consider playing something that you aren't going to lose sleep over if you lose two or three per round. That seemed to work for a friend of mine.

3. Cart/Bag Mismanagement

In golf, there are a number of things that need a little prior thought before you do them.

Reading the line of a putt and picking the right club to carry a water hazard are two great examples that people often pay attention to, but so many neglect the importance of considering where to put the cart or their golf bag.

It's soul destroying to watch the group in front walk away from the next tee box to fetch their bag, only to march back around the green to the correct side.

Don't even get me started on returning to their bag to fetch their putter and deposit a wedge!

How to fix it

It doesn't take cartographer or mountain leader to quickly work out on approach to the green where the most sensible place to leave your cart/bag is, so let's just be a little more aware.

4. Honor Observer

I get the benefit of the honor system in match play, as it can be used strategically to gain an advantage, but in individual competition and general play we should be adopted ready golf, right?

If I am searching for my ball (within the three minutes, of course) or deliberating over which club to hit in 30mph winds, I'd be more than happy for my playing partner to go in the interest of speeding up play.

The honor system feels quite old-fashioned, as is a golfing custom I'd like to see scrapped.

How to fix it

Consider your own pace of play at all times on the golf course and encourage others to play if you are in difficulty or a situation that needs more consideration.

This is especially important on the tee box, if the coast is clear and you are first on the turf - hit away, my friend!

5. Sedate Scoring By The Green

The moment that final putt drops in your group, you should be ready to immediately clear the green.

People behind you will be waiting for that moment, and the group behind them on the tee, so pulling your scorecard on the fringe and asking what everyone got is not ok.

That job can easily be done on the next tee box, as can sheathing your putter, so please, once again, have a little awareness of your surroundings.

How to fix it

Time for a new system. On the walk to the tee box you ask what everyone scored, if you don't already have that information to hand, then before pulling the driver head cover you squiggle down what you can.

If you don't quite get to it all, finish the job on the walk down to the fairway (or in my case, the rough). Easy peasy.

We all know the short game makes or breaks a scorecard, and greenside mishits are golf's ultimate frustration. My solution used to be simple pride: proper golfers play wedges. The unwritten rule was clear - if you take your game seriously, you learn to open the face of a sand wedge, master the bounce, and clip it crisp off a tight lie. A chipper was nothing more than a novelty club, a gimmick you'd expect to find in a beginner's bag or the back of a bargain bin.

There was always a lingering stigma attached to it, a subtle clubhouse snobbery that whispered you were taking an illegal shortcut if you dared to use one. There was definitely a bit of that traditionalist snobbery in me, too. Until reality caught up with my scorecards.

The truth is, the rest of my game was in solid shape. During a recent fitting session, the Ping club fitter was looking over my launch monitor numbers, genuinely impressed with my dispersion off the tee and my consistency through the irons. He asked, “If your ball-striking is this tight, where are you actually losing your shots?”

Alison Root and Katie Dawkins showcase 2026 summer fashion - layering, themes and budget comparisons

Over the last few seasons, my confidence inside 30 yards has completely evaporated. The culprits? The dreaded 'unmentionables' and the occasional thinned shot. There is no worse feeling in golf than standing over a delicate chip on a tight, shaved lie just off the green, feeling your hands freeze, and hearing that sickening sound of the hosel hitting the ball. Once the shanks creep into your short game, they linger in your head like a shadow.

The fitter didn't offer a lecture on wrist hinge or swing path. Instead, he pulled out a club, and handed it to me. It was the Ping ChipR Le. He said four words every traumatised chipper long to hear, “It’s impossible to shank this.”

There are no graphics stamped on the sole, and the word 'Chipper' isn’t blazoned anywhere for your playing partners to sneer at from across the green. Designed with the clean, engineered aesthetic Ping is known for, it simply sits in your bag looking like another wedge.

You set up to the ball exactly like a putter and you make a simple, straight-back, straight-through putting stroke. Because of the heavy, perimeter-weighted design and the specific lie angle, the hosel is completely offset. The fitter wasn't exaggerating: you cannot physically shank it. The clubface glides over the turf, pops the ball softly into the air just enough to clear the fringe, and sends it rolling out like a putt.

A couple of months down the line, I’ll admit I’m still getting a feel for my distance control, but the results have been a revelation. The sheer relief of standing over a tricky, tight lie and knowing that a total disaster is off the table is priceless. It removes the panic. Let me know if you've added a chipper to your bag in the comments box below.

Now, I haven't completely abandoned my traditional wedges. I still pull them out when I need to loft a shot over a bunker or make the ball stop quickly when the pin is close. I don't want to rely on the ChipR for every situation. But having it in the bag acts as a mental safety blanket. Just knowing it’s sitting there gives me a wave of confidence over the ball that I haven't felt in ages.

If you want to lose hours of your life ingesting golf content then YouTube is the obvious destination. Whether you want coaching tips, advice on the latest clubs, banter-filled rounds with ex-professional footballers or deep dive analysis of Spiderman’s swing, you’ll find it.

As a reasonably new ‘serious’ golfer, I’ve probably spent more time watching golf videos than I have doing the actual sport (it’s the same for my other passion, photography).

This isn’t a problem, of course, as I’ve gleaned some really useful tips from coaches such as Danny Maude, Rick Shiels and Dan Grieve. I’ve even found myself warming to Bryson DeChambeau as he tries to break course records on public courses.

And, of course, if I want top-notch entertainment, education and buying advice, I need look no further than Golf Monthly’s own YouTube channel and Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show*.

My current favourite channel, though, offers absolutely zero in the way of education. Lets Golf (missing apostrophe them, not me) and its strapline is ‘Just a man trying not to be totally s*** at golf.’

As a newish high-handicap golfer trying desperately to improve – golf lessons and custom fitted Callaway clubs so far – this is something that I can relate to on the deepest of levels.

That the man trying not to be terrible is called Rob is pure coincidence, but if I were to start a Youtube golf channel the quality of hitting would at times be on par with Lets Golf.

And although I think I could give the host a run for his money when it comes to creative swearing, he is funnier than me. That isn’t surprising as Lets Golf is a new venture from British stand-up Rob Beckett.

Beckett, a hugely popular stand-up comedian, podcast host and regular on television shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, LOL: Last One Laughing and The Celebrity Traitors, has been playing golf for around half a decade, with his first ‘televised’ round coming during an episode of Sky’s Rob & Romesh Vs in 2021.

In this, Beckett and fellow comedian Romesh Ranganathan roped in a bemused Justin Rose for some coaching, played a bit of dress up – tartan plus fours etc – and then hacked around St Andrews.

Raganathan was new to golf, but Beckett had played before and, clearly, he’s continued to play as two months ago he started Lets Golf. He also admits that he didn’t give the Callaway Mavrik clubs he’s using back to Sky!

'Just Like Me'

I do, of course, really enjoy the aforementioned golf influencers and the work of my team here at GM and KP, but I can’t yet relate to them. Obviously, Bryson is one of the world’s best golfers; Shiels, Grieve and Maude are all incredibly handy and even the worst golfer on our channels is a single-figure handicapper.

These are all golfers I aspire to be even as half as good at. Lets Golf is a breath of fresh air because Beckett, on the other hand, is just like me!

He happily shows tee shots that head sideways into the bushes, fairway drives into the trees and repeated bunker shots that stay in the sand trap. He swings and misses ‘practice shot’, he swears (I know, bad form, he (and I) should stop this) and he repeatedly loses any semblance of composure and form as soon as ‘the bigger boys’ appear.

The bigger boys of Beckett’s videos are the players who catch him up on the tee. Like me, he appears to instantly assume that they’re brilliant, experienced golfers who’ll judge the hell out of him or get angry because he’s slow.

Of course, like most bigger boys on the golf course this is rarely the case. The caveat here is that Beckett is, in the UK at least, a celebrity known for his cheeky chappy demeanour, so he’ll probably get more leeway than me, even if I do try and pull the Golf Monthly Content Director card (note to self: don’t ever do this!).

Beckett is openly and happily an ‘improving golfer’. I won’t be recommending Lets Golf to our golf rules expert Fergus Bissett, though – I think the multiple infractions on display might be too much for him!

Beckett doesn’t appear to have a handicap yet, but I’m confident that unless he's a brilliant actor, he'd be a very high-handicapper and it’s a joy and a reassurance to see someone else publicly struggling with their game, sharing their insecurities and voicing frustrations.

Equally, I can relate to the sheer delight Beckett experiences when he hits that one straight and longish drive, or he plays a chip shot that lands on the green, vaguely near the hole.

It’s the moments like that make me and other crap golfers keep coming back and trying to become less crap. I hope Rob Beckett keeps coming back. I’ll keep watching, although I will be gutted if he improves faster than me and becomes one of those bigger boys.

* I am contractually obliged to plug Golf Monthly and Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show

The regular PGA Tour season is over and the FedEx Cup Playoffs are here - but who will strike first and take the opening event?

Plenty of big names missed out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs after finishing outside of the top 70 in the season-long contest, but there is still a stellar field of stars teeing it up at TPC Southwind this week, including Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.

Our resident betting expert, Baz Plummer, has been busy crunching the numbers and following trends... and he believes he has unearthed three great value tips at the FedEx St. Jude Championship 2026.

FedEx St. Jude Championship Betting Tips 2026

Bazza's Best Bets

Top Tip: Sam Burns To Win @ BetMGM

Sam Burns has had an incredible season in 2026, with five-top 10 finishes so far, but there is one thing missing… a win! I believe he can rectify that this week, on a course where he has already finished runner-up and 5th in six appearances.

His recent form has been sublime, with a second place finish at the US Open and a third place finish at The Open in his last three starts. To win at TPC Southwind you need elite ball striking, a blend of distance and accuracy off the tee and the ability to score well on long, tough par-4s.

Burns is a great driver of the golf ball, but he also ranks 2nd for par-4 scoring average and 9th for SG: Approach (in the last three months).

After coming so close to a first Major win, I believe the script on Sam Burns has yet to reach its climax - which could be a playoff win (and perhaps the Tour Championship trophy).

Next Best Tip: Hideki Matsuyama To Win @ BetMGM

Hideki Matsuyama's form has spiked in recent weeks... and we know when that happens he can be very dangerous.

The 2021 Masters Champion has finished in the top-15 in each of his last five tournaments, with the highlight being a third-place at the 3M Open a few weeks ago.

His last three starts have all yielded a top-7 finish, which shows how hot he is right now, and I'd have liked his chances even without his impressive course record.

One of his 11 PGA Tour wins came at this course, winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship in 2024, but he also has a runner-up finish here in 2021.

Matsuyama is an elite ball striker who suits this test perfectly, now that he has the driver a little more under control, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him in contention again.

Value Tip: Tom Kim To Win @ BetMGM

Tom Kim is the man of the moment and appears to be riding the crest of a wave after a great comeback win at the Genesis Scottish Open. That win came just a few starts after an impressive 3rd place finish at Shinnecock Hills, during the 2026 US Open and he appears to be showing no signs of slowing down after a T5 at the Wyndham last week.

At this price, I believe he represents great value. In the last three months he ranks as the best player in the world for SG: Approach - which is a crucial measure for success at TPC Southwind - but he also ranks 6th for par-4 scoring this season.

If he can find another gear on his impressive comeback journey, he will have a great chance again this week.

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Picks

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Pick One: Ludvig Aberg To Win @ BetMGM

The Swede may not have played since The Open Championship, but he finished T9th in that start, with Aberg also enjoying top 5 finishes in notable events like the PGA Championship and The Players Championship.

He's displayed great form and, although he hasn't been able to get over the line, a rest from the game will hopefully do him the world of good. Last year, Aberg finished T9th in this tournament, so he has good course form on a track that suits his game.

Pick Two: Michael Thorbjornsen To Win @ BetMGM

Winning the Rocket Classic in his last start, Thorbjornsen comes into the Playoffs in red hot form, with the American also making the cut at The Open and finishing T7th at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Although he hasn't played TPC Southwind in a FedEx Cup Playoff event, the course should suit his game, given that putting isn't always at a premium. He has gained shots on the greens lately, though, with his excellent long game giving me hope he'll continue to push on in Memphis.

Pick One: Sungjae Im To Win @ BetMGM

I'm looking for players who have been staying sharp since The Open and Sungjae Im fits the bill well here. The Korean has played three consecutive weeks since Birkdale and has gone MC-T15-T14.

He always plays a lot of golf so I don't think fatigue should be an issue, and hopefully he can continue this nice run he's currently on.

He was T16 here last year and T6 in 2023, which included a second-round 64, so the signs point to another good week for the two-time PGA Tour winner who is currently on a five-year trophy drought... Could that end this week? Hopefully!

Pick One: Harry Hall To Win @ BetMGM

The Englishman snapped a run of three consecutive cuts to post a T5 at the Wyndham for his best finish of the entire season.

Hall has the game to challenge with the best of them when he's on, so I'm backing him to keep his foot on the pedal this week after going 69-66-64-66 last week.

He was T22 here last year in his tournament debut after an opening 64, and at 58th in the FedEx Cup he is needing a good week to progress to the BMW.

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Tipping Record

Some people I play golf with can go through an entire round drinking just one small bottle of water, no snacking, and feel just as energized on hole 18 as they did on hole one. I once played with a friend, a single-digit handicap, who was in the middle of a 24 hour fast the day before a colonoscopy. She had a great round.

If I tried that, I wouldn’t make it past hole two. I get really drained when I play golf, both physically and mentally. It usually hits after 10-to-12 holes and I often need a pick-me-up, a coffee and a hearty snack, to get me through. Clearly, my golf endurance needs some work.

Or, maybe I’m just not fuelling my body the way it needs to maintain focus and energy for an entire round. I started asking around about people’s preferences during important golf rounds, and it turns out they go way beyond food and drink. Some people will only ride during match play because they get too tired pushing a cart, others like talking and upbeat music to lighten the situation, while for some, the sound of music is so distracting, they lose all focus on their swing.

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In summary: Keeping yourself fuelled and focused during a round is extremely personal. I’ve written about working through golf nerves, and in my journey to overcome this, I’ve learned that I need to focus really hard to avoid getting distracted by outside factors, like other people watching and scorecards, but that takes a toll on me mentally, which is perhaps why I often feel that crash on the back 9.

I spoke to a PGA professional who convinced me it doesn’t have to be that way, and our physical state is more connected to our mental state than I thought. By making a few small physical changes, I can maintain focus throughout the entire round. Here are my 5 biggest takeaways:

Consistently Fuel Your Body With High Quality Foods

When we get physically drained, we feel mentally drained, explains PGA Teaching Professional Mike Richards. The two are intertwined. Bring high protein snacks, like nuts or a peanut butter sandwich, and fruit, and spread them out throughout the round, eating every couple of holes, instead of one large meal at the turn. That will help prevent that back nine tiredness that I often feel, he explains.

Instead of that “pick-me-up” I depended on during the round, I need to think more long-term, of sustaining energy by consistent snacking and hydration from the start. No sugary energy drinks or coffee, which give a short-term bump, or overly-salty snacks that contribute to dehydration.

Start Hydrating Days Before

Just as important as eating correctly to prevent mid-round jitters is keeping yourself hydrated. Richards explains that drinking water during the round is necessary, but what really keeps your body hydrated is your water intake before your round.

A day or two before I play, I should be drinking as much water as I can. He says I’ll see the effects on the course with more sustained energy. Dehydration leads to drowsiness, lethargy and lack of focus, which can completely crush your golf round after hours in the heat, especially here in Northern California where temperatures can reach into the 100s.

Train Your Body To Handle Hitting 50 Plus Golf Balls In One Session

I typically go to the golf range and hit balls for a certain amount of time. I don’t count how many balls I’m hitting, so I’m potentially not even practicing as many swings as I would take during an 18 hole round. Instead, set a number goal for myself, explains Richards.

If I can eventually get up to the point of easily hitting 100 balls at the range (plus extra swinging for practice swings), then I can be certain my body can handle doing that on the course without feeling physically drained.

Put Your Phone Away

The biggest distraction on the golf course that Richards sees is people checking their cell phones. I’m guilty of this. I have two kids and I check my phone often. But even just peeking at the phone to check the time, recording your score, playing music, or using an app for yardages inevitably leads to seeing unread text messages, work emails, missed calls.

And just like that, your mind is not on the golf course anymore and your round will probably suffer. If possible, separate golf time from phone time. Record your score on a card and use a different device to check distances and pin placement.

Pick Something Consistent And Familiar To Maintain Focus

Richards doesn’t like music on the golf course, it distracts him mentally, which affects his golf game. But he does keep a song going in his head. If your mind starts to wander, due to any of the factors I listed above, find something to bring you back in.

I tried the song technique, picking a tune that I could easily repeat and go back to when my mind drifted, and it helped me regain focus, especially when I was recently playing with a particularly chatty friend.

It takes a little time to work out how you feel on the course and what leads to your best scores. I struggle with preparing ahead of time, packing water and snacks (it’s typically a rush to get out the door). But even being aware that what and when I eat and drink on the course is something that affects how I play is a good starting point for me to make changes.

When two equipment powerhouses update their flagship player’s drivers, the entire golf world pays attention. The Titleist GTS3 and TaylorMade Qi4D arrive with immense pedigree, taking over from models that dominated both tour leaderboards and retail shelves.

Having spent extensive testing time with both drivers on the launch monitor and the golf course, it is clear that while both are designed to max out speed and distance, they go about it in very different ways.

Watch: Joe Ferguson puts these two driver giants up against one another

Looks

Visually, these two drivers showcase two contrasting design philosophies. The Titleist GTS3 stays exceptionally true to the brand’s traditional DNA. It offers classic, understated looks with a clean crown and a refined footprint that exudes sophistication. Behind the ball, both drivers present a confident profile, though the Titleist gives a fractionally more pear-shaped profile that traditionalists will instantly fall in love with.

By contrast, the TaylorMade Qi4D is a little more forthright in showing off its technology features. With its aggressive shaping, aerodynamic contours, and technical alignment cues, it makes no secret of the speed technology packed under the hood.

Behind the ball, TaylorMade has refined the footprint compared to previous generations - adopting a slightly smaller and less rounded footprint that mirrors their tour-proven shapes - but it remains visually punchier than the GTS3.

Ultimately, which look appeals to you will come down to what you prioritize at address: classic, minimalist elegance or a modern, high-tech aesthetic.

Sound and Feel

A driver's sensation at impact is often the deciding factor for discerning players, and both models deliver distinct experiences. Out of the dead centre of the clubhead, both the GTS3 and the Qi4D feel exceptional - delivering a powerful, solid, and lively response that confirms you have properly struck one.

However, move away from the middle and the differences become immediately apparent. Off-centre, the TaylorMade definitely feels better to me, maintaining a soft yet energetic feel that masks the contact point.

Crucially, this isn't necessarily a positive for every player.

The GTS3 offers much clearer, brutally honest feedback on strike location; your hands instantly know if you have caught it high, low, or off the toe. What makes the GTS3 so impressive, however, is that this sharp feedback doesn't necessarily affect down-range performance. Your hands receive a firm notification of a mishit, but the launch monitor and ball flight barely register the error.

For golfers who demand precise tactile feedback without sacrificing forgiveness, this combination of brutal honesty and speed retention might actually be the perfect combination.

Performance

When looking strictly at the Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor data, both heads provided me with strong ball speeds. Personally, I found the TaylorMade driver was a little quicker from the face on average during my testing sessions; however, it is worth noting that my absolute best hits with both drivers were essentially identical in peak ball speed and distance.

The slight drop-off in average distance for the Titleist was likely due to the nature of my personal swing delivery. My misses are very rarely heel or toe side, but rather tend to move vertically - striking high or low on the face. This is precisely where the TaylorMade driver excels thanks to its newly designed face roll, where engineers have essentially increased the radius of curvature to optimize launch and spin parameters on vertical mishits.

This functional difference highlights who each driver is built for. If you are a heel or toe misser, the Titleist GTS3 may be more effective, as its clever design features preserve ball speed across the horizontal axis remarkably well. But if you are someone who moves the strike around more vertically, then the TaylorMade Qi4D could be a better performance solution.

Summary

The Titleist GTS3 and TaylorMade Qi4D are exceptional drivers, and it is no surprise both are seeing incredible success both on tour and at retail. Choosing between these two heavyweights won't come down to finding a "better" club, but rather finding the right match for your game.

Ultimately, the purchasing decision here will likely come down to visual preference at address and identifying your predominant miss on the clubface.

How often do you pay attention to your feet when setting up to hit a golf shot? If the answer is rarely, like many amateur golfers, you need to address that quickly - if you'll pardon the pun.

Most people think that in order to improve power, you need to invest hours in the best golf fitness exercises trying to boost their strength and clubhead speed.

While that strategy is certainly effective, you can also achieve pretty good results from making a simple foot adjustment at address.

Rotation can either help to generate or kill power in the golf swing, depending on how well you do it, so learning this simple tip can send you on your way to hitting longer tee shots and lower scores this season...

How A Simple Foot Adjustment Could Improve Your Rotation

The image below highlights a problem that plagues the game of many amateurs. I'll see this kind of set-up every day when I teach... and it's a fault that even exists among some lower-handicappers.

Note the position of the feet, both pointing directly at 12 o'clock. It's really restrictive.

People ask how they can generate more power and tell me they struggle with balance and have a general lack of mobility.

Some complain of a backache and it's really no wonder when you consider how square the feet are.

Most players on tour will have at least one foot fanned, typically the lead one at about 11 o'clock.

This is how I start: rotate that lead foot about 30˚ - as demonstrated below.

Quite simply, it gets it out of the way and gives the body more space. When doing this, most people instantly feel more flexible, better balanced and more powerful.

In the backswing, what we're trying to do is create space, power and consistency.

You can't do this with the handbrake on, which is often the case when the feet are square.

So I then get players to fan their trail foot slightly, too (the alignment sticks in the image below are just to highlight the flare or fanning).

When you can't rotate properly, you can't create the space needed to allow the arms to get into the correct pre-impact position – you end up sliding the pelvis across.

Often, because of a lack of balance, this results in a big block or a push/cut to the right.

This (below) is what we want to see. With my lead foot flared, I've rotated nicely, cleared out of the way and used the ground to deliver a sweet and powerful strike.

It's such a simple way to improve the quality of your ball-striking and to be more consistent.

Bonus Drill To Try At Home

Try the tennis forearm drill at home to practice the movement needed.

Pretend to hit a forearm tennis shot. What do you notice? I guarantee that you'll clear your front foot out of the way. Practise this motion, and it will help you get into the habit of flaring that front foot.

Recently I was doing some newspaper archive research for an article on early Opens. I was looking at reports of the 1903 Open at Prestwick.

The correspondent for the Daily Telegraph noted (in a preview of the event) the timings for the first day. It showed that the last group for the second round’s play would not tee off until 6.12pm. That, the author pointed out, meant that play wouldn’t finish until “nearly half-past eight.”

Can you imagine? In The Open Championship, players were expected to take no more than 2 hours 20 minutes to get round! I think it’s fair to say that play has become slower.

It’s one of the most raised topics in the game, from elite level to grassroots amateur golf. It takes longer than most would hope to complete a round.

We at Golf Monthly are not alone in suggesting methods for curbing slow golf. There could be pace of play guidelines, golfers are encouraged to play “ready golf,” people should leave their equipment in the right place and not dally upon completion of a hole.

We’d (almost) all agree with these common-sense strategies, but the problem doesn’t seem to be going away.

The issue is not the solutions to slow play… That’s simple – get on with it! The issue is getting people to implement those solutions without making golf some sort of draconian exercise of rules and repercussions.

We recently had an email from a reader who has what I believe to be a solid tech-based idea for nudging people in the right direction. Here below is what he had to say…

See if you agree and let us know in the comments box below…

“Golf has a peculiar blind spot. We talk endlessly about “slow play” as though it were a disease. It isn’t, it’s a symptom. The real issue is simpler, and slightly less flattering: golfers are reluctant to enforce etiquette (and even more reluctant to have it enforced on them).

We’ve all seen it; a group ahead progressing with all the urgency of a Sunday stroll, a hole open in front big enough to land a Chinook, and a traffic jam worthy of the M25 forming behind. Everyone knows what’s happening. No one says a word. The round drifts towards five hours, and afterwards we all rage that “slow play is getting worse.”

What makes this ridiculous is that the technology gap to solve the problem has already been bridged. BRS (or equivalent booking system) knows exactly who is on the course and when they teed off, and Arccos (or similar) can tell us - with forensic precision - which tree my 7 iron has landed me into. Working out whether a group is out of position is hardly beyond us.

The solution is not more rules, but a shift in focus. Not “did you play in 3 hours and 45 minutes…?” but “Are you keeping up with the group in front?” If you are, you’re fine. If there’s a hole open ahead, you’re not. No sub-committee required.

Technology could support this with a simple, mid-round nudge: “YOU ARE OUT OF POSITION” - which is far less inflammatory than a fellow member delivering the verdict in person (with additional feedback on sock choices etc etc). Repeat offenders get flagged to the sub-committee – It should be quite simple.

But here’s the uncomfortable bit: we don’t really want to know. Because the moment it’s no longer “slow play” but “that group right there is out of position”, the conversation becomes awkwardly specific.

The irony is that golfers will enforce the Rules of Golf like constitutional lawyers – measuring drops to the nearest inch and debating relief options as if preparing a Supreme Court appeal – yet they become strangely evasive when it comes to the one thing that actually affects everyone else: keeping up.”

I think Matt has come up with an obvious method of quietly prompting people to play at a reasonable pace. There’d be no need to embarrass anyone by accosting them in person or by hauling them up in front of a committee. They would simply be aware when they are not playing as quickly as they should. Human nature will, in the main, kick in and encourage them to speed it up a little.

There are clubs and courses that already use a version of this technology – certainly venues where cart golf is prevalent. They generally have a timing guideline and information on your pace of play relative to it.

And surely we could use that technology more widely. Rather than fitting a tag onto the bag, could we not ensure that a golfer in every group has an app they log into, with geo location turned on, that keeps them right about where they stand on the golf course?

Even if a group is not falling behind the expected pace of play, they could be given a reminder if they fall significantly behind the group in front. “You are two holes behind the 9.12 tee time… Do you need to let a group behind play through?”

Technology is terrifying in many regards, but it has its uses! This seems an obvious one to me. Everyone now has a mobile device, stuffed full of apps. Golfers should all have one that makes sure pace of play is as expected and thereby everyone on the course might enjoy their game a little more.

Taking your bag into a bunker might seem an unlikely thing to do – Imagine squeezing into the Road Hole bunker at St Andrews with a full Tour bag? That would look rather strange and would likely hamper your already highly challenging shot.

But there are situations where it might actually be time efficient for you to keep your clubs with you when you go into a bunker.

For instance – say you’ve hit it somewhere into the Church Pews at Oakmont. 100 yards long and you don’t know quite where your ball is, nor do you have any idea how far you will have (or what type of shot will be possible) from where you have ended.

If you’re carrying your clubs, it would be handy to take the lot of them with you into the bunker so you can assess the situation and choose the right option when you reach your ball. Is that allowed within The Rules?

In the Church Pews, you could possibly stand your bag up on one of the “Pews” … But that could be awkward – For the purposes of this imagined scenario, imagine that’s not really an option. Thanks!

Could you then simply stand your bag up, or lay it down in the sand beside your ball when you find it and go through a normal routine with your distance measuring device and club selection?

The simple answer to that question is yes. You can take your bag into a bunker and set it down before making a stroke.

It’s covered by Rule 12.2b(2) – When touching the sand in the bunker does not result in a penalty.

There are instances when touching the sand in the bunker before making a stroke is permitted. One of them is – “Placing clubs, equipment or other objects in the bunker (whether by throwing or setting them down.)”

Technically then, you could throw your bag into the bunker ahead of you as you make your way in… Why you would do that is nobody else’s business. But you wouldn’t be penalised … Unless perhaps the committee has a code of conduct policy in place! That's for a different article.

A small tip though - Don’t throw your bag into a bunker. That’s not a contravention of Rule 10.2 on giving advice because it hasn’t been given during the round. It’s simply a bit of behavioural guidance.

But if you want to, and it makes sense to do so, you can take your bag into a bunker and set it down beside you on the sand before you make a stroke.

There are reasons why you wouldn’t do that every time you find yourself in a bunker.

Firstly, your kit will start to get terribly sandy… quite annoying.

Secondly, it creates an added mess in the bunker and will lead to a more significant clear-up operation, post shot.

Thirdly, it could be awkward in deeper, smaller bunkers to have a full set of clubs with you (as described in Road Hole situation above).

Fourthly, it would make you look like a pillock. You don’t see Rory McIlroy with his Tour bag beside him in the bunker when he’s playing an escape shot.

There are rare instances when, as an amateur golfer, it can make sense to take your bag into a bunker with you and there is no penalty for doing that. In the main though, it probably makes more sense to leave the sack out of the sand!

Golf Rules Quiz

How well do you know your yardages with every club in your bag?

Plenty of amateurs will be able to tell you how far they drive the golf ball, or perhaps even how far they hit their wedges, but I'd wager that far fewer know with complete certainty how far they carry their 5-iron.

Maybe that's because a 5-iron is a club that scares some amateurs, with long-irons being famously 'harder' to achieve that crisp, centred strike - but in reality it's a versatile and essential weapon in the bag of every golfer.

That power can only be wielded if you fully understand how it works for you, however, so let's find out what the latest 2026 Shot Scope data suggests is the average carry distance for amateur golfers and check how you compare...

How Far Do Amateur Golfers Hit Their 5-Iron In 2026?

According to Shot Scope data, the average 5-iron carry distance for amateur golfers is 174 yards.

A scratch golfer outperforms the average by 26 yards, coming it at a cool 200 with a 5-iron in hand.

Interestingly, the data suggests a 10-handicap hits their 5-iron four yards further (187 yards) than a 5-handicapper (183 yards), perhaps suggesting that carry distance with 5-iron isn't a significant separator at the more skilled level of the game.

There is, however, a significant drop in carry distance average when you reach the mid- to high-handicap brackets.

A 15-handicapper hits the ball 18 yards shorter on average (169 yards) than a 10-handicapper, and a 20-handicap player drops a further seven yards with the same club (162 yards).

Average Carry Distance With 5-Iron For Amateur Golfers

How far amateur golfers hit their 5-iron on average, according to Shot Scope data

Carry Distance (5-Iron)

0-handicap

200

5-handicap

183

10-handicap

187

15-handicap

169

20-handicap

162

25-handicap

143

050100150200

Carry Distance (5-Iron) Data

Product	Value
0-handicap	200
5-handicap	183
10-handicap	187
15-handicap	169
20-handicap	162
25-handicap	143

At the upper end of the handicap scale, at least for the purposes of Shot Scope data, we again see a decline with 25-handicappers achieving just a 143 yard carry with a 5-iron on average.

For context, a scratch golfer averages that carry distance with their pitching wedge and a 10-handicapper does so with a 9-iron - which highlights the importance of distance in cutting your index as a high-handicap golfer.

Key To Flushing Long Irons

So, we have established that improving your distance with long irons is important to help you cut your handicap - but how can you achieve that?

The first port of call is to focus on achieving a centred strike, then you can set about trying to boost your clubhead speed.

There are two handy guides on how to do that linked above, but I want to focus on a great drill that has helped me in my own game.

This drill comes from Top 50 Coach Gary Munro, who outlines the importance of a downward angle of attack and a clean strike.

"For a long-iron, place a tee peg two balls’ widths ahead of the ball. As the club travels down, it should strike the ball first at the end of its descent and continue on, collecting the tee peg beyond and taking it with it on the journey."

You won’t be able to take the tee unless you strike down on the ball. Try it for yourself and I am sure you will also improve your long iron strikes and distance.

Since opening Winchester Golf Academy in 2015 I have been on a mission to get more women and girls into golf. Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of introducing hundreds of women to the game, taking them from complete beginners to accomplished club golfers.

Watching their confidence grow is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. But I’ve also noticed something else. Women are some of the most considerate playing partners you could wish for.

They encourage one another, celebrate each other's good shots and often think about the group before themselves. While those qualities are lovely, they can come at a cost. In trying to be courteous, many women unknowingly develop habits that hurt their own performance and in some cases even slow the game down. Here are 5 of the most common examples I see on the course.

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Rushing Because You Don’t Want To Hold Anyone Up

Rushing is by far one of the most common traits I see, especially with women newer to the game. It’s not that women don’t know how to play at a good pace, it’s that many seem to feel their own shot isn’t as important as everyone else’s.

They rush their shots to stay out of the way of 'real' golfers, cutting their routines short and losing focus. As a result, they end up hitting far worse shots than they are capable of.

The irony is that everyone in the group has an equal right to their turn. Your shot deserves the exact same time and attention as anyone else’s. Taking a few extra seconds to pick a target, settle in, and commit isn’t selfish, it’s respecting your own game. You are not an inconvenience, and your shot matters just as much as theirs.

I’m Just Happy To Be Here

It’s a phrase I hear all the time. “Don’t worry about me. I’m only here for fun. I don’t mind what I score.” Of course it’s lovely to be grateful to be healthy and out in the fresh air, but enjoying yourself and wanting to play well aren’t mutually exclusive.

As a coach, I’ve noticed many women almost apologise for being competitive, as though admitting they want to play well somehow makes them less friendly or less likeable. They’ll brush off a good score with, “I just got lucky” or “I probably won’t repeat that.” But there is a difference between being humble and making yourself smaller.

Sometimes I wonder if this goes beyond golf. Many women grow up being praised for being modest, considerate or not making a fuss. While those are wonderful qualities, they can also make it feel uncomfortable to openly celebrate success or embrace your competitive side.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do well and setting goals, trying to progress is part of what makes golf fun. So the next time you catch yourself saying a phrase that diminishes your success or ambitions, remember there is nothing wrong with caring about your own score and you owe it to yourself to get out there and try your best.

Giving Too Many Putts Or Picking Up Too Quickly

Women’s golf is wonderfully social, and one of the ways we often show kindness is by conceding short putts. “That’s good” or “You’d never miss that,” are phrases heard on courses every day. While it keeps the game friendly and flowing it can rob you of valuable practice.

Trust me when I say those two and three foot putts are always the knee tremblers when they count. Every putt you hole is another opportunity to build confidence and trust in your putting. If you never finish them in casual rounds, don’t be surprised if you struggle when they really count.

Think of it like parking a car: you don’t become confident squeezing into tight spaces just because someone tells you that you can. If that were the case, my sister would be a parallel parking pro by now… but alas!

Confidence comes from doing - over and over again. So the next time someone offers to give you a putt, but you see a good chance to practice, speak up. Say, 'I’d love to have a go at this one.' Your future self will thank you.

The other side of the coin to this scenario is that in match play many women feel uncomfortable making an opponent hole a short putt. Conceding it can feel the kinder thing to do, but often kindness is confused with removing challenge.

Imagine a darts player telling their opponent they don’t need to throw the winning double because they’d probably get it anyway, it would be unthinkable! Golf is no different. Asking someone to hole out a testing putt isn’t mean, it’s respecting the integrity of the game.

If your opponent takes it badly because you’ve asked them to putt and they go on to miss it, you were right to ask! Now you have rattled them and are more likely to win, which is all part of the rich psychological tapestry of match play, ahhh how I love it!

Waiting Until It’s Your Turn Before Preparing

One of the biggest misconceptions is golfers thinking it’s polite to wait until it’s their turn to start preparing. They’ll stand watching everyone else, then only begin choosing a club, reading the putt or working out a yardage once all eyes are on them.

Ironically, what feels like good manners is often the opposite. It’s a sure fire way to slow down the pace of play and can leave everyone waiting while you decide what to do. It’s a bit like standing in a queue at a coffee shop, getting to the front and only then starting to read the menu, we all know how annoying that person is and we have all felt flustered when we’ve been that person!

Golf is no different. If you and your playing partners have agreed to play ready golf, being ready when it’s your turn is one of the most considerate things you can do. Good ready golf isn’t selfish or impolite, and it isn’t about hurrying, it’s about quietly preparing while others are playing, without distracting them. So when it comes to your turn, you’ve made your decisions and can simply step in and commit.

Apologising For Everything

When I played for the Cheshire Ladies county team there was one word that we all banned each other from saying: Sorry. Unless you’d genuinely done something wrong, it simply wasn’t allowed. Not because apologies weren’t important, but because we realised how often we were using the word when we hadn’t done anything wrong.

Now that I'm older, wiser and an experienced coach, I still notice how often women are prone to apologising on the golf course. “Sorry, I just need another look at this putt.” “Sorry, could you move your trolley?” “Sorry, I think I’m in your way?” “Sorry I’m playing terribly today.” “Sorry I’m holding everyone up.”

Before long, the apologies become so automatic that they stop being about what we’ve done and start becoming about who we are. It’s as though we are saying, “Sorry for taking up space. Sorry for taking my turn. Sorry for being here.”

Of course, there are times when an apology is the right thing to do, but as we identified as a county team, the word “sorry” can slip out all too easily. Every unnecessary apology sends a subtle message not just to the people around us, but most damagingly to ourselves, reinforcing the idea that preparing for our shot, making a mistake, or simply taking up space on the golf course is something that needs to be excused.

Over time, that mindset can chip away at our confidence and sense of belonging. But you do belong, you’ve paid your fees, you have your clubs, you follow the rules, so take up space, and play your game without apology!

When you look at these habits individually, they can seem like small acts of courtesy. But when you step back, a pattern begins to emerge. Many women are taught from a young age to be agreeable, not make a fuss and make life easier for those around them. While those qualities have their place, they can also lead us to prioritise everyone else’s enjoyment over our own.

On the golf course, that might mean rushing our shots, downplaying our ability, or apologising for the odd inevitable bad shot, which is part of golf. This is where people pleasing quietly creeps in.

There is a difference between being considerate and constantly putting yourself last. If everyone else’s enjoyment always comes before your own, sooner or later you become the least important person on the course and your performance will reflect that.

The message I try to instil in every woman I coach is this is your golf and it deserves the same time, attention and care as everyone else’s, be that out on the course, when having a lesson or asking for equipment advice. Your game matters, your enjoyment matters. Be courteous, but never at the expense of yourself. Take your time and compete without apology. Take your space and play the game as though you belong, because you do.

I've been Golf Monthly's bag tester for a few years now and as such I have managed to test a lot of bags from different brands. Stand bags, cart bags, sunday bags, hybrid bags and much more, I've looked to test as many as possible myself whilst also getting the occasional bit of help from other members of the Golf Monthly team. Testing bags myself has become a big part of my job to make sure new models actually perform how they are supposed to, and to make sure manufacturer claims can be tested. Also simply, are they any good?

Which leads me to the point of this piece, with all the testing done (right now at least), I have collated my favorite models across a variety of categories. For example I have selected top models in terms of waterproofing, leather models, sunday bags, lightweight bags and cart bags. If you want more information, then please scroll down a bit further to check out my full video on this guide. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't send you over to the Golf Monthly YouTube channel as well!

As I mentioned earlier, for a bit more in-depth explanation on each please check out my full video below where I go into everything in a bit more detail.

For more golf bag buying advice check out our guides on the best lightweight golf bags, best waterproof golf bags, or best golf stand bags.

Like it or not, us golfers are obsessed with distance. Whether we're trying to outdrive our playing partners for bragging rights or simply looking to shoot lower scores, it's a huge part of the sport.

Every year the best golf drivers promise more ball speed and courses all over the world are continuing to add length, so it's a very handy skill to have.

But what constitutes a 'long hitter?' It's a question that is impossible to answer, but it's something we all love to debate.

A long hitter in the men's professional game is well into the 300-yard range in terms of driving distance, with the PGA Tour average now over 305. Aldrich Potgieter leads the way this season with a mammoth 330.4 yards.

It's very different in the grassroots game, though, with Shot Scope data showing the average male scratch golfer hits the ball 285 yards from the tee, with a 20-handicapper at 225 yards.

Driving Distance Average 2026

Driving Distance data from Shot Scope users (yards)

Driving Distance Average

Scratch Golfer

285

5-handicapper

261

10-handicapper

259

15-handicapper

236

20-handicapper

225

25-handicapper

204

075150225300

Driving Distance Average Data

Product	Value
Scratch Golfer	285
5-handicapper	261
10-handicapper	259
15-handicapper	236
20-handicapper	225
25-handicapper	204

So, how far do we think a golfer needs to be able to hit the ball to be classed as a 'long hitter'? I asked the Golf Monthly team of regular and dedicated golfers, who have a wide range of handicaps, for their views...

And be sure to let us know your take in the comments section below.

I would say achieving a driving distance of 290 yards or above in total distance and in normal ground conditions with no wind would class you as a long hitter.

The average driving distance for a scratch golfer, according to Shot Scope data, is 285 yards – so you should be on your way to lower scores too.

On the plus side, at 290 yards you wouldn't be last on the PGA Tour for driving distance, you'd slot in at 156th out of 159 players!

If you can hit a 250-yard drive in winter and are capable of the odd 300-yard drive in summer, I think you're a long hitter.

So, boiling that down, I think you need to be able to carry the ball somewhere in the region of 240 yards to be considered a big hitter.

Another way of looking at it is whether you can reach some par 5s in two during the spring and autumn (with baked summer fairways, average-length hitters can reach some par 5s in two).

If you can find the putting surface in two on a, say, 475-yard par 5 in October or March, you're a big hitter in my book.

For me, 260 yards of carry would constitute a long hitter at club level. Carry being the operative word as many people don't necessarily understand the concept of carry versus total.

At tour level, you need to be able to carry the ball over 300 yards to be considered a long-hitter now I would say.

Sam De'Ath (+4 hcp): "Agree with Joe here, 260 carry I would consider long in club golf. I would say 290+ in elite amateur golf is long and 300/310 in the pro game is long through the air."

I think with most golfers these days overestimating how far they actually hit the golf ball, I actually think a long hitter is someone who can carry the ball 250 yards.

To get to this number you need to have a certain level of athleticism, flexibility, power and obviously timing, which is why I would argue most amateur players don't hit it this far, despite saying they do.

My perspective on what it takes to be considered a long hitter is perhaps a little warped as a high-handicapper who is chuffed with anything over 200 yards, but I would say that 250 makes you fairly long.

Having said that, I reckon I could push 250 if I went after it, but the chances of it staying on the planet are slim.

Direction is also important to factor into this decision, so let's say 240 down the middle is good in my books.

I would consider myself a long hitter (although certain colleagues would laugh at me for saying that) as someone who can carry their driver over 240 yards with a good strike, which can get out to around 300 in the summer sometimes if there's a helping wind and a nice, firm fairway.

Compared to my dad and some older friends I play with, I definitely am a long hitter.

But then I play with some lower-handicap golfers who hit it 20-30 yards by me comfortably, so I guess it all depends on who you play with.

A 75-year-old man might be classed as a long hitter if he averages 200 yards off the tee, for example.

The average 20-handicapper hits their drive 225 yards and I think that's probably a decent benchmark. If you're consistently longer than that, then I think you can class yourself as a decent-length hitter. A long hitter, probably more like 250+.

This is a very subjective one as generally you'll hit it further the lower your handicap – although I do know a scratch golfer who doesn't hit it too far past even a high handicapper like me, while there's also a few mid handicappers who can really send it but just haven't got any kind of consistency or accuracy.

The disparity between good drives and bad drives is also more extreme the higher up in handicap you go, but even in averages I'd still have my definition of a long hitter staggered along handicap lines, with anyone in double figures who can get it out to about 240-250 carry off the tee being a big hitter for me.

If you're single figures I'd add on another 10-20 yards to that to distinguish yourself as a longer hitter – while anyone higher than a 15 handicap would take around 250 yards average total driving distance all day long.

What do you think? And how far do you hit your drives? Join the conversation below...

Winning 11 major championships in the space of just 15 years between 1914 and 1929, together with countless tournaments and exhibition matches, Walter Hagen was the best professional golfer of his generation.

Whether he was the best golfer is another matter. A strong case could be made for the great amateur Bobby Jones. That’s for another article.

Whatever your view on that rivalry, Hagen was a true legend of our sport. Not only for his playing prowess, but also for how much he did to elevate the popularity of the game of golf in the 1920s. He was a true showman and an advocate for the rights of the professional sportsperson.

He was a tenacious competitor and a great athlete – he might have been a baseball player. He was a strong man with a robust physiology. He swung the golf club with authority, and he could send it out there when at the peak of his career in the 1920s… but how far could he hit it?

Hagen’s Swing

Hagen understood the importance of getting through the ball. Various accounts of his swing mention his wide stance, his impressive rotation and his powerful “snap” through the ball.

In fact, the famed writer O.B Keeler commented on the Haig’s action, saying: “He never wears a cap or hat, but if he did, I firmly believe that terrific snap would flip his head out from under it.”

Hagen turned so far through the ball that his right shoulder was the part of his body nearest the target at the end of his swing. It wasn’t quite a lunge through the ball, but pictures of him at the end of his swing show how much he moved his weight during his action. He was a powerful player, no question about it.

But he was not known for being the longest from the tee. Although he could shift it well out there, as mentioned, that was not the key strength of his game. In fact, he was probably better known for being a touch wild from the tee. Hagen relied heavily on his exceptional ability to escape trouble and his brilliant short game.

The factors at play

When thinking about how far Hagen hit, the first thing to consider is the equipment he was using. He played with hickory shafts and had to swing accordingly. Hickories demanded a more flowing action than steel-shafted clubs. Power had to be generated more with perfect rhythm than brute force.

Also, the wound, rubber ball they used in the 1920s did not have the distance potential of today’s premium golf balls. Players could not hit as far with that equipment and the technique it required.

Then you have to think about conditions. Courses were far rougher in those days and conditions dictated to a far greater extent how far a ball would go.

If it was dry, the unwatered fairways would become super-firm and fast. Drives would roll forever. There are plenty of stories of players hitting beyond 300 yards in the 1920s on baked surfaces, with a breeze at their backs. And, the weather played a part.

In his first Open Championship at Royal Cinque Ports in 1920, Hagen struggled with the high winds blowing across the links. He hadn’t learned the skill of keeping the ball low and under the breeze.

In fact, he quipped that one drive had gone so high in the air that the wind had almost blown it all the way back to him. “I should have worn a catcher’s mask!” he joked.

But, downwind in dry conditions, like most of the top players of that era, Hagen could have driven a ball over 300 yards.

How far did Hagen Drive the ball in standard conditions?

Today, it’s very easy to answer questions on how far a player hits the golf ball. There are stats galore that lay the answers out in black and white. We know how far they average off the tee; we know their longest drive of the season; we have data on how far they hit every club in the bag.

But going back in time, it’s far more difficult to say for sure how far even the most famous golfers could hit the ball. I’ve written in the past about the distances that Nicklaus, Palmer and Hogan hit the ball and have admitted a good deal of conjecture is involved.

Even more so perhaps with Hagen, about whom less anecdotal and occasional actual evidence exists. I’ve also written about how far Bobby Jones hit the ball.

I think it’s fair to say most historians would agree Jones was able to outhit Hagen more often than not. That's what source information shows. I suggested Jones could hit his longest wooden club up to around the 250-yard mark on average.

I think with Hagen, we’re talking slightly below that in standard conditions. In the mid part of the 1920s, I think Hagen would have driven the ball between 220 and 240 yards, perhaps with an average of about 235. He was one of the longer, but not the longest, hitters of the Roaring 20s.

Ask most amateur golfers about their ultimate goals in the game and you'll regularly hear responses like 'record a hole-in-one', 'become a single-figure handicapper' or 'be more consistent.'

I'm here to tell you - via a world-renowned performance coach - the last one is near impossible, no matter who you are.

Karl Morris has worked with the likes of Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Ian Woosnam, Paul McGinley, Ryan Fox, Harry Hall and Laurie Canter over the course of his career and he's seen multiple Major wins during that time.

Outside of golf, he's even spent time with English Premier League giants Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson's unmatched reign of success and helped former England men's cricket captain Michael Vaughn at the peak of the test team's powers during the early 2000s.

The point is, Morris knows a thing or two about elite-level performance and what the very best to ever play sport are capable of.

And according to the author of several golf psychology books including The Mind Caddie and The Lost Art Of Putting, even the very best are never consistent in regards to excellence.

In a recent interview following Ryan Fox's incredible Open victory, Morris explained to me that when amateurs seek out his help in order to try and fulfill their ambitions, he has to reframe what they really want.

He said: "Generally, [amateurs] will come to me and say 'I'm not very consistent' or 'I want to be more consistent' - everybody wants to be more consistent.

"Then we talk about how nobody has ever been consistent in the history of the game, even the best players in the world.

"We talk about, instead of aiming at consistency, it's about working at adaptability.

"To me, if you get good at golf, you become adaptable in the sense that whatever you've got that day, you get good at getting it round.

"It might be your B game or your C game or even your D game, but you get good at getting the best out of yourself as opposed to only playing well when you play well.

"There's one player, I didn't work with him, but a top, top player once said to me he reckoned he only had his golf swing about 10 rounds a year. The rest of the time, it was something less than his best and he just had to find a way of getting it round."

While everyone is different in terms of how they might go about becoming more adaptable on the golf course, Morris shared there are three key words to remember that anyone who is hoping to improve the mental side of their game should be able to gain value from.

He said: "There's a key triangle. We talk about three words of intention, attention and attitude.

"We can relate it to Ryan Fox's shot on 15 [Sunday of The Open] when he's in the [front green-side] bunker.

"He's had a dreadful piece of luck to end up [right up against the wall on the left side], but with his caddie's help, he created a clear intention. He just needed to get the ball out backwards and back in play.

"His attention would have been on the contact with the sand. And then his attitude was one of 'I'm not going to get into stories. I'm not going to get into this shouldn't happen to me, how unlucky am I? I hit a nearly perfect shot, golf's not fair' and all of that.

"His attitude was one of acceptance, and he just got on with it. So intention, attention and attitude are really the cornerstones of the mental game.

"I mean, they're multi-layered, but those three things... if anyone looks at those three words and considers what they could be on each shot, I think that's a good starting point."

Another important point as far as reassessing the mental side of your game might well relate to focus.

In a feature I wrote recently, five pros gave me an excellent array of advice ahead of my first adult tournament, with one particular nugget from my colleague Sam De'Ath telling me to take my mind elsewhere when not considering and executing my shot.

Golf typically takes around four hours and it would be incredibly draining to concentrate for that long. So the general advice from pros and performance coach Morris is simply... don't try to.

Morris highlighted his work with 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen as an example of how only locking in at the vital time by using a particular trigger can be extremely fruitful.

Morris said: "I'll talk a lot with players about golf is five hours, but you're only actually playing golf for a couple of minutes within those five hours.

"There's no way you can focus for five hours - you'd blow a fuse. But good players find an ability switch on and switch off.

"If you look at Louis Oosthuizen one, when he won The Open in 2010, we had a trigger where he looked at a red dot on his glove. That dot was a trigger to then go into the shot, be absorbed in it and then come out of it.

"I think that's where caddies earn their money these days... in between times - what they talk to the player about in between shots.

"I think the really good ones just take them somewhere else. Then it's about switching back into the puzzle when you get to it."

Most amateur golfers now carry a hybrid of some sort in their golf bag, but often we assume that the only places it can be used is off the tee and from the fairway.

According to Top 50 Coach Ged Walters, who has more than two decades coaching experience as a PGA professional, this special club is actually tremendously versatile - and learning how to wield it effectively could cut your handicap in 2026.

In fact, Ged believes that shooting lower scores would be more achievable if amateur golfers could master shots from the rough, the fairway bunker and around the green with a hybrid...

3 Shots Amateur Golfers Should Master With A Hybrid

1. From the rough

The hybrid is a great option from the rough but if your ball has nestled down a bit, your angle of attack needs to become steeper.

Some people may be tempted to try and hit a 7-iron to a green 150 yards away from this kind of lie, but all too often this will end up with the ball travelling ten yards, leaving you facing another shot from the rough.

The hybrid is the ideal option for this type of shot as the head will get through the rough better, allowing you to sometimes achieve decent yardage still. But if the ball is buried, it's time to pull out your wedge and just get it out.

If you do decide the hybrid is a sensible option, the way to encourage that steeper angle of attack is to increase your wrist set relative to normal.

If you watch tour players out of the rough, their wrists are so active, whereas generally they're quite passive throughout a normal swing from the fairway.

It's all about making sure that you are hinging the club up a lot more on the way back so that when you deliver it into the back of the ball, you're bringing the club back on a more downward angle.

2. Greenside chips

From certain lies, the hybrid may be your safest option around the greens to prevent snagging.

For a standard chip shot with a hybrid, set your feet pretty close together with at least 70% of your pressure on your lead foot, which you need to keep there throughout.

Because the shaft will be quite vertical, your feet will be closer to the ball.

As the club moves away from the ground on the takeaway, it will arc because of the angle at which you're standing to the ball – a little bit like with a putter.

When you move your arms back down and through, there will be a little bit of rotation with the rib cage coming through, but the angle of attack is steeper than usual.

You then just hit down onto the back of it and bunt it forward. It's a bit like a putt but with elements of a chipping stroke.

A lot of people will go down the grip because of the shaft length, but this comes down to personal preference.

I like to stand tall and hold it in the normal place as I think going down the grip makes it easier to thin it because you've shortened the arc and you want the arc to be constant.

3. From fairway bunkers

Golfers struggle with fairway bunkers, whether that's automatically reaching for the wedge, perhaps unnecessarily, or playing the yardage without looking at the lie, the lip of the bunker and the topography surrounding it.

But sometimes, the hybrid can be a good option if the lie and lip allow, so how do you play this shot?

First, you want your ball position to be pretty much the same as from the fairway – so that's in the front third of your stance.

Then, feel like you're standing a fraction taller than normal. You don't want to catch it even a touch heavy as the sand will just kill it.

Set your weight a little more on the lead side throughout the whole swing to promote a slightly more downward attack angle.

The main issue here is the struggle for consistency over where the bottom of the swing arc is, but as soon as you learn how to find that more easily, you'll be able to enjoy success with this shot.

In the right circumstances, the hybrid can be great from bunkers as its user-friendly rounded sole won't dig in as much.

Golf's popularity doesn't show any signs of slowing down, with more golfers than ever taking to the course.

There is nothing wrong with the newcomers playing our great game, but where I do draw the line is when they haven't bothered to learn the basic rules and etiquette.

Over this summer, I've had multiple moments that have left me in disbelief and, consequently, that's led me to question whether golfers should require a license when they are starting their golfing journey.

Countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands do it, so why not the UK and US?

The question arose during a bizarre two-week period of golf, which just so happened to coincide with the half-term school holidays.

Throughout the fortnight, I had four occasions where either my, or my playing partner's, golf ball was picked up or hit by another group, three of which involved junior golfers.

Having played junior golf myself, there was nothing better than spending the day up at the club during school holidays. Just you and your buddies playing on the course in a banter-filled, competitive environment.

For me and my friends, though, we did all of this while knowing the basics. If we saw a pitch mark on the green then we repaired it, if we had just played from a bunker then we'd rake it, if we saw a golf ball that wasn't ours lying in the rough then we wouldn't pick it up.

It's all simple on paper, but if junior golfers, or novices for that matter, haven't been told the basics by a golf-playing parent, like I was, or indeed a friend or a professional, then how are they to know?

This is where the idea of a golf license comes in. In Germany, it's called a Platzerlaubnis and it's essentially like a driving license, but for golf.

Cutting a long story short, obtaining a license requires you to learn about how to act on the course, as well as other aspects like pace of play, ensuring your safety and the safety of other players, and the Rules of Golf in general.

In my opinion, it's an excellent idea.

Not only does it prepare new golfers for the course, likely increasing their enjoyment, but it also means us established golfers don't have to worry about inexperienced individuals causing havoc.

This would allow us to concentrate on our game without the worry that someone is going to play our ball or run out on to the fairway.

Some may argue that this method isn't perhaps the most friendly way of introducing golfers to the game, but I can't think of many sports where you're not told the basics beforehand.

In football, for example, you're told not to foul or handle the ball. In rugby, you're told not to pass the ball forward and tackle high on the body etc.

When it comes to golf, though, you don't really have this. In theory, any man or woman could walk on to the tee without any training and play a round of golf without knowing the basics...

If, however, they had to have a certification showing that they are capable of playing on the course without any problems, then there would be peace of mind knowing there wouldn't be issues.

Again, many will find this idea a bit extreme, but I honestly think golf licenses aren't a bad idea whatsoever.

The majority of golfers take up the game after a few visits to a golf range, so if they want to pursue the sport further, then obtaining a license to get on the course to make sure they're safe and prepared is a justifiable move.

As I've mentioned before, golf is more popular than ever and, although some have claimed that the game was better pre-Covid, due to fees being cheaper and the availability of tee times, there's no sign the bubble will burst.

Because of the increase of newcomers, though, the standards and etiquette, like repairing pitch marks and raking bunkers, has dropped with it.

Implementing a license, which hones in on all of the required basics you need on the course, would be a sensible and logical move.

This is a pretty straightforward one to answer quickly – GUR in golf stands for Ground Under Repair. There, article done.

But wait… there’s more about ground under repair to understand, and some useful things to know, to keep you right when it comes to The Rules of golf.

What is Ground Under Repair?

Ground under repair is any part of the course defined as ground under repair by the committee, whether it’s marked as such or not. It will generally be an area that is either damaged or is being worked on by the greenkeeping team.

Ground under repair also includes a selection of things, even if not defined as such by the committee – A hole made in setting up the course for example, like a hole where a stake has been removed, or a hole made where work is being carried out to lay a pipeline. Aeration holes are not ground under repair.

Grass cuttings, leaves or other material piled for later removal are ground under repair, as is any animal habitat (a bird’s nest) for instance that might be damaged by your swing or stance. Worm casts or insect activity are not classed as ground under repair – they are loose impediments and would be dealt with under Rule 15.1.