When I watch professional golf, especially Majors, there's a natural feeling of inspiration, of wishing my game could be more like that. Those drives that carry most of the hole. Those crisp irons into the green. Those wedge shots that zip.

And I know as a mere mortal, I'll never close the gap between my game and theirs. That's why I don't try to. Instead, I look for patterns. The things that, if we applied them to our game, could move us closer to our score goals.

That's why I'm not looking at how I can replicate their swings. I'm looking for how I can replicate their thinking.

Take Your Medicine

I had already noticed this theme over the weekend but the play-off is where it landed hardest. Two extra holes, both played down the 18th. Both of them with a player in trouble.

The first being Shiho Kuwaki, who pulled her drive into deep grass short of a bunker. A major championship so close she could almost touch it. And no shot at the green. She took her medicine, got herself back in play and then stuck her shot in to about three feet. And holed it. Par saved, play-off extended.

Next it was Esther Henseleit who found the trouble, after her tee shot clattered off a marshal's "that'll hurt tomorrow" shin and finished in a gorse bush. She followed the same process. Get back in play. Wedge to about 12 feet and a putt to give herself a chance.She missed it, but that’s not the point that stayed with me. It’s that she gave herself a chance. After finding the trouble, she didn’t panic. She chose the shot that put her in a position to possibly save par. And that's the key – to give ourselves chances.

As golfers, we know the feeling. We find ourselves in trouble, we know we should play it safe but that little voice tells us to take it on. So we do, before we hear the clatter of that branch and get that sinking feeling that we just made the wrong choice. And the bigger number that follows wasn't caused by the trouble-finding tee shot. It was caused by our decision to hit-and-hope it, rather than take our medicine.

Here's what I keep coming back to about that play-off. In the biggest moments of their careers, neither player tried to make up for the “bad” shot with the next one. Even when it was all on the line. I've been working on this myself recently – my recovery thinking. And last week, I carded my first ever round without a double bogey.

And the funny thing is, when I look back on that round, the thing I’m most proud of isn’t the pars I made, it’s the bogeys I saved from becoming worse. Because now I know that even without my best golf, I can finish a few shots off my personal best by focusing on my recovery thinking.

So it might just be that the shot that saves your round isn't the spectacular one. It's the boring one that gives your next shot a chance.

Position Over Power

Royal Lytham & St Annes might have the most bunkers I've seen at a Major in a long time. With 167 of them lining the fairways and hugging the greens, it’s hard to imagine not finding the sand at some point.

It was the fairway bunkers that looked the most punishing, with lips high enough to make any chance of going for the green unlikely. That’s why I found it inspiring to see World No 1 Nelly Korda play for position off the tee on those par 4s. Instead of always reaching for driver, Nelly took an iron. One of the longest and best-swinging players in the women’s game, choosing to take the trouble out of play.

Here's what struck me about that. I would back Korda to find a fairway more often than not but she still chose not to take driver just because she could. She knew that being long is no use if that’s where the trouble is.

How often do we play for length over position? Pulling driver because we think we should, when actually it's the club that brings that fairway bunker into play? We've all done it. Taken driver, almost on auto-pilot, found the sand, then had to wedge it out. When a wood off the tee would have left us a slightly longer second but from a safe place and a much better chance of a par.

The question isn't whether we can hit driver. It's what driver buys us on that hole. So when it comes to a tee shot that often leaves me scuttling into the sand, I’ll be thinking more like Korda. And laying back, knowing that’s giving my second shot a better chance of being off the short stuff.

It's Not Your ceiling. It’s Your Floor

This is the one I've been thinking about most deeply. When it comes to winning Majors for a pro or playing to - or below - our handicap, for us amateurs, it’s easy to think we need to play our best every round.

But there’s a pattern that’s become clear in my own golf recently that this weekend’s Major confirmed for me. It’s not about how good your best rounds are. It’s about how good your bad rounds are.

Furue shot 65 on Saturday, the second-lowest round of the championship. And she finished tied 53rd because on Sunday she shot 82. That’s a 17 shot gap between her best (ceiling) and her floor (worst).

Jeeno Thitikul shot 64 on the opening day, the lowest ever score in an AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham. And she shared fourth place because her following rounds went 73, 72, 73. A 9 shot gap. The two lowest rounds of the championship produced a tie for fourth and a tie for 53rd.

Now look at it from the other end. Of the 11 players who finished under par, not one of them shot worse than 74 over the four rounds. Charley Hull went 69, 71, 71, 72 – a 3 shot gap – and she finished tied sixth. Kuwaki's four rounds ran from 66 to 73. A 7 shot gap. The ceiling didn't separate them. The floor did.

I think this is the most useful thing us amateurs can take from watching the pros and those who finished highest on the leaderboard. Because I believe it’s the opposite of how we think about our golf.

When we play, we put pressure on ourselves to play our best. To come in with more than 36 points. To finally break that score goal. We want the round that finally clicks and proves what we know we’re capable of. And that’s what we measure ourselves against – our best.

But I've come to realise that closing the gap to our score goals isn't about hoping for our best golf. It's about making our bad rounds better. That’s what boosts our confidence - scoring well, even without our best game.

Follow Jess’ golf journey on Instagram.

It’s a hot topic in this country that we are shelling out more and bringing in less. Food, fuel, technology, insurance, materials and services, any type of fee or subscription… everything has become expensive enough to make you draw breath when opening the bill. That’s inflation.

Inflation has been almost 3% annually over the last 20 years. Goods and services costing £100 in 2005 would cost £182 today. Not far off double.

For those who haven’t seen their income increase at a similar rate (a freelance writer like me for example), it’s a worry. Without doing a little research, my thinking was – “oh no – we’re all in the same boat, not being paid enough to cover the bills.”

But actually, the median annual salary in the UK has increased from £23,000 in 2005 to £39,000 in 2026. That’s only slightly below inflation for the period. As a nation of workers, we should be only just a little worse off financially (as a whole) now than we were in 2005.

Yes, we might be paying more in certain taxes and other enforced charges. We may be (are) also consuming more, and we might (do) have higher standards and expectations that are more costly.

But, if we were to buy the same things today as we did in 2005 and our pay had increased alongside the national average, we would be in roughly the same position financially – (a tiny bit down but not enough to see us in the poor house.)

Us bringing in (relatively) considerably less and having to shell out considerably more for goods and services is something of a myth.

I was a strong believer in that “myth” before I started to write this article, and I began typing it with a view to convey something quite different. I was going to suggest that golf was pricing itself into a corner – effectively becoming too expensive.

I am now aware it’s not the case and that causes me concern. If I think like that, how many others do? I am forever hearing, and have gone along with, the consensus that golf is more costly than it used to be.

That party line discourages people from playing the game, or from taking the game up. It’s harmful to the future of our sport to be spreading misinformation that golf is becoming super-expensive.

Parents will discourage youngsters from heading in a golfing direction, and cost-conscious adults will drop it as an activity if they are convinced it’s relatively pricier than other pastimes and relatively pricier than it used to be.

Yes, golf (as nearly everything) has seen costs increase significantly over the last 20 years. My golf club annual membership has almost doubled since I moved back north in 2005. At first glance, I think – “Oh my god, what’s going on? It’s way too pricey now.”

But looking at the Bank of England’s inflation calculator – our subs have pretty much followed inflation over 20 years… Steady enough until 2021 and then sharply increasing for a few years. That’s life unfortunately.

Golf equipment is similar. As an example, the price of a top-level driver has also nearly doubled in 20 years. A Titleist 905T (which I had, and loved, by the way) was £349 RRP in 2005. The new Titleist GTS is £629. It’s easy to say of that new price – “that’s crazy!’ But it’s just followed inflation.

The price of a dozen premium golf balls or a premium golf glove is actually relatively lower now than 2005, when you look at inflation. Consider pretty much anything you buy for golf – waterproofs, bags, shoes, clubs… if you look at the price today compared to the price in 2005, it has either followed or slightly beaten inflation.

In the main, golf costs roughly the same relatively today as it did 20 years ago. The only real place where cost has gone up above inflation is green fees at the most prestigious venues.

That’s been well documented and its due (of course) to supply and demand. Largely because of foreign visitors who are willing to pay the big bucks to play at the most famous courses in this country. At them, rack rate green fees have risen fast in recent years.

If you were to principally play golf peripatetically at championship venues, golf would be relatively more expensive now than in 2005 (fairly considerably so).

But there’s a simple way round the problem if you feel it’s too pricey to visit Turnberry or Wentworth. Don’t do it. And when there’s a downturn in demand, the prices will reflect that, so maybe wait a few years.

You can still play golf or start out in golf. You can be a golf club member, visit lower-tier clubs and spend the same amount, relatively, as you did 20 years ago.

Golf has not become overpriced; it’s a constructed perception of the cost of golf that has been over-inflated. You can find equipment bargains online and in pro shops, you can find introductory rates at clubs and green fee deals on various websites.

Golf, like everything, has become more expensive simply because of inflation. I for one am glad to inform myself of that. Now I need to find a way to start making more money to pay for it and all the other things I want to do in life! For a start, I’ll stop writing this…

When it comes to forgiveness in a driver head, a common assumption among golfers is that bigger is often better. However, one senior fitter says otherwise.

Callaway launched its Quantum lineup of drivers at the beginning of the year and in a conversation with Golf Monthly, Callaway’s Senior Custom Fitter, Luke Verney, explained how the versatility and adjustability of the lineup of drivers impact its target golfer in a unique way.

“In the fitting bay, you're always trying to avoid bias,” said Verney. “It's such a hard thing because you see so many golfers and you see numbers that correlate to other golfers you fit, and your mind goes to like, this model of driver.”

“But this year, Callaway drivers don't tend to bias themselves to a certain player,” explained Verney. “I always say in the fitting world, I call forgiveness in a driver model relative.”

While the Quantum Max D driver, with its high MOI and larger head, is a forgiving option for a whole host of golfers, Verney revealed that the model is not a good fit for his profile in terms of forgiveness.

“The least forgiving head I could actually play would be a Max D, because the ball going left is my big issue. If I hit it left, that's all my shots gone,” said Verney.

“So you kind of look at it and go, actually, yes, in theory, it's a higher MOI and a bigger head size, but playing on the course and numbers aren't always correlated.”

Verney added: “Just because a head has a higher MOI or is a larger head size or whatever doesn't necessarily mean it actually is going to be a more forgiving model for you.”

While spec sheets offering the comfort of a larger head and higher MOI will appeal to many golfers seeking that extra touch of forgiveness, Verney states that it is a common source of confusion among golfers looking for the perfect club fit.

“That's something I think that people get really muddied when they come in, and they're looking at their numbers so much,” said Verney. “You're kind of like, ‘Yeah, but how does that actually transform onto the golf course when you're trying to play your golf and find the fairway?’”

So when you’re looking for added forgiveness off the tee, don’t assume that bigger is better for your specific game. Misses and individual characteristics play a pivotal role in club fitting.

While a larger profile can certainly inspire confidence and offer stability, it’s a senior fitter's proof that forgiveness is not one-size-fits-all. Your common misses, delivery patterns, and even how you visually respond to a club at address can all influence what actually performs best.

Most golfers are filled with nerves (and maybe a little bit of dread) when they tee it up in a tournament of some description, whether it be a monthly medal or the annual club championship.

Even if you've been playing really well in the weeks and months beforehand, the common concern is that you won't be able to replicate your best stuff on the day when it really matters.

And there are lots of reasons why many people don't. They're too concerned about what others think. They significantly over-inflate the importance of the situation. They become obsessed over the end result and forget to deal with what's happening right now.

And I should know. I'm guilty of having done all of those things (and often several at the same time) in rounds that mean more to me in the past.

Of course, sometimes, it's just not your day. But I bet if you followed the plan I was given for better competition golf - made by five pros from a Korn Ferry Tour winner to a DP World Tour legend - you would see improved results. I did, and it worked out pretty well for me...

The premise for the aforementioned gameplan surfaced because I was due to play my first-ever adult golf competition - an iGolf Open qualifying event at Minchinhampton's Old Course - and I wanted to know how on earth I should attack it.

I'd been playing really good and consistent golf (by my standards) in 2026 and I didn't want to waste the opportunity.

After all, the top-seven qualifiers from a field of around 60 would make it through to the iGolf Open Final at Woodhall Spa with an overnight stay plus a welcome dinner and breakfast pre-round included.

Whoever wins that can claim to be the best nomadic golfer in the country (from an official pool of over 81,000 iGolf subscribers) and could even call themselves an Open champion (sort of). The stakes were pretty high, and a lot of people I saw upon arriving really wanted to make it through.

So with advice from David Howell, James Nicholas, Piers Berrington, Sam De'Ath and Joe Ferguson all ringing in my ears, I turned up feeling relaxed, prepared and relatively confident as opposed to tense, flustered and nervous.

And the fact I felt prepared and relaxed was absolutely vital. I stood on the first tee with a clear mind and assured of what I wanted to do. The result - an excellent drive which ultimately led to a chip-in birdie at the first.

OK, the chip-in was a bonus, but an awkward third at the opening par-5 could have sent my head into a spin. Yet, with my secret weapon helping me recalibrate, I remained calm and was able to kick my round off in style.

In contrast, I'd seen someone shortly before I teed off visibly shaking with nerves after producing an opening drive he likely didn't plan for.

He then uttered the line heard around many a golf course around the world on competition days: "I don't normally do that, but there are all of these people watching."

At level par through three holes, it would have been easy for my mind to wander. 'Imagine if I won', 'if I can make the turn in this many shots, I could qualify', 'I might be able to birdie the sixth with a good tee shot' etc etc.

But, as my colleague Joe Ferguson rightly told me beforehand, thinking of outcomes is a distinctly unhelpful psychological state. To do well, you have to stay in the moment and solve each problem (shot) as it happens.

So I stuck to my task, kept my head down and continued to try and be great company for my playing partners - which is what David Howell advised.

Don't become too wrapped up in your own world that you shut everyone else out. Golf is a social game, so switch off between shots and get to know your playing partners.

That advice was particularly helpful when I hit a bit of a bump midway through the front nine. A double-triple sequence wasn't what I needed, but I carried on smiling and chatting, and things turned around for me.

Other tips in my plan were closely related. Think about how insignificant the moment is compared to what's going on in the world. And tournament golf is just golf with the word 'tournament' at the front. Nothing should change.

Nine-over at the turn and with a course handicap of 13, I figured my chances of qualifying - let alone winning - were done.

But instead of downing tools, as it's so easy to do in 34-degree heat, I stuck to my plan religiously and suddenly I was in with a shout again as the clubhouse pulled into view.

Another triple-bogey seven wasn't quite what I needed coming home, I have to say, but a par-birdie-bogey finish ultimately helped me finish T6th and qualify for the iGolf Open final by a single point.

As a side note, I have to say thank you to my playing partners Lawrence Kee and Martin Ward for putting up with me for the day and for being great company.

And also congratulations to Mark Harries, who won at Minchinhampton with a superb 41 points. I chatted to him after and he seemed stunned with what had just happened - I think I know the feeling!

Regardless of the actual result, I was really proud of the way I stuck to what is a smart and helpful gameplan throughout. And I thought, as a 16-handicapper who is often about as consistent as the UK weather, these tips could be incredibly useful to so many players around the world.

So please go back and check out the full original article as it could help you play better tournament golf in 2026 and beyond!

I’m absolutely certain that a large percentage of the men I play golf with are using golf clubs that are too heavy for them. I see the same bad shots, the powerless push fade that boomerangs to the right, the destructive pull straight left. Ball flights that don’t seem to get enough height or flight.

Golfer after golfer that’s fighting against a heavy steel shaft that just doesn’t square up through the hitting area with any real power. It’s those macho male egos getting in the way. The ‘I’m strong enough to hit them’ attitude. What a total nonsense this is!

These golfers are destroying their chances of playing well, or at least consistently well. They are using clubs that are effectively scorecard wreckers. Equipment that they bought because it was stamped with Regular, Stiff, or even worse, Extra Stiff on the shaft.

Some will have bought steel-shafted clubs decades ago when it suited them at the time, some still using them knowingly in denial of any loss of ability, others acquired clubs as second-hand purchases off a mate but never really thought about the suitability to their own, unique swing.

The most common scenario I see are the retired golfers in their sixties or seventies who have been playing with the same equipment for a decade or more. With the greatest respect, your strength and athleticism just isn’t what it used to be with each decade that you age. There’s a natural biological depreciation as you get older.

My dad will probably hate me for saying this, but he’s one of the culprits. He’s eighty next year and still playing with a set of irons more suited to an 18-year-old that he bought well over a decade ago. ‘What’s the point of upgrading at my age, he’ll say ?’ He only plays recreational golf now, rarely enters competitions, and just likes to have a knock with a few regular friends and family.

The point is, he just can’t hit them properly any more. He’s fighting a set of shafts that are way too heavy and stiff. He would be far more suited to lightweight graphite clubs nowadays. If he made the switch I have absolutely no doubt that his shot dispersion would tighten, he’d find more fairways, boost his power and get more enjoyment from the game. Yet he stubbornly refuses to change from using clubs whose place really ought to be in the garage or the garden shed and he’s not alone, I see it all the time.

To be honest, in his mind there’s probably a stigma attached to using graphite-shafted clubs, as when they were first introduced they were highly marketed to women. It was around that time that mum and I both took up the game. The big sell of graphite shafted clubs was how lightweight they were compared to steel, which was a saviour for the stereotypical woman’s slower swing speed.

Of course that’s now all changed and graphite usage is widespread across the board in men’s and women’s clubs because of the advancements in nano-technology within the shaft, nevertheless I’m certain that dad (and many others from his era) still recalls graphite's first widespread introduction predominantly into women’s clubs and undoubtedly feels the association is still there.

In fact, this shift isn't just happening at club level, it has reached the very top of the professional game. PGA Tour stars like Bryson DeChambeau, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler have graphite shafts in their irons.

Golf Monthly’s equipment writer, Joe Ferguson, sums up the transition well: “I personally believe steel shafts will be a relic of the past before too long, much like hickory before it. Composite technology has come so far that manufacturers can now replicate the stability and weight of steel while offering far precise profiles. That's before you even touch on the feel and shock-absorption benefits.”

Yet even golfers who embrace new gear often fall into another trap. The golfer who is obsessed with how their equipment can help them play better, even by the smallest margin. The gear nerds like my friend Guy who is a great single-figure golfer and changes his equipment all the time, because the latest driver or putter might just give him the edge. Yet he never goes and gets properly custom-fitted for the right shaft. He buys based on what he reads and what’s recommended on forums and online articles - he goes on trend and assumption.

When it comes to the shaft of the golf club there’s simply no real way of knowing what you should be using unless you get an expert involved. A custom-fit is a must. Anything less and you’re guessing. There’s simply no substitute for this essential advice.

Custom-fitting doesn’t have to cost you the earth, in fact most of the major manufacturers offer the service complimentary (or at low cost) because they know that when the golfers who come through their doors see the remarkable improvement in their shot results, they will want to make a purchase.

There are literally hundreds of specialist shafts on the market, from low budget options right through to premium offerings costing as much as £500 per shaft. They come in a variety of weights, with differing kick points, tip profiles and flexes, along with a rainbow of colours. In many ways, being a custom-fitter is like having a degree in ‘shaft science’ linked to swing mechanics. These fitters really are experts.

So come on guys, isn’t it about time you ditched the ego and adopted the modern approach to helping you play better golf? Don’t be ashamed of making the shaft switch. Ditch those heavy steel shafts and be proud to carry a new set of lightweight clubs, with properly fitted shafts. I promise you’ll hit them so effortlessly that your playing partners will wonder whether you’ve been working out at the gym!

Earlier this year, we gave you ‘Editor’s Choice 2026’, 120 of the most game-changing products on the market selected by our expert panel.

Now, after allowing Kick Point co host Joe Ferguson a couple of days to think it over, we give you the ‘3 most innovative golf clubs of 2026’.

This was a tough one, with an honorable mention for the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone shoes, which admittedly isn't a club but has been a game-changer this year, as well as TaylorMade’s new face design on the Qi4D driver.

If you want to listen to the discussion in full, we thoroughly recommend watching the episode below.

Right, in no particular order…

WATCH: Joe from Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show talks through his top three golf innovations of 2026 (from 08:15)

1. 3D Printing

Joe can talk for hours about 3D printing. Earlier this year, you may have caught him purring over Cobra’s 3DP Series.

“You know where I’m at with this,” he says. “I think this year we’ve been introduced to the future of iron design without any shadow of a doubt.”

Although the industry has dabbled with 3D printing in the past - mostly with limited-run putters and prototypes - Joe believes there has been something of a “eureka” moment this year.

Which was? Well, that’ll be the internal lattice. Traditionally, if you wanted a forgiving iron, you needed some kind of chunky head to shift weight to the perimeter.

However, 3D printing, Joe says, means that rulebooks have been thrown out of the window: by using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), engineers can “print” a clubhead from stainless steel powder, layer by microscopic layer.

This process allows for the use of internal lattice structures, which resemble a complex honeycomb/spiderweb. Not only are these very strong, but they’re also extremely light.

And this is the key: it gives club designers discretionary weight to precisely position for optimal performance.

“The Holy Grail of club design,” adds Joe.

It’s why our PGA pro has a set of Cobra 3DP MB irons in the bag - and he’s very excited about where this could go.

“We’re just at the beginning of this,” says Joe. “At the moment, 3D printing is largely being used to make better versions of “standard clubs”.

“I believe the real revolution lies in mass customization.”

Watch this space.

2. Sole Matching (Irons)

Another nod to where we’re going to end up, says Joe.

“I’ve said it a million times before. We do all this tech and all this design in the iron world to create these custom bespoke things… lie angle, loft, changing swing weight, different shafts, whatever you want to do..”

You can see where we’re going with this. We all seem to be fine for the one piece of the club that interacts with the ground to be standard.

“To me, in 2026, that’s lunacy,” says Joe. “I can’t believe we’re not there yet.”

Why would we have so many different grind options for our wedges and not our irons?

It’s a question that both our Kick Point hosts are wrestling with, including Dan Parker, who’s fresh off a wedge fitting with Titleist, during which he did a lot of experimenting with different grinds.

Could sole matching with irons be on its way? Joe thinks so, picking out Jason Day and his work with Avoda Golf as an example.

Avoda is starting to quantify what the shaft lean is at impact, getting the dynamic loft for each club so that each one can be 3D printed to have the corresponding amount of bounce, therefore giving the golfer the same level of turf interaction throughout.

“It has to come. It is coming,” predicts Joe.

3. Sausage (Modular) Putters

“Genius level design,” was Joe’s verdict on the Sausage Golf Boudin Noir putter when this revolutionary model arrived on the scene last year.

In case this new release passed you by, this is a putter that can be switched between toe hang, face balanced, and low torque.

It features an interchangeable shaft module system, which allows a player to change the entire torque profile of the putter to their stroke preference.

Is this necessary? There will be those who think not and Joe admits that he’s not yet sure whether modular putters are likely to catch on.

However, he doesn’t believe a required torque profile for a golfer’s putting stroke is like someone’s fingerprint or DNA.

In Joe’s opinion, it’s far more fluid than this and he believes that it can alter with a slight technique change or organically over time.

“I think the whole concept of being able to 3D print parts that can change up your existing set could make things really cost effective,” adds Joe (we did warn you that he’s totally on board with 3D printing).

At this point we start imagining whether there could come a time where you might be able to add different hosels to irons for more or less onset, or a modular piece to the sole of a driver.

Where are Joe and Dan going with this? We invite you to watch this fascinating discussion above. Please feel free to leave your comments and opinions in the box below.

Those who listen to the Kick Point podcast will know that Annika Sorenstam is probably my favorite golfer of all time. My love affair with the game - and my ultimate desire to become a golf professional myself - truly started back in the mid-to-late 1990s.

I still vividly remember the trips to Woburn with my mum to watch the Weetabix Women’s British Open, as it was known back then. Watching Sorenstam plot her way around those tree-lined fairways with robotic precision was utterly mesmerizing. But nothing quite compared to her post-round range sessions, where every single ball flight looked like I was watching the exact same video on a continuous loop!

With the AIG Women’s Open taking place this week, I couldn't help but want to urge just a few more men to settle down and watch the world's best female players navigate the beautiful and brutal layout of Royal Lytham & St Annes.

A Missed Opportunity for the Average Golfer

Sadly, the viewing figures tell us that the vast majority of male golf fans only tune in to watch men’s professional golf, completely bypassing the women’s game. It is a genuine shame, because if you are looking to learn and improve your own game while being thoroughly entertained, chances are, the women’s tour is far more closely aligned with how you actually play golf.

Look at the statistics:

Average UK Male Amateur Driver Swing Speed: 90–95 mph

Average LPGA Tour Driver Swing Speed: 94–96 mph

Average PGA Tour Driver Swing Speed: ~117 mph

The reality is simple: if you are trying to emulate the high-flying, bomb-and-gouge shots you see on the PGA Tour, you simply don't have the physical capabilities to pull them off, and you will quickly get yourself into trouble. Watching LPGA players shows you how to score efficiently at speeds you can actually relate to.

The Strategic Game You’ve Been Asking For

In recent years, golf fans and commentators have been loudly crying out for an equipment or ball rollback. People constantly complain that modern courses are rendered obsolete by raw power and that they want to see players forced to use more clubs in their bag than just a driver and a wedge on every hole.

What many don't realize is that that style of golf is already happening every single week on the women's tour.

Watching female professionals navigate a championship course is a masterclass in course management, tempo, and tactical plotting. You get to watch full-bag artistry on display, where strategic positioning, mid-iron accuracy, and fairway wood play matter just as much as distance.

Realistic Equipment Blueprint

This logic extends directly to the equipment in your bag. Far too many club golfers spend hours lusting after the ‘TX Flex’ shafts and ultra-low-spinning driver heads found in PGA Tour bags.

In reality, looking at the equipment specs that women professionals use will be far more beneficial for your scorecard. They maximize launch efficiency, optimize spin rates, and often lean into high-lofted woods, hybrids, and forgiving irons that actually make the game easier - and more fun - to play.

Settle In This Weekend

As the action gets underway at Royal Lytham & St Annes this week, do yourself and your game a favor. Pour yourself a drink, sit back, and appreciate the finest ball-strikers on the planet. You might just learn something that transforms your next weekend round.

Distance isn’t the be-all-and-end-all. However, if you can crunch a drive over the 300-yard mark, it doesn’t half make the game a lot easier.

That’s if you can find the fairway, of course - big drives are quite damaging if they end up going sideways into hip-high rough.

For this article, we’re going to focus on those players who currently lead the way in average driving distance off the tee*.

However, we obviously can’t ignore the fact that accuracy is crucial - so we’ve also listed where these players rank in driving accuracy.

If you’re searching for more distance, perhaps this will encourage you to invest in a new driver - possible one of the best drivers for distance.

We can’t guarantee that Aldrich Potgieter’s PXG Lightning Tour will get you anywhere near the South African's 330-yard average, but you could add a few extra yards…

* Stats taken after the John Deere Classic (July 5th)

If you’re wondering where Rory McIlroy is, the Northern Irishman’s stats don’t currently appear on the PGA Tour’s ranking lists because he hasn’t played in enough tournaments this season.

Had he done so, there’s no doubt he’d be somewhere near the top of the list, given that last season he averaged 323 yards off the tee (ranked 2nd in 2025).

McIlroy, of course, is well known for his driving prowess - and he's currently gaming the TaylorMade Qi4D driver.

Of the 22 players on the list (three players averaged 313.2 yards off the tee at the time), six were using Titleist models, followed by Callaway (five) and TaylorMade (four).

Interestingly, none of the players using Titleist drivers on the list have moved into the latest models since the list was put together, the GTS range.

However, that's not to say this hasn't changed since, and it's probably safe to say that a fair few will make the transition at some stage, possible during the 'off season'.

It also shows just how popular the Titleist GT3 driver was (and still is).

Released in August 2024, this was the model that sat in the middle of the GT range in terms of spin and forgiveness, and offered golfers the most adjustability.

It's not unusual for previous models to be played on tour, even when drivers become several generations old.

Take PGA champion Aaron Rai, for example, who's still gaming the TaylorMade M6 driver, which was released in 2019.

Although not many players would stick by an old favorite for quite this long, the fact that there are so many previous generation models on the list tells you that the performance from one iteration to the next is usually fairly minimal.

You don’t need to drop $600 on a brand new driver or $1,200 on a fresh set of irons to make a tangible improvement to your scorecard. While shiny new releases get all the headline attention, golf’s best performance tweaks can often come in small, inexpensive packages.

With just a modest budget, you can alter flight patterns, dial in alignment, and maximize greenside control. Here are five simple equipment quick fixes that cost under $30 and should deliver instant results on the course.

1. Midsize or Jumbo Grips ($15–$25)

If you struggle with clubface control, or even excessive grip pressure, switching to a thicker grip can be one of the fastest fixes in golf. Upgrading to a Midsize or Jumbo grip - or simply building up your existing setup with extra wraps of tape - can dramatically increase clubface awareness for the right player.

The larger diameter can also encourage lighter hand pressure, promoting a smoother hand action and freer release. Think about it: what other sport do we play where a grip isn’t much thicker than the average plumbing pipe? Baseball, cricket, hockey, lacrosse… the list goes on.

Take a leaf out of Bryson’s book and test some larger grips for yourself - you might just be surprised.

2. Lead Tape ($15)

Tour pros have relied on lead tape for decades, and it remains the ultimate low-tech tuning tool. Adding a strip or two to the heel of your driver can move CG and encourage the toe to release faster to fight a slice; applying it to the toe can provide the opposite to tame a hook.

You can also apply lead tape to the back of a wedge or putter head to increase swing weight, giving many players far better feel and head awareness throughout your stroke - all fully adjustable and completely reversible.

3. Ball Alignment Stencil ($15)

Bad putting often starts before you even take the putter back.

Using a dedicated stencil tool allows you to draw clean, precise lines onto your golf ball to give you the ultimate visual reference point. By locking that line onto your target line at address, you completely remove the visual ambiguity of where you are aiming.

It can build instant confidence if done well, but make sure to invest some time into practicing the alignment process - not everyone can do it well.

4. Club Scrubber ($20)

Dirt, mud, and sand trapped inside your grooves act as a lubricant, reducing friction and turning crisp iron and pitch shots into unpredictable, low-spinning flyers.

A retractable club scrubber equipped with a built-in water reservoir and nylon/brass bristles cleans dirty clubfaces in seconds. Restoring clean, sharp grooves ensures maximum spin retention, giving you predictable carry distances and maximum stopping power on greens.

5. Foot Powder / Impact Spray ($10-$15)

You can’t fix a poor strike until you know precisely where you are making contact.

A quick spritz of aerosol foot powder spray or dry shampoo (or even specialized golf impact spray) onto your clubface leaves a temporary white film that instantly records your ball mark upon impact.

Whether you are secretly striking it out of the toe, heel, or high on the face, this sub-£10 diagnostic hack gives you immediate, visual feedback so you can adjust your setup accordingly.

Have you tried any of these already? Let us know in the comments how well they worked for you.

There's a particular kind of experience in golf that I don't think gets talked about enough.It's not the experience of being a beginner, who has fallen in love with a game that feels so hard. That’s expected. You're learning and everything is overwhelming at first.

It’s the experience – and pain – of the golfer who knows what good feels like, they’ve played it, they’ve seen it come to life on the course. But now they can't seem to find it.

The golfer who is carding scores above their handicap. Who’s watching shots go sideways that used to be automatic. Who’s walking off the 18th not only feeling disappointed but dejected again – and they don’t know why.

So you commit to trying harder, to getting out of “this” rut. And that’s where the spiral sets in and comes with a particular cruelty because the harder you try to stop it, the tighter it tends to grip.

I know what that feels like. As a low single-figure golfer, there isn't much margin. Every dropped shot feels like a shove backwards. Every bad round lands hard.

And the pressure that builds – not from anyone else, just from yourself, from the gap between where you are and where you think you should be – can create a nervousness before you've even reached the first tee.

When you’re in that spiral, the key is breaking the pattern, so you can find your way back to the golfer you know you are.

Having been there and learned what works and what doesn’t, here’s where I would start.

Spot The difference

Before you rush to the range to try and find your swing, dig into what's actually happening on the course.

Not to dwell in a what-went-wrong way. More like a curious detective. Think about your last round and compare the holes where you played well to the holes where it fell apart. Look for the difference between your good and the not-so-good.

This isn’t just about your scores – it’s your process, your thoughts, how you were feeling. Where was your mind on the tee? How quickly did you recover from a bad shot? Were you playing the shot in front of you or replaying the one you messed up three holes ago?

There's often a pattern to be pulled out. You're looking for what worked – not just what didn't. Because somewhere in those rounds, even the difficult ones, you hit shots that reminded you what your game is capable of.

Can/Can't Control List

This is something I’ve come to realise: you can’t get rid of nerves. I don’t think we can even control whether we feel them or not. Experience, preparation or positive thinking won’t make them disappear – and trying to not feel them is a losing battle. But the truth is, nerves aren't the problem. It's what we do with them.

Before your next round, draw a line down the middle of a page. On one side: list everything you can't control. The weather. The pace of play. Whether your opponent is having a cracker or a nightmare of a round. Whether your handicap goes up or down.On the other side: list everything you can. Your breath. Your routine. Your shot selection. Where your focus goes. How you react after a bad shot or hole.

That second list might be shorter but it's the only list that matters. Most of the anxiety spiral lives in the first list. We spend an enormous amount of energy worrying about outcomes we have no control over. And that energy gets taken away from what we can.

When the nerves arrive before a competition, they're not a warning sign. They're just a signal you care. What matters is what you do with your breath, your focus, your strategy.

Play The Hole, Not Your Expectations

This has been a big shift for me and I’ll be honest, it’s a recent one. It’s about playing the course, not yourself or the high standards you set.

When you're in a confidence spiral, there's a version of every hole playing out in your head – the hole you should be able to play. The shot you should be hitting. The par you should be making. And the moment reality diverges from that version, that expectation, it throws us.

What if you played the hole in front of you instead, with the game you have in that moment?

Not the hole your handicap suggests you “should” play. Not the way you played the hole when you birdied it. This hole, today, with the lie you've got, conditions at play and options available to you.

Bad shots happen. They happen to scratch golfers, to tour pros, to every golfer who has ever played. The question isn't whether you'll hit a bad shot – it's what you do next. And what you do next requires your mind to be on creative ideas, not beating yourself up for what just happened.

Let Go Of The Shoulds

“I should be playing better than this. I should be cutting my handicap. I shouldn't be hitting shots like that,”

Shoulds are confidence killers. They take the present moment – where your game actually is – and measure it against an imagined standard. One that you might never reach. Not because you’re not capable but because when you get close, you move the goalposts anyway.

A rough patch isn’t permanent but it is real. And it’s challenging enough to wade through without the weight of your own expectations adding to the effort.

Dropping the shoulds doesn't mean lowering your standards or your goals. It means playing with what you have that day rather than resisting it.

Start With One Thing

When your game feels like it's unravelling, the temptation is to fix everything, so you arrive at the range with a list of things to work on. But the issue isn’t your range game, it’s what shows up on the course.

You know you can swing it well but there’s something stopping it from coming out when it counts. So pick one thing – one small, specific mental game strategy you can stick to in your next round.

Maybe it's committing to your pre-shot routine on every shot. Maybe it’s easing your grip pressure or swinging with a smooth tempo. Maybe it's playing one shot at a time without thinking about your scorecard.

Small, specific, achievable. And when you do it – when you get to the 18th and realise you actually held to that one thing – you've given yourself something. A small piece of evidence that you can control something.

That's how confidence gets rebuilt. Not in one breakthrough round but stacking the small things.

And remember, your game isn't gone. It's still in there, which means you can find it again. The work right now isn't technical. It's about creating the conditions where your game can come back to you, instead of gripping so hard for it that you squeeze it further away.

Follow Jess’ golf journey on Instagram.

Tour professionals can often be seen marking up a new ball - not because they’ve lost one, but usually because they don’t like to see even the tiniest of blemishes.

Some tour pros are also very superstitious. Ernie Els, for example, used to discard his golf ball immediately after making a birdie, as he believed every golf ball only contained one of those.

Expensive stuff, although maybe not for the average club golfer (author included).

Club golfers don’t tend to have an army of young fans waiting between holes trying to grab a ball, either - we like to play with our Titleist Pro V1 for as long as possible (saves a bit of money in the long run).

However, let’s just say you had an endless supply of golf balls (pretty much like the top players do). How often should you change your golf ball?

The answer may surprise you. You might think that it’s necessary to put new ammo into play every time a small scuff mark appears.

However, the best golf balls are not made in the same way as they were in the 1980s (remember the old Titleist Tour Balata?).

In recent years, golf ball manufacturers have drastically improved durability, which means they’re generally able to withstand all the various poor strikes, such as those horrible thins that leave your fingers numb.

A combination of improved paint finishes and more robust construction makes modern golf balls far more resilient, though some are more durable than others (as we often discover in testing).

Of course, there will be times when it’s necessary to retire your golf ball to the shag bag: abrasive pathways (the concrete type), roads, stones, rocks, trees, tree roots, and clubhouses (try to avoid those) can crack the exterior and affect performance.

Still, we advise wiping your golf ball with a wet towel or using a ball washer whenever a scuff mark appears, as minor blemishes are generally not grounds to put a new one into play.

If you are concerned about whether the flight will be affected or it won’t run true on the greens, hold the ball up to see whether you can see any change in shape - it will usually be fairly obvious whether it’s behaving strangely in the air or on the putting surfaces.

However, it is time for change when cut marks appear. We’ve all seen one of these before, and although it can be hard to say goodbye to an otherwise fresh-looking ball, a change is the right decision.

“The moment I can feel a scuff or scrape on the ball from a wedge shot or cart path or tree, I immediately take it out of play, because even minor aerodynamic imperfections will compromise your spin rates and distance control,” says Sam De’Ath, Golf Monthly’s golf ball guru.

“After seeing how precisely golf balls are made and understanding how tight the tolerances are, I've seen how just a coat of paint thinner than a human hair can affect ball flight up to 80 yards.

“I can only warn those golfers who continue to play with significant cuts and damage to their golf ball that this has major implications on the ball's flight.”

Sometimes, it’ll be the wedges that cause the damage. The sharp grooves combined with the time the ball stays on the face can roughen the surface - although it’s usually contact with those abrasive surfaces that causes deeper scuffs and cuts.

In short, there’s no hard and fast rule as to how often you should change your golf ball - rather, it’s a case of monitoring the performance after a scuff or two appears. Generally, a golf ball under normal use during the course of a round should last 18 holes at least. Some can even go 36 holes or more, it varies by brand and what the ball is put through.

Usually, it will be fairly obvious when you need to open a new sleeve of balls - just watch how the ball rolls on the greens. General discoloration or minor scuffs should have little impact, but any major cuts or changes in shape require an immediate switch.

If you go in lots of bunkers, trees or find the occasional cart path, it could be more like every 6 or 9 holes when you need to switch. It's worth pointing out that premium balls with softer urethane covers will tend to scuff more easily that distance balls that feature covers made of surlyn.

Amateur golfers can use any make and model of ball to start any hole (which can be used to your advantage). But only in specific circumstances are you able to switch ball during the play of a hole. The Rules of Golf state:

"You may only substitute another ball (by replacing it on the original spot) if it can be clearly seen that your original ball is cut or cracked and this damage happened during the hole you are playing – but not if it is only scratched or scraped or its paint is only damaged or discolored."

So there you have it. If, like Sam, you play at a high level, you may notice the small changes in performance and decide that it’s best to tee up a new ball.

Ahead of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, we caught up with 2004 champion Karen Stupples. Since lifting the trophy at Sunningdale, Englishwoman Stupples has transitioned seamlessly from a tour player to one of the most respected voices in golf broadcasting.

Now based in the US, where she serves as an on-course reporter and analyst, Stupples reflects on the financial evolution of the LPGA, the need for more shot-tracking analytics, the British talent pushing the game forward, and what it’s really like calling golf’s biggest moments from inside the ropes.

You experienced a full spectrum in your career, from the early lean years to becoming a Major champion. What are your thoughts on today’s game and the purses the players are competing for?

When it comes to the increase in purses, I 100 percent would have loved to be playing for that kind of money when I was competing! But I’m also extremely grateful for what I did play for. It gave me, my son, and my family a great life.

However, the players today have so much more at their fingertips, not just the purses, but the facilities, the golf courses, the fitness trailers, the physios. There are a lot of good things happening on tour right now, and I feel proud that, as a women’s sporting organisation, we can provide this for today's players.

Looking past the big headline numbers, is it still a financial grind for players outside the top 50?

If you look at someone finishing 80th on the money list, keeping their playing card, they might gross around $340,000. On paper, you’d think you could make a decent living on that. Obviously, you have caddie fees, percentages for coaches, flights, and hotels coming out of it.

It depends on how you manage your lifestyle, but it’s a solid baseline. There will always be players who struggle to make the numbers work, but if you’re keeping your card, you should be able to make a living.

When I played, the reality was simple: you had to make money to pay your bills and stay out there. That financial pressure drove you to keep improving. I knew, for instance, that I had to rebuild my swing if I wanted to stay on tour and be competitive.

How did you go about making those structural changes to your game?

I found a coach in America, Chip Koehlke, down at the Faldo Golf Institute in Orlando. Coming from the UK, I had a low draw, a ball flight that simply wasn't going to make me much money on American courses.

We reworked my swing, focusing heavily on getting my backswing more on plane. It took about a year, but throughout that process, I managed to play well enough to keep my card. Combined with physical training and working with a sports psychologist, Martha Cobo, it took me from being a journeyman pro to someone regularly contending in the top 20 or top 30 on the money list.

I started working with Chip in 2001, built up my consistency through 2003, and then opened 2004 with a win before winning the Women’s Open at Sunningdale later that summer.

If you had access to modern launch monitors and club technology during your prime, would it have made a dramatic difference?

Absolutely. I invested in a Garmin unit recently just to mess around with, and it completely revolutionised how I view practice. Suddenly, I knew my exact carry numbers, my spin rates, and how to maximise my launch off the driver. You can optimise equipment on a level we simply didn't have access to back then.

In my day, having a Bushnell laser was considered revolutionary because you didn't have to pace out every yardage from a sprinkler head! But for wedge distances, I still had to hit endless shots, pacing out a 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock, and 11 o’clock swing, just to calculate carry. Today, players hit a ball and the exact data pops up instantly on a screen. You can dial performance in to an incredible degree.

You’ve lived in the United States for a long time now. What do you miss most about home in the UK?

Family, first and foremost. British bacon is right up there, too! I miss pub beer gardens, the countryside, and just the general familiarity of home - supermarkets, certain smells, even the way washing detergent smells in the UK. It reminds you of growing up. I definitely don’t miss driving down tiny country lanes, small parking spaces, or tiny showers, though!

Tell us about your son, Logan. Was he ever tempted to follow in your footsteps into golf?

He’s 19 now and plays college baseball. Golf was always an option for him, he had a set of clubs and could go whenever he wanted, but he never asked to play, and I never pushed it. Golf is hard enough without feeling forced into it.

He fell in love with baseball, grew to 6-foot-2, and progressed really well as a hitter. He’s also incredibly mathematically inclined. Finding a university where he could play baseball while studying aerospace engineering was a challenge, but he ended up at Illinois Tech in Chicago. He’s building rockets, he launched his first one in his first semester, and he’s on track to finish his master’s degree in fluid dynamics alongside his bachelor's. I couldn't be prouder of him.

You were one of only a few Englishwomen to win a Major when you triumphed in 2004. What are your thoughts on the current crop of British talent?

Georgia Hall won in 2018, of course, and Charley Hull is remarkably talented. Charley has put herself in contention at Majors multiple times now and is so close to getting over the line - she’s been a little unlucky not to have won one already. A golf course that inspires her creativity is always going to be a playground for her.

Then you look at the newer wave coming through. Lottie Woad has the mental discipline and power to reach world number one, Mimi Rhodes has already shown serious winning pedigree, and players like Caley McGinty are coming through the ranks. It’s a very exciting, dynamic time for English golf.

As an on-course reporter, can you feel when a momentum shift or a collapse is about to happen before the viewers at home spot it?

Yes, because I still feel it as if it’s me playing the shot. So, when I’m out walking with a group, I feel it as though I were standing over the ball myself. If I feel a bit nervous, I know they’re feeling a bit nervous. You can see when a shot is dicey or tough. Or maybe it's a piece of cake and I’d feel very comfortable hitting a chip or a putt. I think it puts me in a good position because I can still recall the exact feeling I had when I played. It’s never left me.

How did you make the transition from player to broadcaster? Did you have a mentor starting out?

In television, you generally get thrown in at the deep end to see if you sink or swim! I did some radio for the BBC right after my son was born in 2007, which I loved. But around 2013, as my playing career was winding down, I started shadowing the Golf Channel team.

I spent time in the trucks, in the booth, and walked the course watching people like Judy Rankin and Jerry Foltz. Judy was fantastic, and Jerry was a brilliant guide on the ground. Without their advice and support early on, I wouldn't be doing what I do today. It’s a competitive industry, but having diverse female voices in golf broadcasting is crucial. We see and articulate the game through a slightly different lens, which makes the coverage richer for everyone.

Can you recall a memorable hiccup or embarrassing moment from your time covering the tour?

Oh, I’ve had a few! But my most embarrassing moment happened covering the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty International, following Charley Hoffman in his match against Jason Day.

Charley hit a shot down toward a fairway bunker, and because the guys hit the ball such an extraordinary distance, I was hustling down the course to walk the number off. As I approached the bunker, I looked down and realised I had just physically kicked Charley Hoffman’s ball!

The rules official asked if I knew where it originally lay, so I pointed to the absolute best lie I could possibly find. Charley just laughed his head off—he thought it was hilarious. I’m still thoroughly embarrassed about it to this day, but America won the Cup, so no harm done!

Do you prefer being out on the course or working in the booth?

I love being on-course because you're right in the heart of the action feeling that adrenaline. On the ground, you have to create a visual for the viewer purely through what you're hearing and seeing in real time. Studio and booth work allow you to delve deeper into the analytical nitty-gritty, but walking inside the ropes lets you have fun and convey the raw emotion of the tournament as it unfolds.

If you were commissioner of the LPGA, what would be your top priority for the women's game?

My immediate priority would be finding ways to get more ‘bums in seats’ at events, getting more spectators on site. These players deserve to be watched in person. Seeing women's golf live can inspire an entire generation of young boys and girls, and we need to use local TV and media to really push community awareness when a tournament comes to town.

However, the single biggest thing we could possibly implement, which requires an extraordinary amount of money, would be a comprehensive shot-tracking system like ShotLink.

Modern fans digest sports through an analytical lens. On the PGA Tour, you have indisputable facts, figures, and data for every single shot. As reporters and journalists, that data allows you to back up stories, analyse trends, and quantitatively prove just how extraordinarily talented these players are. Right now, without that data, fewer stories are written about women’s golf because reporters simply don't have the factual numbers to rely on.

Is the lack of shot-tracking technology simply down to the financial gap between women’s and men’s golf?

The LPGA is an organisation that makes the absolute most out of very little. Commissioners like Mike Whan and Craig Kessler maximise every resource. Think of it like running a household: if you have a budget, you spend money to keep the lights on and put food on the table. You don't spend it on a flashy car or a brand-new phone every year. The LPGA is a "keep the lights on, put food on the table" organisation, whereas the PGA Tour operates more like, "Let's buy a Bentley and get the newest iPhone as soon as it comes out." That's the commercial reality.

Finally, are we ever going to see you back with a peg in the ground in competitive golf?

Potentially! I’ve had thoughts about preparing for the US Senior Women’s Open in 2027. We’ll see, but the itch to play competitive golf again is definitely there.

Like a lot of golfers, I have an unnecessarily large collection of golf gear in the garage, stuff that I have stockpiled over the years. I’m not a hoarder, but I do find certain items of golf equipment hard to part with.

Mainly, it’s gloves. I think it’s that beautiful, soft cabretta leather - they’re just too hard to bin even when they’re well past their best-before date.

Earlier this year, it became clear that a springtime clean was required. It shouldn’t have taken long - a quick skip run with old shoes, balls, caps, and several battered wedges - but I ended up spending an unhealthy amount of time sifting through a box of accessories.

It was all the old ball markers, pencils, and pitch mark repairers that caused the delay. And tees. Hundreds and hundreds of tees.

I spent the next hour remembering some wonderful trips to Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Links, Southerness, Dumbarnie Links, Woburn, and The Berkshire.

I stopped short of separating all the different types into separate boxes, but it did get me thinking: is there such a thing as a best golf tee?

Given what I found in my collection, I’d have to say the answer to that question is yes. Drum roll, please. My definitive ranking of the best golf tees is as follows…

7. Plastic tees

Get rid of them all - the long ones, the little short ones, the oversized ones, the stepped ones. If golf clubs can phase out plastic water bottles, why can’t plastic golf tees be banned?

Plastic tees don’t break down naturally and have a damaging impact on the environment over time - plus they can damage expensive greenkeeping equipment.

6. Pyramid stringed tees

Mixed feelings here. I’d struggle not to poke fun at someone using one of these. They’re impossible to break/lose, but, for me, it says, ‘I’m not spending any money in the pro shop buying tees.’

On the other hand, club golfers know they don't have to worry about teeing the ball up at the correct height for each club - and that can be especially helpful if you’re a beginner.

They can actually be quite useful in the winter, too, if you’re off mats or the ground is so hard that it’s impossible to get a tee into.

5. Pink plastic castle tees

I’ll allow plastic pink castle tees only because they’re much-loved by one or two of the senior golfers I play with (they also remind me of my late grandfather, who’d get quite upset if he ever lost one off the tee).

I know a lot of golfers like them because they are the perfect height for the driver, and they’re easy to line up with the center of the face. They've even seen success on tour with Aaron Rai picking up his first major using one.

However, they’re not much use if you want to vary your shot trajectory, which is one of the reasons most other tour players don’t use them.

Some would say they look amateurish, too. Is that fair?

4. Performance tees

Ok, maybe not all plastic tees are bad. Some are made with environmentally friendly materials, a durable plastic design, and a pronged head that makes it easier to place the ball on the tee.

We’re often told that these tees increase accuracy and help produce greater distance from the driver. I suggest you get yourself on a launch monitor to test that claim.

However, they are incredibly durable. If you suffer from nerves or play a lot in the wind, the stable head design works well, too.

Many brands specialize in producing more robust, ‘performance’ tees. I remain skeptical about the performance benefits, although you may have experienced marginal gains (do leave a comment in the box below).

3. Wooden driving tees

The four-inch ones. Classic. These are best for large, modern drivers, allowing for high launch and optimal carry. No round of golf should start without a good handful of these in your bag.

The longer ones tend to break more easily, but don’t throw them away or put them in the broken tee boxes just yet - they’re still good for iron use.

It must be said that not all wooden tees are environmentally friendly. Most wooden tees are made from slow-growing hardwood trees, which means they’re not a sustainable resource.

2. Bamboo tees

In recent years, there’s been a significant move towards using bamboo tees. Bamboo grows quickly and regenerates naturally, which makes it one of the most sustainable raw materials on the planet.

Now, if you love your pink castle tees and you’re offended by my suggestion that they should be banned, you can actually get yourself bamboo castle tees in various colors.

In fact, you can get bamboo golf tees in pretty much every different length, color, and style - super long driving tees, striped tees, colored tees, retro tees, the list goes on…

1. Club logoed/branded tees

Who doesn’t like grabbing a handful of branded tees? Whether it's St Andrews or your local golf club, there’s something special about a branded tee (I dare say we even have a few collectors out there).

The extra special ones have the club logo on, too. Snapping one of these beauties almost feels like losing a golf ball. Almost.

Let’s say you have one Pebble Beach or Pinehurst tee left in your bag. Are you using it? Of course you’re not - you’re keeping that one safe somewhere.

And that’s why the branded golf tee is ranked number one on this list. Of course, the best golf tee of all will be branded and made from bamboo.

Finding a bunker on the golf course can completely derail my round, turning a potential birdie or par into a double-bogey (or worse) as I hack away at the sand in a futile effort to escape... and I know I am not alone.

I have seen plenty of golfers have a complete nightmare in a bunker, but do you know how adversely your scoring is impacted by finding the sand?

After reviewing the latest 2026 Shot Scope data, we can now reveal just how penal these treacherous traps can be... especially for mid- to high-handicap golfers.

If you want to shoot lower scores and cut your handicap in 2026, it's crucially important to avoid the sand at all costs... or learn how to play bunker shots effectively at the very least...

How Many Shots Do Amateur Golfers Lose When Finding A Bunker?

It turns out that for every ability of golfer, finding a greenside trap has a significant impact on the score at the end of the hole to a similar level.

For a scratch golfer, their score goes up by 0.43 shots on average if their approach shot finds the sand.

A five handicapper (+0.48) and a 10-handicapper (+0.46) see a similar picture when their ball is gobbled up by the greenside bunker, but a 15-handicapper comes off worst - losing half a shot on average each time they find the greenside trap.

Interestingly, perhaps because they are more inclined to miss the green on approach regardless, high-handicap golfers see less of penalty.

A 20-handicap golfer is 0.42 shots worse off each time they find a greenside bunker, while a 25 handicapper averages an increase of 0.41 shots.

Impact Of Finding A Greenside Bunker On Scoring

Average score to par when finding a greenside bunker vs not finding a greenside bunker for amateur golfers of different handicap indexes

Versus Comparison Data

Attribute	Score To Par (No Bunker)	Score To Par (In Bunker)	Difference
0-handicap	0.11	0.54	0.43
5-handicap	0.3	0.78	0.48
10-handicap	0.53	0.99	0.46
15-handicap	0.78	1.23	0.5
20-handicap	1.04	1.46	0.42
25-handicap	1.29	1.7	0.41

Score To Par (No Bunker)Score To Par (In Bunker)Difference

VS

Score To Par (No Bunker)Score To Par (In Bunker)Difference

0-handicap

0.11

0.54+391%

5-handicap

0.3

0.78+160%

10-handicap

0.53

0.99+87%

15-handicap

0.78

1.23+58%

20-handicap

1.04

1.46+40%

25-handicap

1.29

1.7+32%

Greenside bunkers are typically found short or level with the front portion of the green, so a key takeaway is to choose a club that favors the back half of the green to take them out of play.

From a fairway bunker, lower handicap players are far less impacted, whereas higher handicappers really struggle according to the data.

In fact, there is a direct correlation between handicap level and the impact of finding a fairway bunker has on scoring.

Impact Of Finding A Fairway Bunker On Scoring

Average score to par when finding a fairway bunker vs not finding a fairway bunker for amateur golfers of different handicap indexes

Versus Comparison Data

Attribute	0-handicap	5-handicap	10-handicap	15-handicap	20-handicap	25-handicap
Score To Par (No Bunker)	0.15	0.32	0.52	0.74	0.93	1.12
Score To Par (In Bunker)	0.34	0.61	0.88	1.19	1.48	1.75
Difference	0.19	0.29	0.36	0.45	0.55	0.58

0-handicap5-handicap10-handicap15-handicap20-handicap25-handicap

VS

0-handicap5-handicap10-handicap15-handicap20-handicap25-handicap

Score To Par (No Bunker)

0.15

0.32+113%

Score To Par (In Bunker)

0.34

0.61+79%

Difference

0.19

0.29+53%

A scratch golfer's average score only goes up on a hole where they find the fairway bunker by 0.19 shots.

This increases to 0.29 for a five handicapper and 0.36 for a 10 handicapper.

For a 15 handicap golfer, they average a further 0.45 shots each time they find the fairway trap.

A 20 handicapper (+0.55) and a 25 handicapper (0.58) see the most significant penalties for doing so, highlighting the importance of club selection and strategy decisions when hitting tee shots.

In summary, the stats show that everyone, but especially high handicappers, need to take the necessary precautions to avoid the sand or invest time in practicing these tricky shots.

It's July 2017, and Jordan Spieth has just completed a remarkable back nine to win The Open Championship and the third leg of the Career Grand Slam.

The Texan now has a Masters Green Jacket, a US Open trophy and a Claret Jug in his cabinet to become the first man since Jack Nicklaus to win three of the four Majors before his 24th birthday.

It was the 23-year-old's 11th PGA Tour title and his sixth top-two finish in a Major, having become the second-youngest World No.1 after Tiger Woods a couple of years earlier.

He was destined to become one of the all-time greats... but nine full years later he has not added to his Major tally. If you had told any golf fan that back in July 2017, they would have laughed at you.

So, what has happened?

It has been a difficult time for Jordan Spieth on the golf course when you look back at his statistics, with a few telling numbers painting a bleak picture compared with how it once was.

On the face of it, Spieth is now a non-factor in Majors and miles behind the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and the rest of the PGA Tour's elite at the top of the game.

From 2013 to 2017 in his peak years, Spieth won 14 times on the PGA Tour in five seasons, including those three Majors. From 2018 to today, in almost nine full seasons, he has won just twice, with his current trophy drought stretching back well over four years and 1,500 days.

When you look at his Major record, it's fairly bleak now, too, compared with the glory days a decade ago. Spieth managed seven top-four finishes in his first 20 Majors, and then four in his next 35.

He only beat four players in the 156-man Open field last week, which took place back at Royal Birkdale, where he last won on the big stage in 2017. His 10-over-par score was nine shy of the total needed to advance to the weekend.

But it's not all bad.

He started out 2026 with a promising T12 finish at The Masters, his best Major result in three years, and then posted a solid T18 at the PGA Championship - where he made his tenth unsuccessful attempt at completing the career grand slam.

He is inside the top-85 in all the key Strokes Gained metrics this year on the PGA Tour and has only missed three cuts in 19 tournaments. The problem isn't really his golf, as he is doing just fine and is a solid PGA Tour player, it's more the sky-high standards he set when he burst onto the scene.

Golf fans are desperate to see him back on top of the world, winning Majors. But the current reality is very different and it's a fair question to ask if he he'll ever get back, or even close to, where he once was.

His big MC at Birkdale leaves him 55th in the FedExCup, which is currently well shy of reaching the FedExCup Play-offs finale at East Lake for the third consecutive year. He does have plenty of time to make it to the top 50, though.

The top 50 is crucial on the PGA Tour, as that gets you into the PGA Tour's $20m Signature Events - although Spieth has been receiving plenty of sponsor's invitations into them in recent seasons due to his stature in the game.

He is still one of the biggest names in the sport and attracts huge fan interest and adoration. He is a fantastic ambassador for the game, one of the most entertaining players to watch and he always carries a big crowd.

Will he ever be the same player he once was, though? Prior to the 154th Open he sounded confident, but he was hardly going to answer the question with 'no.'

"I feel like I have a lot of great golf in front of me. I feel like I'm way more optimistic than I've been at a lot of different points in my career," he said.

"I'm quite frustrated with the results considering I know where my game is at. It's better than it was four or five years ago when I got back to top 10 in the world. It's without a doubt better than it was then; it's just not quite showing up in results.

"Knowing me, when the lid pops off the hole, I feel like I can go on a run about as hot as anybody can run. So I'm just waiting for that opportunity."

It's on the greens where he made his name, with his sensational form with the flat stick during his pomp widely considered to have put him among the greatest putters of all time.

But he hasn't managed to keep it up.

He ranked 2nd in Strokes Gained: Putting in 2016 and 2019 on the PGA Tour, but he has been outside of the top 100 three times since and cameras regularly cut to him missing short ones.

He recently three-putted from four-feet during the 2026 Open and, as agonizing it was to watch, there can't have been many fans overly surprised to witness it.

From a steely, world-beating putter a decade ago, he has looked surprisingly vulnerable when wielding his Scotty Cameron in recent times.

And just as his putting falls off, another part of his game rises up. It's a real 'spinning plates' kind of scenario when you dig into his stats.

He has never had a consistent weakness, but he consistently has at least one weakness each year.

When he was 2nd in Putting in 2016, he was 88th in Approach. When he was again 2nd in Putting in 2019, he was 157th tee-to-green, 176th off the tee and 145th in approach.

When he was 6th around the greens in 2021, he was down in 135th off the tee, and when his driving finally came back in 2022, to rank 38th, he was back to 155th in putting.

3 potential reasons behind Spieth's struggles

There are a few keys to the story of Spieth's relative demise.

The first, and most important, has to be injuries. It's a common story you see with professional athletes, and Spieth has had his fair share. Most prominently, he has struggled with his left wrist dating back years, which really began to flare up in 2023.

He finally underwent surgery last August and he only really got back to full trust and strength this spring.

So all of these aforementioned stats and results need to be read while acknowledging Spieth may have actually never been fully healthy during those years.

The injury kept him out of the USA's 2024 Presidents Cup side, and he wasn't really considered for the 2025 Ryder Cup team. He looks set to miss out on the Presidents Cup again this year unless he can turn things around quickly.

He also became a father for the first time in 2021, and then again in 2023 and 2025. Having kids and playing at the top level is very doable, but it certainly isn't easy. From 2021, Spieth's golf career was no longer the most important thing in his life.

It certainly makes a difference, as we've seen with the likes of Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who have both not quite lived up to their peaks since becoming fathers.

Spieth has also faced immense competition, with the standard of the PGA Tour arguably stronger than ever.

Since he was winning Majors, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young, Viktor Hovland and many other elite players have emerged as serious contenders. Rory McIlroy has also continued his remarkable longevity at the top of the game.

The numbers certainly don't look good for Spieth and, in truth, we may never see him ruling at the top of the game like we once did. But things change very quickly in sport, and it's highly likely that we'll at least see him winning again on the PGA Tour in the not-too-distant future.

He is clearly an incredibly talented player and his peers note how hard he works, so it is surely only a matter of time before things match up for four tournament rounds again.

If or when he does get that next PGA Tour victory under his belt, which would be his 14th, we could then see him pick up confidence and go on another run. Either way, seeing Spieth back in the winners' circle will be a great day for the game.

He is still only 32 so he has another decade-plus at the top of the game. The Spieth story, as always, is going to be an entertaining one to follow.

What is your take on Jordan Spieth's current form and standing in the sport? I'd be interested to hear your view in the comments section below.

Knowledge is a wonderful thing and it can 100% enhance our lives and our golf games. But when golfers go ‘fishing’ on YouTube for the secret move that will turn them into the best golfers ever, a red flag goes up.

Every other new pupil I meet starts the conversation with, “I always go on YouTube and I’ve tried everything.” Often we spend the lesson almost Etch A Sketching their minds to try and gather focus. Then we work on what is specifically applicable to them as golfers and human beings.

Why isn’t the cure for your slice (along with the 14million other golfers) working? YouTube doesn’t get to the root cause of a problem. Your lower back issues and poor posture haven’t been addressed.

Instead, it’s straight in with how to cure an out-to-in swing path. You’re doing all the drills and still shouting “Fore!” I’m sad to say, you’ll continue to shout and your back will likely get worse because at no point has someone told you to warm up properly to inject some athletic posture into your set up to enable your bigger muscles to get involved.

I learn so much about a pupil by talking a lot at the start of a lesson. Asking all the right questions and learning what makes them tick. Then and only then do we hatch a plan to get to root causes and ensure the golfer knows why they have an issue. We formulate a personalised action plan to get them back on track and none of this involves watching any more YouTube videos other than those specific to them.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s some brilliant content and lessons to be learnt online, but none of it is taking into account who you are and what you're physically capable of. These are the 5 most dangerous lessons that golfers glean from trawling through hours of YouTube videos.

Information Overload

Have you tried tapping your head and rubbing your stomach? Well add another 3 or 4 activities into this and then try hitting a golf ball. That is what so many golfers try to do! Adding more information to a brain that is already bleary with theory is a recipe for absolute disaster.

We need a quiet mind and minimal tension to consistently strike the golf ball. This is never going to happen if you are thinking and doing. This is why lessons are so important. Even those golfers who earwig into lessons someone else is having on the range, suffer with adding yet another move or swing thought. Often it’s something that exasperates existing swing faults and sends their golf further into despair.

No.1 rule - focus on yourself and your own problems. A lesson with a PGA pro is the only way you’re going to get your game back on track. Whether it’s an online or in-person lesson, find a coach you gel with and who is happy to work with the game you already have. People have many layers, so a coach who can peel back your golf game like peeling an onion, will achieve results with minimal brain ache.

Get The X-Factor

Attempting to create coil and torque as if you were as flexible as Nelly Korda is often a waste of effort. Golfers who mainly use their arms in the golf swing do so for good reason. They’re stiff as boards and have little or no rotational capacity (or haven’t unlocked it). The arm swing and sometimes overswing is their body’s attempt to create power. Thinking of turning more when you have back problems won’t do you any favours and it’s important that this is supervised by a qualified coach.

Unless you practice yoga every day and are as bendy as the likes of Rory McIlroy, then trying to keep your hips still and turn your upper body against them will likely cause further issues. Yet so many videos talk about the bigger the X factor the further you’ll hit it. I've had pupils who are baffled that they can’t hit the ball further when they can’t touch their toes or see over their right shoulder because of tight hamstrings and a stiff back.

Obsessed About Your Ps 

Golfers who are obsessive about their takeaway often begin to watch their arms go back and they start to sway to a point where they rarely return to a decent impact position.

An obsession with perfect positions in the golf swing often causes golfers to lose any kind of natural flow, any talent they have as sportspeople, and being overly mechanical about the swing. They become obsessed with checking each position and frustrated when they don’t get the results of flushing their irons the videos promised.

You need someone to take you through drills that will help you get into better positions without having to think too hard about it. The way we all learn varies and you’ll need fixes that suit you. The last thing you need to be doing is striding out in a monthly medal and stressing over whether your left arm is straight when you’re in P3.

So stop obsessing over whether your Ps are correct, you don’t need to regurgitate a text book out there, just relax. If you get so obsessed with takeaway and backswing, often by the time it comes to extending through the ball, there isn’t the energy or brainpower at impact, causing a player to hit at the ball rather than swinging through.

Golfers chase smash factor, a faster swing speed and those perfect numbers. You can’t have it all and often chasing these things to the extreme can have detrimental effects on your game. Get to the root cause of your problems and let your technique grow from there with the help of your coach. The great numbers will follow.

Keep Your Head Still And Down

This is something golfers often assume is the reason they aren’t playing well. A fellow golfer has no doubt told them they need to have a lesson and they’ve responded by saying, “It’s ok, I’ve checked online and I just need to keep my head down.”

Eyes on the ball for a little longer will help, but a completely still head will stop you using your bigger muscles, as many golfers haven’t got the flexibility to rotate around a point. A little lateral movement will help engage the sequence of movement we need to generate power.

The other advice of, “head down,” often sees chins tucked into golfers’ chests and locking out rotation, so arms go crazy and inconsistency rules. If you’re a golfer striving for that stack and tilt action. please go and see a pro in person. You may save your back from all sorts of pressure and realise this isn’t the route for you.

Moving Ball Position

This is a danger, as moving the ball position affects your shoulder alignment and often sees golfers who aren’t as fit or as talented as tour pros duff it. Especially after watching the Open Championship on the stunning links at Royal Birkdale, many players moved the ball back in the wind to achieve a downward strike and keep the ball flight low for crisp iron shots.

This can make golfers too steep on their downswing. It can also cause injury with thinned and fat shots. So beware the copy cat syndrome. Just because you’ve got Open fever, don’t move your ball too far back before consulting your coach first.

The flop shot is another one that’s marvelled at online. Players open the face on their lob wedges, move the ball way forward in their stances and somehow expect to just slide the club underneath.

This often results in a very poor hit and a bumper score. Don’t try and hit it like the pros, as this is risky. They practice for hours every day and have a brilliant technique. Keep it simple, ball in the middle, weight forward and a shorter swing with your most lofted wedge. Get the basics right before getting fancy.

There are so many other areas that golfers dive into within YouTube. Constantly adding more information and complication. You can learn so much that’s true, but how much is too much? Have a lesson with a pro and let them advise you of some of the best YouTubers to follow who do keep it simple and who can compliment what you’ve been working on within your lessons.

When Nick Williams took the head pro job at St Enodoc Golf Club in Cornwall, Ronald Reagan had recently been sworn in as US President, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer had just announced their engagement and forthcoming marriage and Tom Watson was about to win The Masters… Get the picture? It was a while ago!

If you can’t get it from the clues, Nick moved into the role as St Enodoc’s head professional in early 1981. Now, after 45 years in the position, he is stepping down and will officially retire in October.

Nick’s has been an incredible career and he has seen both St Enodoc Golf Club and the role of the club professional change significantly during the last five decades.

I had the chance to speak with Nick to find out more about his time at the famous Cornish club, to hear about the highlights and the challenges of his career and to find out what he plans to do next.

How did you come to take the job at St Enodoc?

I started on the 16^th of March 1981. I had been the head teaching pro at St Mellion. I was just 24 at the time. A couple of the members at St Enodoc used to come for coaching and they encouraged me to apply for the head pro job at their club.

It had come up as another long-serving St Enodoc professional, Ernie Goodman, was stepping down (Goodman was head pro from 1956 to 1981).

I came for an interview and after discussions they decided the job was mine.

What was the club like then?

I wondered what I’d got myself in for at first. It was all rather old-fashioned. Lots of Brigadiers and Colonels. Not much golf was played. They probably played more bridge! A medal competition would only get about 10 entrants.

It was the 1980s but the club was still in the 1950s or 60s. They didn’t really think about the commercial side of things – I remember asking the secretary about the annual take on green fees – He didn’t know the answer.

It was quite a shock coming from St Mellion which was a far more business-like set-up.

And how has it changed?

When I came in, I wanted to help move the club forwards. To start coaching and bringing youngsters into the fold.

It was quite a challenge as there wasn’t the infrastructure here. I had multiple responsibilities and one of them was to look after course set-up – decide on the pins, sort out the standard scratch, that sort of thing. There was a lot to do.

But gradually we started to see younger people joining the club. Committees changed, people died. As with everything, things changed and moved on.

It's gone from a little committee run club to a managed situation where it’s run commercially.

But the course will never change. We are just custodians of the golf course, and it will always be there – it is so natural.

And St Enodoc became popular with visitors. How did that evolve?

I think the rise in interest and visitor numbers was as a direct result of improvements to the course that took place in the early 80s.

When I started, it was a lovely little course on the Cornwall coast, but it wasn’t well known. Only the members and the regular holidaymakers to the area knew about it.

But we got a great new greenkeeper in Stuart Diamond and he did an excellent job. Peter McEvoy came and oversaw alterations, and the layout was turned into a highly playable, competition-worthy one.

The condition improved and people started to take note. The committee began to see the benefits of attracting visitors. It enabled them to subsidise the membership and keep annual subscriptions low.

The course continued to be improved upon, and visitor numbers increased. More people became aware of St Enodoc and the process continued that way.

What have you enjoyed most, and found most rewarding about your time as pro at St Enodoc?

I think the most rewarding part is I work somewhere everybody wants to come. People come here during the precious time they have away from their city jobs.

I live here all the time. I can walk out of my office and be on the beach within 5 minutes walking my dogs!

And what have been the biggest challenges?

Well, it’s always the business side of things. Encouraging more people to come here, to use the course, to make use of the shop.

40 years ago, the club pro was a jack of all trades. He wore different hats. He had to be a retailer, a coach, a player, an expert on club repairs, a people person and an administrator. There was a lot to do!

Now, a professional is more specialised. Either they are a great fitter, a great player, a great coach or manager. Rarely are they more than one of those things. I think my era of the old-fashioned club professional is dying out.

You don’t see many who run a shop, have a director of golf style role and get through Open qualifying!

As a player, did you have competitive success?

I played in a lot of the local and regional events. I nearly went on the European Tour in the 1980s when I was offered a sponsorship. But I felt it was too risky at that time – prize money was nothing like it is today.

I reckoned I wasn’t quite good enough to beat Seve Ballesteros!

So I played around the region and enjoyed success in pro-ams and local tournaments. I suppose you could say it was like playing in the Championship rather than the Premiership!

I played in Open Final Qualifying in 1991 and narrowly missed out on making it into the field for Royal Birkdale that year.

What are the standout moments when you think back on 45 years at St Enodoc?

I think it’s the people you meet. I’ve met celebrities, film stars – Hugh Grant springs to mind. I’ve met people I would never have spoken to were it not for this job. It’s great in that respect.

I also had the chance to play with Tom Watson which was a highlight.

The general manager Tuck Clagett was good friends with Tom and the five-time Open champ came for a game. We played a round and that was a great honour. He’s a lover of links golf and it was great to see him plot his way round this course.

But, generally speaking, I’ve just loved meeting and getting to know the members. Going away with them to play in pro-ams or to Portugal or Spain for instance. I have great memories from those trips.

One of my favourite memories is playing in the Magnolia Cup over in Atlanta. It’s a sort of Ryder Cup between club pros from here and the USA. I was captain of the West of England golf association at that point. We played Peach Tree, East Lake, Atlanta Country Club – That was special.

What is it that makes St Enodoc such a special place to play and simply to visit?

Its natural beauty. The course has been redesigned several times, but really – the James Braid layout is still there. He used all the natural features of the area.

A lot of courses look manufactured these days. But you come to St Enodoc and it's so natural running beside the estuary and then looking out to sea. The views are just fantastic and on a nice sunny day, there's not a better place in the world.

It’s been a wonderful place to work all my life, and I hope to keep on enjoying it when I retire.

There are some courses that have a unique character to them – St Andrews or Muirfield for instance, you stand on the first tee and feel something different. St Enodoc has that too. It’s an electrifying place

What are your plans for retirement?

Funnily enough I do things other than golf as well! I’m a keen saltwater fisherman. I have my own little boat and go out fishing on the sea. I really enjoy that.

But I will continue to play golf. In fact, I think I will still play the odd pro-am. We go to Portugal in the winter and I’d like to keep doing that.

I will keep my toes dipped in the golfing water. But I won’t be too sad to be away from the 12 hour days at the golf club!

Overall, I’ll just continue enjoying St Enodoc!

If you spend as much time on the driving range as I do, you know the physical toll it can take on your body. As someone who hits an awful lot of golf balls in my daily work as a club tester, I am no stranger to wear and tear. In particular, I am prone to a little persistent soreness in my right wrist and forearm after long testing sessions.

So, when I had the opportunity to test out the new Golf Pride CP grip at Golf Pride's Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Pinehurst, North Carolina, my aching joints were eager to see if it could deliver real relief on the course.

Noticeable Relief at Impact

I was prompted to write this piece after noticing an immediate and tangible drop in impact shock. Even when hitting off an unforgiving artificial mat - a surface that typically sends sharp vibrations up my forearm - the relief was obvious from the very first shot.

The technical reason behind this comfort is Golf Pride's soft-feel construction. It is engineered to dampen harsh feedback at impact for a significantly cushioned experience, specifically aimed at reducing hand/wrist soreness.

Beyond the shock absorption, I also really liked the soft, tacky nature of the grip in my hands. It is a very different feel to, say, the Tour Velvet grip that I normally lean towards, with a slightly spongier, more cushioned sensation to the touch, but I soon got used to that feeling.

To be fair, if you're looking for raw, unfiltered feedback from every strike, this might not be the grip for you. The C2 excels at muting sensation before it ever reaches your hands. But consider this a public service announcement for anyone who winces before impact, bracing for that unpleasant jolt: the C2 will genuinely help.

Reduced Tension & The Midsize Option

Another smart element I found contributing to wrist relief is the grip's reduced taper design. By engineering a thicker lower hand profile, it naturally promoted a lighter grip pressure for me. Once again, I found this helped eliminate unwanted tension throughout the forearm and wrist during my golf swing.

Pro Tip: Consider going up to the midsize thickness (available alongside the standard size), which could provide even more protection. I often find that simply placing additional material between my hands and the shaft offers even more shock absorption and softens that impact even more.

(Note: The global on-sale date for the Standard model is August 4th, with the Midsize version following shortly after.)

More Than Just a "Medicinal" Grip

Despite what I found to be obvious benefits for my personal aches and pains, it is important to emphasize that by no means is this just a medicinal grip designed solely to aid crocked and battered golfers such as myself.

The Golf Pride CP is a genuinely good, high-performance technical component in its own right. It is a high-spec option for any golfer - regardless of age or injury - who values comfort and softness in their hands every time they step onto the tee.

The Open Championship is always one of the highlights of the summer holidays for my son Hogan. For the past few years I’ve made our trip to the Open a fun start to his summer break by planning a mini adventure for the two of us.

This year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale was undoubtedly one of the best we’ve been to in terms of how much enjoyment Hogan got out of the two practice days we attended. At 12-years-old he’s now of the age where he actually understands the significance of what the players are competing for, to recognise the world’s best players who he watches on TV (and their funny challenges on YouTube) and to really have an appreciation for their skills, as he’s fast becoming a really decent player himself.

Alison Root and Katie Dawkins discuss women's golf fashion 2026 including layering, budget comparisons and latest trends

Playing off a 10-handicap (and coming down) he has a keen eye for technique, which meant that when we were sat in the driving range grandstand watching the players hit balls and then following them for a few holes of their practice rounds, Hogan was able to pick up on the intricacies of shot selection, watching club choices, and bump-and-run options to navigate Birkdale's hard, bouncy links. Sharing that technical appreciation with my 12-year-old son, golfer to golfer, made this trip very special.

In years gone by the main attraction of the tournament for Hogan was always the tented village. He loved taking part in all of the fun games like the Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin contests, and of course the mega Long Putt!

Although he definitely still enjoyed the games, the highlight this time around was the big outdoor skills zone where we got to play ‘real golf’ as he described it, putting on the same style greens as the players and testing out our chipping and short game skills in competition zones.

This interactive element really made his day, I think he thought he was preparing to take part in the Open himself! Regardless of their ability level every kid was having a great time here, you could even get a free bunker lesson from a PGA pro and I know plenty of players who would benefit from that!

Although the food and drink in the tented village are always a bit pricey (a margarita pizza and a portion of chips set me back £20 and a single Mr Whippy ice cream £6) the entry ticket is so inexpensive for kids that it’s still a cheap day out, especially if you plan ahead and bring your own backpack and a picnic.

The excitement of autograph hunting is also a thrill, especially if you come away with a flag full of signatures. Hogan got his hat signed by Bryson DeChambeau, who ironically went onto be the tournament villain with his controversial two-shot penalty for trampling down the long grass and improving his lie in the deep rough.

All I can say is that DeChambeau was a delight to chat to briefly, polite and engaging, and stood for over an hour in the baking heat at the end of a long practice day, making sure that every single fan who wanted an autograph, a picture, a high five or simply a ‘hello’ wasn’t disappointed. I’ve made my judgement of his character from that.

My advice to other parents who are considering planning a trip to next year’s Open Championship is to start now. The tournament returns to The Home of Golf, St. Andrews, in 2027 and it’s going to be epic! The famous university town is packed with entertainment and fun attractions for kids. We were lucky to attend the special 150th anniversary of the Open Championship last time the tournament was in town and enjoyed the beach, the castle and R&A museum amongst other things.

There’s also a brilliant public swimming pool that does a fun inflatable splash session for kids and several well-positioned holiday parks where you can book a budget stay or go glamping in the Open village. In fact, I’d better get booking my accommodation now before you’ve all read these ideas and the best places are reserved!

If you’re spending money on a club fitting session to dial in the equipment best suited to your game, there is one major factor you need to keep in mind that is often overlooked.

For amateur golfers looking for a new big stick among the best drivers this summer, there is one crucial detail that Callaway’s Senior Custom Fitter, Luke Verney, has pinpointed as the biggest misconception players have when getting fit for new clubs.

In an in-depth conversation with Golf Monthly, Verney revealed that amateurs not using enough loft is the biggest mistake golfers are making with their equipment.

“The number one would be loft, by an absolute mile,” said Verney.

In terms of how this mistake can impact players, the custom fitter told us that this oversight can affect a player's game, particularly by damaging a golfer’s technique.

“That also then pairs into technique,” said Verney. “Because I find sometimes if players are fitted incorrectly into the wrong loft or they've just bought off the rack in the wrong loft, what you find is you then have to adapt your technique because that club isn't performing correctly.”

How can that lack of loft specifically impact technique? According to Verney, it can be seen in golfers “cupping” the ball (a cupped lead wrist that opens the clubface), resulting in inconsistent strikes.

“You can develop bad habits quite quickly. So sometimes in the fitting bay I can just see that someone's cupping and adding loads of loft to their golf club because it doesn't have enough loft on,” said Verney.

“They then can't compress the golf ball and create a consistent strike. So sometimes it's swing, but sometimes it is equipment. And most of the time, when it's equipment, it's more likely that the loft isn't correct on their golf clubs.”

Interestingly, the custom fitter also explained how a lack of loft isn’t the only detail players need to watch out for when they get a new club in their hands. Verney warns that overcompensating with club loft is another common mistake.

“It can go the other way as well, where I see players have too much loft on their golf clubs, and then everything they're doing is trying to take loft off the golf ball, and that just then gets you into really bad positions as well,” said Verney.

“So that's kind of like my number one thing when I'm fitting golfers for the Callaway Quantum drivers that I really look into is like, ‘Right, what loft are they using? What loft do I think they need?’ You know, dynamic loft is such a good metric to use across any golf club.”

Verney added: “If you can understand roughly what that should be, and you can then look at how players are presenting to the golf ball, you can then work out roughly what loft they should be in.”

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to dialling in the right club loft for an individual’s game, with attack angles playing a pivotal role in determining the correct loft in both woods and irons for each player.

Next time you’re investing in golf clubs without expert advice, make sure to keep loft at the forefront of your mind if you want the best results.

Golf Monthly has covered the rising costs of golf club membership in this country. It’s true that average annual subs in the UK have risen sharply in recent years. It’s inevitable with the increased cost of living we are all facing.

But there is still value to be found if you’re looking to join a decent club with a quality golf course. We’ve been scouring the country, looking for venues where you can get real bang for your buck when it comes to membership.

We’ve selected standalone clubs rather than courses that are managed in a group. There are also many flexible membership offers available and other membership options to keep the cost of a subscription down.

For this article, we’re looking just at full adult, annual membership rates and we’ve tried to give a spread across different regions of the UK.

If you know of any great value club memberships and would like to share the details, please let us know in the comments box below.

Here are seven of the best value golf memberships in 2026.

Kington Golf Club, Herefordshire

2026 Full Membership rate - £499

At 1,284 feet above sea level, Kington is the highest golf club in England. With panoramic views from the course, encompassing the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Black Mountains, the Radnorshire Hills, Hergest Ridge as well as the Malvern and Clee Hills, there are few more spectacular settings for golf anywhere in England.

The layout has the playing characteristics of a links – firm and fast running fairways, heather and gorse and tricky undulating greens.

This isn’t a long course and the key to success is keeping the ball in play. Many of the fairways feature slopes, humps and hollows and you must try to use the contours to your advantage.

The course was designed by Major Cecil Key Hutchinson who worked with James Braid at Gleneagles and Carnoustie. It’s a fine layout where the greens are known for being as true as they are quick.

Ballater Golf Club, Aberdeenshire

2026 Full Membership rate - £595

Set on the banks of the beautiful River Dee and enclosed by pine-covered hillsides, Ballater must be one of the most picturesque golf courses in the country. A cross between heathland and parkland, the layout is famed for its excellent greens and lush, springy fairways.

The course meanders over slightly undulating terrain past mature pines, silver birches and gorse. It’s a relatively short layout where accuracy rather than length is at a premium.

The course delivers an excellent blend of short and long holes and asks the golfer to display a mix of accurate hitting and precise short game play.

The greens are subtle and can be fast in summer.

There’s an added bonus at Ballater – for an extra £25, you can become an affiliated member at nearby Braemar golf club – another supremely picturesque and memorable course.

Brora Golf Club, Sutherland

2026 Full Membership rate - £507 plus affiliation fees

Looking out beyond the clubhouse at Brora, the links forges out and away towards the Sutherland foothills with Ben Bhraggie in the west and the Ord of Caithness to the north-east.

It looks like, and so it is, golf from a different era. Although Brora has moved with the times in terms of greenkeeping practices, the challenge is much as it would have been 50-plus years ago.

In designing the course, the great James Braid made full use of the natural terrain.

Brora delivers an authentic golfing challenge with holes following the firm contours of the ground as they lie.

The run for home delivers an exacting challenge when the wind is against. The whole test though is unaffected, without embellishment or unnecessary trimming.

It’s little wonder then that Brora is home to the James Braid Society of which Peter Thomson was a long-time president. It’s truly a natural and very special place for golf with membership fees that are more than reasonable!

Royal St David’s Golf Club, Gwynedd

2026 Full Membership rate - £925

Arriving at Royal St David’s the towers and ramparts of Harlech Castle and the imperious mountains of Snowdonia provide an imposing and magnificent backdrop. From the 13^th hole onwards the views to the sea and the Llyn Peninsula across Tremadog Bay are breathtaking.

The Hon Harold Finch-Hatton and Mr W H More started the club at Royal St David’s in 1894 and the course was open for play later that year. It’s a club with an illustrious past: The winner of the first competition held at Royal St David’s was the great amateur John Ball, Cecil Leitch won her fourth British Ladies title here in 1926 and the Duke of Windsor (then Prince of Wales) was the club’s captain in 1935.

It’s a fabulous links course, a true championship venue with a great pedigree so an annual sub of under £1,000 represents great value. Royal St David’s is ranked 49^th in Golf Monthly’s Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings.

Silloth on Solway Golf Club, Cumbria

2026 Full Membership rate - £685

The North British Railway Company targeted Silloth as a potential holiday resort in the latter part of the 19^th Century and a golf course went naturally along with their plans for development.

In 1892 Silloth on Solway Golf Club was founded and Willie Park and Willie Fernie were appointed to advise on the construction of a course.

With views north to the hills of Galloway, south to the Lake District and west to the Isle of Man this is a magnificent and imposing setting for golf. Through the decades Silloth has been the venue for some significant events including the Ladies British Amateur and Open Regional Qualifying. It’s ranked at 51st in Golf Monthly’s Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings

Green fees are reasonable and so is the club membership subscription.

Seahouses Golf Club, Northumberland

2026 Full Membership rate - £500 plus affiliation fees

Seahouses Golf Club, founded in 1913 was a nine holer up until 1976 when it was expanded to 18.

The club has hosted many Northumberland County competitions. It is also home to two of the most renowned par 3s in the north of England, the 10th and 15th, the former, “Logan's Loch" demands a carry over a former quarry pond, and the 15th "The Cove" asks for a bold shot over a North Sea inlet.

The layout has two distinct sections: the inland part is on the outward nine, then clifftop links holes dominate the back nine. They provide the course's most memorable features.

It’s a great fun course to play, short but difficult and, at just £500 for the year, it’s real value for money.

Mawgan Porth Golf Club, Cornwall

2026 Full Membership rate - £560

A north Cornish hilltop heathland golf course at Mawgan Porth on the North Cornish Coast, the layout offers striking sea views from the fairways.

Only five miles from Newquay airport, it’s a welcoming and relaxed club and simply a fun one to be a member of.

The course suits players of all standards and offers quality holes from start to finish.

The clubhouse is comfortable and the food is great golf club fayre. Just what you need after a (probably) windy day on the course!

I met a beginner a few months back who has got the golfing bug - she’s playing every day! I understand how easily this game can get a grip over you, especially when you are learning and have the time and the inclination to practice and improve. But I’m certain that she’s doing the wrong thing by spending so much time on the golf course. Even tour players have days off. Here are five reasons why being over-golfed won’t actually improve your scores.

Your Technique Will Suffer

If you play golf all the time you’ll leave little opportunity to work on your swing mechanics, short game technique and putting stroke. These skills can only be mastered on the driving range and taking a course of lessons from a golf professional is only productive if you then go and practice the changes in between lessons.

I meet so many women who take what I call ‘Elastoplast’ golf lessons for a quick fix, knowing full well that they are unlikely to put in the work to make the changes permanent. They simply want a quick fix to cure a bad shot tendency. They then go out on the golf course expecting a miracle!

This is so counter-productive in my opinion. Rather than playing golf in the days and weeks following a lesson, you should set time aside to hit a few baskets of balls on the golf range. Go and chip, practice your putting. Changes will then take effect. If you want to improve and get more enjoyment from playing golf, then play fewer rounds and practice more.

Alison Root and Katie Dawkins discuss women's golf fashion 2026 including layering, budget comparisons and latest trends

Physical Exhaustion

If you play too much golf you’ll be pushing your body to its physical limits and putting strain on your muscles, risking injury. Tour players only get away with this amount of golf because they have a whole support team around them in the background, from personal trainers giving them gym routines and exercises to strengthen and prevent injury, to physios who are on-hand after each round to administer sports massage.

Play too much golf and you may develop calluses on your hands and unless your golf shoes fit like a pair of slippers, you’ll probably get sore feet or blisters. The body needs time to rest and repair between rounds, so building days off into your schedule is vital.

Mental Burnout

Being golf-obsessed can be a huge drain on you emotionally, especially if you are not shooting the scores you want and getting the results you were hoping for. It can also become easy to lose focus and you might just end up in a state of mental burnout when playing golf becomes a chore.

Taking time out will allow you to press the re-set button. Doing something else away from the course will allow you to come back for your next game with a renewed vigour, focus and enthusiasm for golf.

Golf Stops Being Fun!

The luxury of getting to play golf every day sounds like a wonderful lifestyle, but it’s surprising how many women I play golf with who don’t actually seem to enjoy their golf, simply because I believe they play too often. A game of golf is no longer as much fun as it should be.

I remember having a full-time job in an office full of golf-mad journalists when I was younger and we were all so excited that after our once-a-month planning meeting we had a fun team game of golf. At the time I wasn’t getting to play much competitive golf outside of work and the anticipation of that outing made the day so much fun!

Nowadays, if I take a non-golfing holiday for a week or two, when I return I’m so excited to pick up my clubs again and get back out on the course. It’s ok to be golf obsessed, but don’t take it so far that playing golf becomes monotonous. Keep the passion for playing by taking time out from your favourite pastime, so that when you come back you’ll appreciate time on the golf course even more.

Life Imbalance

If you play too much golf it may take over to the extent that it has a detrimental effect on your social life, relationships and pastimes outside of golf. This can be particularly true for golfaholics whose partners don’t play golf. It can definitely cause friction and arguments in a relationship, which is understandable if you are allowing golf to take priority over everything else. It leaves little time for any other activities.

I’ve seen women take up golf simply because they are fed up with hardly ever seeing their husband at weekends and wonder what all the time away on the golf course is all about. The ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em attitude’ sometimes works, but can also result in marriages breaking down, so be warned!

This year's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is the 18th I've attended. My first was Padraig Harrington's play-off win against Sergio Garcia in 2007 but the most recent is my favourite for a few different reasons. Here's why.

1. The Golf Course

Royal Birkdale has long been one of my favourite courses and this week it posed a brilliant test for the world’s best at the Open Championship. There’s no faking it at Birkdale - you either strike the ball well or you miss the cut. What’s more, it was a pleasure to see a well bunkered links play so firm and fast. When Ryan Fox’s iron for safety off the 71st tee chased over 300 yards only to trickle into a fairway bunker, it proved the best way to push the top players is to take control away from them. With this as the landscape, we got to see a full suite of golfing skills.

2. The Weather

To my mind, the Open is always better when the fairways are white and the long fescue is golden brown. What you lose in wet, juicy rough, you gain in atmosphere as the fans bask in the seaside sunshine. As an advert for the best of golf in the British Isles, it doesn’t get better.

3. The Winner

I interviewed Ryan Fox back in 2018, just after he broke through on the DP World Tour. The meeting took place in his flat just outside London (he even played the guitar for me). My memory of that experience was that he was as unassuming and down-to-earth a golfer as you’ll ever meet. Last night’s winner’s press conference, in which he talked about filing the Claret Jug with red wine, has confirmed the same thing.

4. The Fans

Golf is growing and with that, a new breed of sports fans are attending major golf events. It’s good to see but there have been some unwanted behaviours, such as the booing of Wyndham Clark during the final round of the US Open. This year’s Championship, was an example of modern golf fandom at its best. Lively, vociferous and at times amusing but when push came to shove and the leading contenders were jostling for position, there was nothing but respect from the crowd. When Fox holed his winning putt, the crowd that I was with celebrated as if he were one of their own.

5. The Drama

Not every Open is exciting - remember Scottie last year? This one was on a knife edge throughout the final round. The final cast of contenders (Young, Burns, Kim and Fox) didn’t have a major between them but had, in different ways, all paid their dues. You could feel the gravitas of the moment with each of them. It had nothing to do with the huge winner's cheque on offer. Bravo.

And my one bugbear...

There is no such thing as perfection and if I had one bugbear it would be the golf course setup. It played fast and the rough was thin and whispy. So far, so good. The sadist in me however, was disappointed to see the greens so green. I understand that when it comes to windy, seaside golf you have to be cautious but I’d have loved to have seen the greens turn brown and run slick enough to be truly scary.

The slogan of the Open is ‘Forged By Nature’ but if the greens are a different colour to the rest, I’m not sure that’s truly natural.

A few weeks have passed since golf’s ruling bodies announced their intention to change their approach to curbing the distance players hit the ball on Tour. Two things have become clear since. Firstly, in terms of how they deal with the distance issue, everything is back on the table. Secondly, the ruling bodies want it in play by 2030.

This brings the whole concept of bifurcation back into the picture. To be clear, this is the idea of one set of rules for the players at the top and another for everybody else. If this transpired, it would likely come in the shape of a model local rule, focussed on equipment, that would restrict driving distance in certain events.

I've never been a supporter of a structured bifurcation within the rules for two reasons. Firstly, it creates a clear divide between the amateur and the pro game, diminishing the ability for regular golfers to truly appreciate the skill of those at the top. And secondly, bifurcating equipment would force the manufacturers to develop and make wholly different products for the Tour, the cost of which would only be passed on to regular golfers.

However, it is fair to say we already have a degree of bifurcation, albeit this currently sits outside of the rules structure. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to play at Royal Birkdale and the final hole was a 460-yard par 5. During the 2026 Open Championship however, the same hole is playing over 500 yards as a par 4. Add in faster greens and, at many majors, thicker rough and you can see how the top tier are already playing a different game.

However, the truth is that golf at that level is big business. In a world of marginal gains, the best golfers are working on optimising every area of their performance. No factor is too small to be scientifically evaluated, dissected and new performance plans passed onto players as they search for an edge. The result is a professional class that play a game that’s barely recognizable to the rest of us. This, more than anything, is what has driven a wedge between the amateur and the professional games.

That takes us back to the issue at hand, how do we best reign in the ridiculous distances being hit on Tour without making the game more expensive or harder for the rest of us. The ruling bodies tried to find a solution that didn't require a formal bifurcation but have gone back to the drawing board.

One option being mooted is the introduction of a smaller tee peg for Tour players. This would certainly be far less expensive and disruptive than other equipment-related solutions on the table.

Is Bifurcation Now Inevitable?

However, with many convinced the Tour players would adapt to this minor adjustment, we are left asking the same question - is bifurcation inevitable?

As unappealing as it may be, a formal division of the game might well be on the cards. What do you think and more importantly how do you think the ruling bodies should achieve it? There is a comment box below, I’d be interested to hear what you think.

As a golf fan, attending the Open Championship is the pinnacle. I’d love the chance to attend The Masters at Augusta National one day, but The Open Championship has always had a special place in my heart.

I attended Royal Birkdale for the final round of The Open in 2017, on the day that Jordan Spieth conjured that magical shot from the driving range to kickstart his charge for the Claret Jug, so having the chance to go again this week felt like a great opportunity to build on some special memories.

Royal Birkdale was burnt out and challenging for most, which created palpable tension from the players as they navigated their way through the dunes.

The eyes of the golfing world will have been on the players in the field this week, in the light of recent penalties for player behaviour, but the general report was wholly positive.

It’s not just the players that faced increased attention, however, and I was interested to see how fans behaved themselves after recent criticisms about spectator conduct at the 2026 US Open… but I was pleased to find that it was wildly different.

Fan Behaviour At The Open Was Wildly Different To The US Open

It’s important to caveat this opinion with the fact that I attended on Thursday, where the jeopardy and tensions are perhaps reduced in comparison to Championship Sunday.

Irrespective of that sidenote, I was thoroughly impressed with the way fans conducted themselves at Royal Birkdale in the twelve hours I was there.

I arrived early, around 7.30am, to watch the first few groups head out on their opening round. The atmosphere was fantastic. There was a bubbling excitement that slowly built throughout the day, but the initial proceedings were intimate.

A few people lined the fairways, the galleries of fans were silent and respectful as the players hit and the applause was genuinely delivered by a captivated audience.

By the time I got to hole number seven, the tough par-3, the numbers on the ground had begun to swell. Grandstands were filling up and rows of fans around the green were now three deep in places.

That, however, did not change attitudes. It never ceases to amaze me the incredible sense of serenity offered by the collective silence of a vast number of people in unison, all there to appreciate the mastery of these incredible athletes.

By hole nine, it was time for a break. The sun was beating down already and there was very little shade to be found, so a coffee and some breakfast was needed.

The fan areas were well furnished and screens allowed you to keep up with the action while temporarily away from the action.

The line at the official merchandise shop was beginning to snake and the fan zone on the old driving range by the 13th fairway was filling up nicely.

This was the first time I noticed alcohol being consumed on the day, although I am sure it would have been much earlier, but people were in good spirits and enjoying the company of others alongside the golf.

I was surprised how social it felt in the fan zones. Maybe it was the fact it was hosted in the north of England, where I believe people are a little more friendly as a matter of course.

We mixed with a few different groups of people and shared benches in the fan zone during nourishment breaks or to rest our already weary feet - and not once did I see any unruly or undesirable behaviour.

There was no jeering or heckling, with the roars from the crowd reserved for local favorite Tommy Fleetwood whenever he did anything remotely positive on the course.

After walking on a little further into the back nine, I decided to sit and take stock of the tough par-5 14th in the huge grandstand at the back of the green.

The pace of play was a little slow at this point, so it would have been easy for the masses to become irritable when not seeing any golf for six or seven minutes at a time in the searing midday heat.

That really wasn’t the reality, however. Perhaps the newly introduced fan code of conduct was helping, as there was a large marshall presence (all of whom were very friendly and accommodating) and there was complete ban on alcohol in the grandstands.

That may have confined any lager louts in attendance to the fan zone and away from the course, which is interestingly also the only place you could get phone signal or WiFi - an interesting (commercial) decision from the organisers, perhaps?

Anyway, I won’t go on a rant about that because I want to be clear about how positive the day was.

I was concerned that the new par-3 15th, which has a huge corporate hospitality stand at the back of the green, had the potential in my opinion to spoil the wholly positive atmosphere - but I was wrong, it only added to it.

On-demand alcohol and indulgence, mixed with a varied fanbase that will naturally include some that aren’t die hard golf fans, could have been a recipe for disaster - but it actually created a coliseum of encouragement, support and a wall of rapturous noise.

The decibels increased markedly when Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy entered the arena, with their entourage of fans dwarfing the galleries in any other area of the course, and Tommy was very complimentary about the fans and their support (which you can hear about in the video below).

The contingent of American superstars like Scheffler, DeChambeau and Reed were also well followed, with the crowds in awe of the skill displayed by the World No.1 in the opening stages of his first round.

We even saw some great banter between Argentinian golfer Mateo Pulcini and the English fans after the Argentinian national football team knocked England out of the World Cup in the semi-finals the night before - showing how the relationship between fans and players can dynamically switch without becoming toxic.

As the beer kegs emptied throughout the day and the number of pints consumed grew, I was conscious behaviour might take a turn for the worse.

There were a fair few attendees who will likely have a sore head this morning, but bar seeing a smattering passed out asleep on some giant bean bags in the sun that basked the fan zone, my fears were not realised.

The closing stretch is tough for the players, but stunning to look at.

The grandstands at the sides of the 18th green are seriously impressive. Royal Birkdale’s cool clubhouse is perched atop a slope at the back of the green and the members enjoyed the view from their private terrace.

I made it into the grandstand at 18 later in the evening, just in time to see the big names come through to finish their round.

The sun was going down, the golden hour glow illuminated the beauty of Birkdale and Rory McIlroy flushed an approach shot to within five feet.

The noise was intoxicating, but also completely celebratory. Even Wyndham Clark, who received despicable treatment by fans at the US Open, was clapped and cheered as if he was a local boy from the north west of England.

It didn’t matter who you were, in fact. Amateur, professional, big name or relatively unknown - the Royal Birkdale crowds gave them a pat on the back and a piece of their support.

That is wildly different to the scenes we saw at the US Open. The example set at the Open Championship is one that the world of golf should take note of, because it proves a simple fact - it’s not difficult to be a good, nice, respectful person and enjoy one of the greatest spectacles in our sport.

Well done to The Open for their insistence on standards, well done to Royal Birkdale for providing a great environment to watch top level golf and well done to the fans for putting your best foot forward - let’s keep it up for the remainder of the week.

I know it doesn’t look like it, but I’ve been a sports journalist for just about 27 years. And in that over-a-quarter of a century I have been lucky enough to get ‘fitted’ for a few different things with the aim of making me better at the sport I was writing about. This has included custom-moulded insoles for running shoes and fancy road bikes.

I’d even include undergoing strenuous, vomit inducing scientific tests to help create running and cycling training plans as a form of ‘fitting’. Oh, and there was the time I undertook a ‘scrawny to brawny’ body transformation for a men’s health magazine. (Got a spray tan from the wife of an ex-England cricketer…)

The thing is, I went into all of the above – apart, perhaps, from the spray tan – feeling very much within my comfort zone. I can’t say that I carried the same confidence heading into my first ever fitting for a set of golf clubs.

As I’ve mentioned in my articles on the golf lessons I’m currently taking with Golf Monthly Top 50 coach Josh Mayo, I am a relatively new ‘serious’ golfer. I’ve only had my (high) handicap for a year or so and I’m struggling to lower it thanks to my incredibly inconsistent game.

As a result, I arrived at Callaway’s European Performance Centre in Surrey very much not in my comfort zone – surely a golf club fitting really isn’t the kind of thing a golfer like me should bother with. I should really wait until my handicap is far more respectable or that I’ve earned the right to call myself a ‘proper golfer’.

The fitting session is carried out by Callaway’s master fitter Keith Simmonds – who has years of experience fitting golfers of all levels, and is a PGA Professional coach to boot – in a state-of-the-art simulator equipped with Foresight hardware and software that uses sensors on the Callaway clubs to deliver more information about my golf than I thought possible.

All of this gadgetry doesn’t calm my nerves. Every time I go near a sim I’m convinced that’ll I shank a ball into the display on the wall or, worse, the £20k or so launch monitor.

So, was I right to worry? In the first of a short series on my fitting experience with Callaway, here’s what I learned…

A fitting is (mainly) all about you

Keith starts the session by talking to me about my golf and taking a look through my bag which is a mishmash of two package sets, a Honma driver and some wedges handed down to me by other GM team members, and a second-hand Callaway 5-wood that I recently purchased to replace one that I, erm, accidentally snapped.

“Fitting isn't just about looking at numbers,” explains Keith. “I follow a specific order when I’m working with someone and the the player’s feedback is prioritised at the top. Your personal feedback — how a club looks, feels and even sounds to you — is often more important than the technical data. The data is important of course, so your feedback is followed by analysing ball flight and strike data. This maintains the fitting process hierachy of player-ball flight-strike."

You definitely don’t need to be a low-handicap golfer to get fitted

During our initial conversation I mention to Keith that I’m worried that I’m not yet good enough to warrant a fitting. Thankfully he doesn’t buy this. “There is a common misconception that fittings are only for elite players, " he says, "The perception is, 'Oh, I'm not good enough to get a fitting.' But everyone, regardless of skill level, can benefit from having equipment that fits their individual build and swing.”

Golf is supposed to be fun, and using clubs fitted to you can only increase your enjoyment

I also admit to Keith that, like many newer golfers, I can get incredibly frustrated – angry even – with my golf. “The clubs in your hand should make you enjoy the game first”, he tells me. “Hopefully, as we go through the fitting process it’ll help you understand your game better and that will then make frustrating moments on the course more manageable.” As Keith cleverly pointed out, if you’re in the game for the long run – it’s got me, I am – then a fitting is simply “a long term investment in enjoyment!”

You get the opportunity to experiment with different equipment builds…

I wasn’t being modest earlier when I said I was worried about defiling Callaway’s fitting studio. And things didn’t get off to a great start when Keith asked me to hit some balls with the ‘trusty’ 7-iron from my bag. Keith uses the seven as the ‘control’ club on which to base all of the irons, so I was convinced that my spraying it around was going to make his life very difficult!

Luckily Keith is a patient man, and eventually I calmed down and the Foresight equipment could record some base numbers which would allow Keith to compare my current club with different combinations of Callaway heads and shafts – there are drawers and drawers of the brand’s hardware to sample in the studio.

…And that experimentation is eye-opening

As I said at the start, my core irons are a genuine ‘mixed bag’ – a combination of steel shafted MacGregors and Cleveland irons with graphite shafts. I tell Keith that I feel more comfortable hitting the graphite clubs. “That makes sense - generally, much less shock is transmitted back through a graphite shaft and they can help performance if you have a lower swing speed.”

However, Keith then explains that just because a shaft is graphite, it doesn’t mean it’s the right graphite shaft for you. “One of the biggest influences on the weight of a golf club is the shaft,” he explains. “If a shaft is too light for you it can lead to you releasing the club too early which will have a negative impact on your ball strike.”

Using the data from my 7-iron, Keith suggested that we tried heavier shafts. At the same time – and this is another benefit of a fitting – Keith swapped between Quantum Max and Apex AI clubheads. Being able, in real time, to feel the differences between the different combinations, and confirm genuine improvements was impressive.

A fitting can boost your confidence (and your ball speed)

After the irons, we moved to the woods. I hit my pre-owned Callaway 5-wood – coincidentally, considering my location, the club I’m most confident with – and started to find my groove. As with the irons, Keith tried combinations of shaft weights with different Quantum Max heads and I’ve got to admit I fell a little bit in love with the kit I was trying. From 3-wood upwards the trace on the simulator was making me feel like peak Xander Schauffele. And the data was backing up my feelings.

“Wow, look at the numbers on the screen,” said Keith. “They’re pretty impressive – you’ve increased the ball speed by 10mph, a pro would be happy with that kind of improvement!” Not only that, Keith pointed to my swing path numbers. “You're only one or two degrees either side of a neutral swing path. That’s a really solid foundation. Once you’ve got your new clubs, you can stop worrying about the mechanics of the path and work with your coach on stabilising the club face alignment at impact.”

Fitting isn’t a coaching lesson

While Keith is an experienced PGA Pro and offered some very welcome words of wisdom, he was keen to point out that his role wasn’t to watch me swing and then pick my game apart. “It’s very much about trying to fit you as a person,” he explains. ‘The goal of a fitting is to match you with the equipment that works with your current, natural swing, not to fix your mechanics.”

You might walk away surprised with what ends up in your bag

It’s always good to end on a cliffhanger right? Once my new set of clubs arrive, I’ll explain more but the findings from my time in the main fitting studio with Keith mean I’ll be carrying a bag with a slightly non-traditional make up, with the potential for me to - at a later date - really mess with tradition. And I haven’t even mentioned what happened when I went next door for a putter fitting!

Padraig Harrington cannot wait to get back to Royal Birkdale and pay another visit to the scene of the second-best shot of his stellar career. Hang on. Let's just back up a little here. Second best? What on earth could possibly top the 5-wood from the best part of 250 yards that screeched to a halt just three feet from the flag on the par-5 17th in the final round of the 2008 Open Championship?

That unforgettable shot set up the eagle that guaranteed Harrington would become a back-to-back Champion Golfer of the Year – still the only European golfer to achieve that feat since James Braid of Scotland doubled up in 1905 and 1906.

It doubled his lead to four shots, and made sure he could enjoy a victory procession down the final hole – something he had been denied at Carnoustie 12 months earlier, when the drama that unfolded on a nerve-jangling 18th hole, and the subsequent four-hole play-off with Sergio Garcia, meant every shot required total concentration.

But Harrington reckons the best – and definitely the most important – shot of his life was the chip shot he played at Carnoustie to help salvage a double-bogey six at the 72nd hole, despite two visits to the Barry Burn.

“Look, I fully understand why the public looking on would regard that 5-wood at Birkdale as a pretty spectacular shot,” the Irishman explains. “And setting modesty aside for a moment, it was very special.

“That still ranks in the top three for strokes gained against the field with one shot in all of Major Championship golf, ever since they first introduced the strokes-gained categories. So it was obviously a great, great moment. I get asked about it all the time, and that's something I'll never get tired of. It's something that I'll cherish for the rest of my life, and it still gives me a thrill when I see the replays of that shot.

“But look, I was leading The Open by two shots with two holes to play. So naturally I was feeling pretty happy with how things were working out at the time.

And as my revered old coach, Bob Torrance, used to say, ‘It's easy to hit a good shot when you're feeling good. It's a lot harder to hit a good shot when you're feeling lousy!'”

The Barry Burn Episode

Harrington was feeling worse than lousy on the 72nd hole in 2007 after what had just happened, as he freely admits: “When I was stood over that 50-yard chip shot at Carnoustie I was obviously in a dire place. I'd just found water off the tee, and then chunked my next shot into the burn as well. Lousy doesn't do it justice. I was so embarrassed at what was unfolding, I wanted the ground to open and swallow me up.

“A few minutes earlier I'd stood on the tee with a one-shot lead over Garcia, who was in the group behind me, and there I was chucking the Claret Jug into the Barry Burn along with my ball. But Ronan [Flood], my caddie, was great at helping me to refocus. He said, ‘Let's get this up and down for double and at least make sure Sergio has to make par to win. That won't be easy.'

“The 18th at Carnoustie is probably the toughest finishing hole in all of golf, especially with a big title on the line. Just ask poor old Jean van de Velde, who famously – or perhaps notoriously – took seven there in 1999, when a six would have won him The Open.

“I knew I couldn't afford a seven as well, which is why that chip shot to five feet rates above the shot at Birkdale by my reckoning. The putt wasn't bad, either!

“As we all know, Sergio found the greenside bunker at the last, and his ten-footer for par stayed out. And I got the job done in the play-off against him. But if I hadn't won, I honestly believe it would have been a blow I would never have come back from. If I'd had to live with the realisation that I had thrown away The Open, it would have hit me very hard. I think I would have struggled to come back out and be a competitive golfer. It meant that much to me.

“So yes, in terms of actual shot-making, BIrkdale was a five-star special. Knocking a 5-wood to three feet to set up an eagle at the business end of an Open Championship is always going to get you noticed.

“But the one at Carnoustie was definitely more important in shaping the future path of my career. That is why it goes down as my personal favourite. It was a crazy situation, and I'm glad I didn't experience anything remotely similar at Birkdale.”

Eagling 17 on Open Sunday

Okay, we get it. But Harrington nods appreciatively when it is pointed out to him that every serious golfer who plays Birkdale will always try to recreate that iconic shot on 17. I know I have. Quite a few times, without a shred of success.

In fact, the day after Harrington took charge of the Claret Jug for a second year, I got permission from Birkdale to return to the same spot, drop six balls, and try to get somewhere close to the Irishman's wonder strike with an identical Wilson 5-wood.

No chance. But it was fun trying – and just as much fun to hear Harrington recall the thought process that went on before the eagle had landed.

“I've never been one for looking at leaderboards,” he explains, “but after I'd found the fairway on 17 I asked Ronan how we were looking. He told me that Ian Poulter was in the clubhouse two shots behind us. But I was more worried about Greg Norman, who I was playing with, even though he was three back.

“Greg had absolutely smoked his drive, whereas I'd hit 5-wood off the tee. That was my favourite club in the bag, and the day before I'd gone with it off the tee and only had a 7-iron to the green, because it was playing downwind.

“This time it was into the wind, and I had 220 yards to the front of the green and 249 to the flag. Ronan said, ‘You're two ahead, so if you want to think of laying it up, I can fully understand that call.'

“But I knew I could make birdie if I hit that 5-wood half decently. I was anxious Greg could make eagle and if I laid up and made par, all of a sudden I've only got a one-shot lead. One shot is not comfortable in any shape or form going down 18. So I wanted to take it on. “My ball was on a slight downslope, but I convinced myself that was a good thing – as you can when you're leading a tournament. I thought this is great. It's going to come out low so the wind won't affect it much. It would need a really poor strike to find the trouble on the right of that hole – and an even worse one to finish in the rubbish on the left!

“The moment I hit it, I knew it was perfect. It's one of the few times I've ever heard Ronan say ‘good shot' to me before the ball is finished. It is totally out of character for him.

“It was a real bonus, obviously, to finish three feet away. I would have been quite happy with it finishing anywhere on the green and taking my chance with two putts. But the bigger the lead going down 18, the better. Greg could only make par, and so I took my four-shot lead onto the 18th tee.”

“Once I'd hit a nice 3-wood onto the fairway there, I knew I had won. And this time I was able to really enjoy the last hole, something I hadn't experienced the previous year. And sharing it with Ronan made it even more special.

“This time around as we were walking down 18, the crowds started clapping and cheering as soon as we got to the fairway. We both looked at each other and laughed, and he says, ‘Do you know, it's a great experience to come down the 18th at The Open Championship on the weekend, when the stands are full, and the spectators are in full voice – and it's even more special when you're winning The Open.'

“It was a fantastic experience coming down there, knowing I had won the Claret Jug again. When I won my first one I said straight off the bat that I didn't want that to be the pinnacle of my career. I didn't want it to be a case of one and done. I wanted to win more Majors, and thankfully I managed that.”

Age is Just a Number on a links

At this point, Harrington breaks off to insist that going back to Birkdale is not just about reliving past glories. Even at the age of 54, he believes he can challenge for a third Open triumph – and a fourth Major, as he followed up his 2008 win by landing the US PGA title a few weeks later.

“Look, Greg was 53 when we went at it in 2008, and he led us a merry dance for three rounds,” he remembers. “He was leading by two going into the final round, but he never really recovered from a rough start. Any one of the four early bogeys he made could just as easily have been pars, and if a couple of those putts had dropped it might have been a different story.

“I'm only a year older than Greg was, and don't forget Tom Watson was this close [demonstrates with his hands] to winning at Turnberry a few years later at the age of 59. I'm not comparing myself to either of those guys. But The Open is definitely a tournament where links experience is massive, and age is just a number.

“I'm at the stage of my career where I need to get absolutely everything I can out of it, because I know I won't be competitive much longer, even on the Champions Tour.

“It's especially difficult when you're trying to play two tours. I want to play as many events on the DP World Tour while I still can. And as far as the

Champions Tour goes, I'm very conscious of the fact that I'm probably coming towards the end of the window when you are at your most competitive, which is typically 50 to 56. “I need to make hay while I'm still in that window, and as well as going back to Birkdale, defending the Senior Open Championship title a week later at Gleneagles is very important to me.

“I'm not saying you can't win in your late 50s, or even in your 60s – especially if your name is Hale Irwin or Bernhard Langer. But these next two or three years are the ones where I can add to my legacy. I'm proud of what I've achieved, because I never came into the game with high expectations. I trained as an accountant, and I only turned professional because the guys I was at university with were turning pro, and I was beating them.

“I won in my tenth start on what was the European Tour back in 1996, but I struggled for a few years after that. I famously finished runner-up nine times before I won again, including four times in five events at the end of 1999 – and I was a beaten semi-finalist in the World Match Play in the other one!

“But going on to win three Majors isn't bad, and my Senior Open last year meant I'd also won three in the over-50s bracket, with my two Senior US Open wins. Winning at Sunningdale last year also put me in a pretty elite bracket, as only the fifth player to do the double of Open and Senior Open. Gary Player, Bob Charles, Tom Watson and Darren Clarke are the others. That's not bad company to be in.

“I was getting worried about the Senior Open, because I'd finished runner-up twice – a bit of deja vu there – and that thing about the small window of opportunity was beginning to play on my mind a bit. So July is going to be a huge month for me again this year, for a lot of reasons. And hopefully, it will be another memorable one.”

Seal of Approval

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Harrington paid a rare visit to YouTube as soon as the substantial changes made to Royal Birkdale for this year's Open were completed. The 2008 Birkdale winner was eager to see whether he would approve of the big overhaul, especially changes made to the par-4 5th and the total rerouting of 14 and 15. After watching the course flyover a few times he gave it a big thumbs-up.

“The drones they use are so good these days that they give you a good feel of the ground-level perspective as well as an overhead view,” he commented, “so I was straight onto the footage once it was posted.

“It's not something I do a lot, but this was something I wanted to check out quickly, because of what that course means to me. Getting there before The Open won't be easy because of my busy schedule. I like the change to five, because that was one of the very few holes that lacked a bit of identity in the past. Levelling things out so you can see the green from the tee, and putting in some new bunkering has definitely strengthened it.

“When you can actually see the flag you're more likely to go for the green if they push the tees up, even though there is plenty of danger. It is a proper, linksy, risk-reward hole now.

“And I could see why they replaced the par-3 14th with a long par 5, then slotted a new par 3 in as the 15th. You needed a strong, tricky par 5 on that stretch, and the new 15th means all four par 3s play in different directions, so one of them will always play straight into the teeth of the prevailing wind.

“I'll be interested to see if my reaction to the aerial footage is confirmed once I get to the course. But my first impression is that they've done a great job, without changing the character of one of the truly great links.”

As a young man, I lived within half an hour's drive of Southport and went there frequently. I liked it a lot. The first golf tournament I ever attended was the 1968 Alcan Golfer of the Year Championship at Royal Birkdale, won by America's Gay Brewer. I had a good time watching him do it.

This year's 11th Birkdale Open will be different because the course itself has changed significantly. The old, brilliantly Art Deco clubhouse remains largely unaltered and, to me, still looks like a ship in profile from the final fairway. No-one else seems to see it like this.

Since Jordan Spieth won in 2017, the last few years have seen nine tees improved or tweaked, while the long 15th is now the 14th and even longer for the Open Championship at 600 yards, with a new, heavily sloping green. It looks superb, even if it would be a par ten for me and possibly you.

The new 15th is an equally forbidding character. Off the championship tee, this gnarly par 3 is 241 yards long and mostly out of reach for the great majority of ordinary folk, should we recklessly decide to play off the biggest boys' tee.

No matter how often Open competitors have played Birkdale, and who may be contemplating arrival feeling rather happy that they know where they are going and how to play the links, they are in for a shock.

It is not just length and new holes, but those tweaks to tees have changed almost everything. Subtly, quietly, these tees may encourage the most awkward of lines.

A GRAND THOROUGHFARE

There is, however, nothing awkward about the town's main street. Lord Street is a broad meandering road, wider and more impressive than in other much bigger cities. Commercially, it meanders grandly through the town's centre, even if, like so many other places, the actual commercial aspect is not quite what it was when I was a lad.

Certainly Lord Street's grandeur impressed Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte – nephew of the great (if you're French) Napoleon – when exiled to

England in the mid-1800s. Quite what Napoleon III was doing in Southport is unclear, but when he returned home to lead France, his first action was to order his city planner to remodel Paris and especially the Champs-Elysees after Lord Street's impressive style. Who would have thought?

If it's so good, why hasn't Royal Birkdale hosted more Open Championships? Well, it was supposed to stage the 1940 Open, but World War II rather interfered with that idea and so the club's hosting began in 1954, with Australia's No.1 golfer, Peter Thomson, winning and seizing the moment again 11 years later.

In between those years, in 1961 Arnold Palmer became Open champion. Indeed, even a cautious glance at the ten winners to date shows only the very best prevail on what is now Merseyside, with a list of winners that includes Lee Trevino in the 100th Open in 1971, Johnny Miller in 1976, Tom Watson in 1983, Ian Baker-Finch in 1991, Mark O'Meara in 1998, Padraig Harrington in 2008 and Jordan Spieth in 2017. Some accolade. Some course. Some history.

Founded in 1899, turned royal in 1951, Birkdale is a conundrum within a puzzle. It's beautiful to look at though dangerous to love the 18 holes, which weave through linksland that can be brutal, with dangerous rough, occasionally wild drops and hillocks. It demands total focus and self-belief but rewards excellence.

It's so good that years ago Kenny Dalglish – who lives within yards of Birkdale – and Alan Hansen tried to become members but were refused. As far as I'm aware no reason was given, but the assumption was that it was because they were footballers. Is that correct? If so, it was a nonsensical decision. Dalglish is particularly fond of golf and once told journalists that football was his job but golf was what he loved. Instead of Birkdale, the Liverpool FC pair were warmly welcomed into Hillside Golf Club, which sits beside the Open links and is a very fine place. That was Birkdale's loss. Curious stuff happens in life.

THE CHAMPION ELECT

Royal Birkdale, meanwhile, is not just an Open rota links. It has not only staged two Ryder Cups, but also hosted the first Women's Open to be played on any of the Open courses played by the men – a significant move for the club as well as the world's best female golfers in 1982. To its credit, the club has since hosted five more Women's British Opens.

So that's what Royal Birkdale is – put simply, a gem of the famed Lancastrian coastline. As to who will win this 154th Championship, there are at least 20 players with legitimate claims to success in July, but as has been the case for the last three years, one stands out.

You'll have noticed that Scottie Scheffler has been a phenomenon over this period. Winning for fun when in top form, he has statistics and success that graze even Tiger Woods' or Jack Nicklaus' data. He turns 30 just a few weeks before The Open and that means he is approaching his absolute prime years. Assuming he suffers neither critical injury nor illness, then it is difficult to see when he might begin to lose his calm approach to the biggest weeks.

Scheffler does not excite me as others do when he plays, but he definitely impresses. In particular, his iron play may be the best I have ever witnessed, or at least as good as Bernhard Langer in his prime. Just incredible. The American returns to The Open as defending champion and maybe the newest Grand Slam winner if he struts his best stuff at the US Open in June. Would you bet against him? I wouldn't.

Wee Rory? On his top cavalier form, why couldn't he win it? Following his second Masters triumph, he now appears to be in the right place with the right mindset to have a real go. He says the only events that truly matter to him are the Majors and Ryder Cups. The rest make him money, which he doesn't really need anymore. LIV's demise no doubt makes him even happier.

While Scheffler has a more low-key triumphant attitude, McIlroy has resilience in spades. It is to be admired and there is no reason why he should not conquer this Open, obviously.

Meanwhile, my modest wager will be on Cameron Young, who somehow manages to combine focus with style. Young is not Scheffler and he is not McIlroy, but actually he is an amalgam of both those golfers' better traits.

He certainly had the focus wrapped up when he won his second PGA Tour title this year at the Cadillac Championship in Miami by six shots, a rather irritated Scheffler squeezing into a rather distant 2nd place.

Now 28 years old, Young is embracing the pressure that comes with terrific early play, leading in Miami from wire to wire. He never won in his opening 93 starts on tour, but had seven runner-up finishes among that lot.

He has played in four Opens to date, finishing runner-up by a stroke to Cameron Smith in the 150th at St Andrews, his first. Since then, he has finished T8th, T31st and missed the cut last year. In other words, Young likes links golf. Forget last year.

SOUTHPORT AT ITS BEST

Which brings us to the weather. Will Southport be balmy under a sunny sky, or will there be rain and high winds? No-one knows the outcome of this thought, but while I don't want rain, I do want wind of around 15-20mph on at least one day. If so, then local hero Tommy Fleetwood may come to the fore.

Southport-born, he played Birkdale several times as a lad, he and his father sneaking on to the grounds. In 2017, he officially played there in that year's Championship and finished 27th. He has, of course, been runner-up to Shane Lowry at Portrush and has two other top-ten finishes in an event he admits is his favourite Major. We'll see.

There are others to consider and we all know who they are. What is reassuring is that Southport and its people will benefit from this week. The Open is also my favourite. In some ways, nothing is better than The Masters, but The Open is simply the purest of the Major quartet, the oldest and the most significant for those of us truly into the game.

Clearly, this week has always been a highlight for Southport and its people, but it is more than that this time; more than just a chance to relax and to grab the limelight from the overwhelming presence of the city of Liverpool just down the road.

I know Southport as a fun place to have a good time, whether playing golf or having a pint in a pleasant bar, but most of you won't know it like that. Instead, the bleak memory from 2024 of children being killed while dancing is what many people know the town for. It offers a shadow that will hang over the place forever.

This 154th Open Championship offers some respite, a chance to relax and enjoy the moment as the fans come in, the stars arrive and the restaurants and bars enjoy a break from the bleakness.

BOXING CLEVER

When I was at the 105th Open Championship at Birkdale in 1976, I too went to a crowded pub. As I made my way to the bar, I accidentally bumped into the back of a bloke who spilled his drink down his shirt. As I started to apologise, he turned and smiled and said, “Don't worry about it – there's plenty more beer in here.” He wouldn't let me buy him a new one.

The man involved was John Conteh, who was world light-heavyweight champion at the time. I've never bumped into him since, but he loves golf, plays off 8 and will surely be at Birkdale. I hope he and everyone else enjoys a wonderful Open. Conteh's reaction to my slip in that bar is my abiding memory of Southport and the many decent people far more ready to smile than to snarl.

My personal memories of a course that I have played half-a-dozen times remain vivid. I think my best score there was while playing off 10 and I got round in 80 blows. The others I will leave to your imagination. I now eagerly await seeing the new holes come to life and how the world's best golfers cope with them.

It has been a long time since that first brush with the place in 1968 and I doubt I will ever play this present revitalised version. On the other hand, one never knows what happens in life. What I do know is that if you ever have to bump into a boxing champion, then try to make it Mr Conteh. Either that or don't bother going into crowded pubs.

Whether playing or watching golf, interest in the women’s game is definitely at an all-time high. Just last month, NBC reported that its presentation of the US Women’s Open delivered a massive viewing surge, averaging 1.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. Driven by Nelly Korda’s victory, Sunday’s final round viewership was up 78% from last year, with the audience peaking at 2.2 million viewers.

But former LPGA and Solheim Cup star turned golf broadcaster and podcast host Mel Reid has strong, pragmatic views on the underlying reality of the women’s game. When I caught up with her, she was quick to point out that while the television metrics and purse sizes are soaring, there is still a massive gap to fill on the ground.

The Paradox Of Purse Sizes

When asked how the current state of the game compares to when she first earned her tour card, Reid is quick to praise the sheer talent on display, even if she acknowledges the conversation can feel a bit repetitive.

"It's amazing. The prize money is incredible," Reid says. "I think it's funny, the kind of respect that we have been craving for so many years, and now we're finally seeing it levelling out, which is good. The standard of golf - we talk about it every year, it's a bit of a broken record, but it's just insane. From a talent standpoint, the LPGA is in a really great place. We've always been a global tour, and that's more evident now than ever with Nelly rolling as World No.1, and Charley Hull and Lottie Woad playing amazing."

Yet, Reid isn't one to sugar coat the optics. For all the financial growth, walking out onto a quiet course during a multi-million-dollar event exposes a clear disconnect.

"The prize money is fantastic, but in a weird way, it looks strange when you're playing for 9 million at Chevron and no one's watching," she admits. "I see such a discrepancy between the prize money and actually the fans. To me, I'm like, how are we playing for 9 million if we have no one through the gate? It just looks odd to me.

Collaborative Solutions

It is a massive hurdle, but Reid is heavily encouraged by the forward-thinking approach of LPGA Chief Operating Officer Craig Kessler, with whom she has built an open line of communication.

"I really like Craig Kessler, I'm very impressed with him," Reid shares warmly. "He's very open. We actually talk quite a lot, and he's very open to ideas and how we can work together, which I absolutely love about him. He wants us all to uplift it together."

Reid has taken that open-door invitation seriously, actively putting radical new growth strategies right onto his desk.

"I've chatted to him and I basically said you need to get more people through the gate. I don't know how you're going to do that," she notes. "I've said for years that people should just go for free for a bit just to get people watching women's golf. And I think we could do a better job of getting the communities involved, getting local radio stations on the range, maybe... we do have to do something different, because with women's sport, we do have to be louder to get noticed. The talent is definitely there, but where are the eyes?"

Crucially, she believes the solution requires a financial pivot, even if it means a slight trim to the record-breaking purses.

"How are we going to be able to connect these amazing players with fans and get them wanting to come and watch the LPGA? I think it's a big marketing thing," Reid concludes. "That's their biggest issue now. I would love them to take some out of the prize money and put it into marketing. I really would, because these girls are playing for stupid money now, which is great. They 100% deserve the prize money, but what are we bringing in from a fan standpoint and atmosphere?

View From The Booth

As someone who now balances life inside the ropes with a growing media presence in the commentary booth, Reid sees first-hand how empty grandstands actively hurt the television product.

"It’s a challenge for us in the broadcast, too," she continues. "The greatest moments in sport are not naturally because of the shot; it's because of the reaction. The problem is we have so many great shots, but no reaction, so it's difficult for us to get energy through. We would look stupid as a broadcaster if we got really fired up for something and no one's there clapping."

Reid also targets the production style of modern broadcasts, noting that slow pacing and commercial breaks make it incredibly difficult to keep viewers engaged compared to the relentless speed of men's events.

"From a broadcast standpoint, it's very difficult to keep fans engaged. We watch a player do the whole routine, we try to tell stories... but then we watch them finish, they line it up again. Our job should be going to another player, and then seeing another player, and then seeing another player. When I work on the PGA Tour or the men's Majors, it's constant, quick, quick, quick. It's really exciting."

The Global Asset And Hurdle

Part of the issue, Reid believes, comes down to marketing strategy and the unique cultural tapestry of the LPGA. While the tour's international flavour is its greatest asset, it presents distinct marketing challenges when trying to build recognisable, outspoken stars.

"I think the players could do more with the media and showing their personalities, but the issue is that we are a global tour, so cultures are very, very different, and you have to respect that," Reid explains. "The South Korean players, for example, are amazing girls, but they get highly criticised if they don't play well, let alone if they say something that might not come across as culturally correct. They have to be very disciplined and in their own bubble. So that's our biggest asset, being a global tour, and it's also our biggest hurdle."

Revamping The Venue Strategy

Another way Reid believes the LPGA can fix the attendance issue is by being much more intentional about geographic strategy. She suggests the tour needs to stop playing in massive, saturated sports markets where they easily get drowned out by local baseball or basketball teams, and instead return to consistent, community-driven venues.

To prove her point, she looks to events that built deep roots in local communities over decades. A prime example is the former tournament at Kingsmill Resort in Virginia, which spent nearly 20 years cementing its place on the local calendar. Or the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which has been hosted annually at Pinnacle Country Club since 2007 and hits a historic 20-year milestone of community loyalty this September.

"Having consistent venues is going to help, like Kingsmill or Arkansas - we get good crowds there because they know exactly the week it's going to be, they know exactly what course it's going to be at. At the minute, we're just a little bit sporadic," she explains. "It's difficult to get fans to an LPGA event like the Chevron in big cities like Houston because there is so much other stuff going on that they would much rather go and watch."

Ultimately, Reid emphasises that building this kind of structural continuity and prioritising tight-knit communities over over-saturated urban markets remains a vital step forward. Only by shifting focus away from sporadic, large-scale city hopping can the tour bridge the gap, establishing a permanent, passionate footprint that transforms surging television metrics into packed grandstands on the ground.

With The Open Championship almost upon us, Sky Sports commentator and Golf Monthly columnist Wayne 'Radar' Riley shares his views on the tournament, the contenders and the golf course...

"I'm getting excited for Birkdale now – it's a great course and one of my favourite Open venues. I think Birkdale, Carnoustie and Muirfield are the fairest courses on the Open rota and they all test every area of your game.

What I like about them is you don't get some of the mad bounces that happen at other links courses – if you drive a ball in the fairway, it's likely to stay there. There aren't many buried elephants that send the ball bouncing off into the rough; the humps and hollows are more subtle.

I'm looking forward to and checking out some of the course changes, too. The par-4 5th has been redesigned, the 7th has been reshaped, the old 15th has become the par-5 14th and a new par 3 has been introduced, which is now the longest short hole on the course.

The 18th has been modified as well, making it trickier than before. I'm licking my lips just thinking about Birkdale. Southport is a great town, and fans come in from all over the north and further afield to create a truly fantastic atmosphere.

If Royal Birkdale plays firm and fast for The Open Championship – which it's forecast to – Aaron Rai is someone to keep an eye on. I always felt he had the game and, arguably more importantly, the demeanour to win a Major, as he did at the US PGA.

He's claimed some big titles on the DP World Tour and registered his first PGA Tour win in 2024. Time will tell if he finishes his career in the popular one-and-done Major club or goes on to achieve more, but no one can take Aronimink away from him.

After he hit his tee shot on the 17th to 70ft, I took a look at the putt and it had more movement than a rollercoaster. Getting down in two from there would have been a great effort. I was just behind the green when it turned towards the hole 12 feet out and fell into the cup and the noise was just deafening.

It was the kind of ‘pinch-me' moment all the best Major back nines have. Rai's performance over those closing holes was one of the best efforts I've seen from anybody, let alone someone who hasn't won a Major before. It was fairytale stuff.

As for my Birkdale prediction, it won't surprise you to learn I think Scottie Scheffler will go back-to-back. Even though he's not been at his very best this year and he's coming off his first missed cut in three years at the Scottish Open, he has all the tools and is by far the best player in the world on his day. I think that missed cut will fuel him, I really do.

If you're looking for an outsider, keep an eye on Alex Fitzpatrick, who was 17th on his Open debut in 2023 and has enjoyed a break-out season on the PGA Tour."

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

Golf's oldest Major returns to Royal Birkdale for the first time since 2017, when Jordan Spieth came out on top after a rollercoaster Sunday to win his third Major.

The course has undergone some huge changes for 2026, including a brand new par 3, 19 fewer bunkers, 67 extra yards, five new tees and a new practice area, among many other tweaks.

I recently got the honor of playing it before the world's best arrive to vie for the Claret Jug. It was my 37th course in Golf Monthly's UK and Ireland Top 100 Course rankings and my fourth Open venue after Royal Lytham and St Annes, Royal Troon and Trump Turnberry.

So, what can we expect from the 154th Open? Here's what I experienced...

The arrival was a little underwhelming compared to some Top 100 courses. Birkdale's iconic Art Deco clubhouse sits just beyond a local school and a tarmac car park. There is no grand, gated entrance or private drive... but thankfully, you're there for the golf course.

Inside, the bar has an incredible view of the 18th green – I'm very jealous of the members who get to watch events unfold from there on Open Sunday – and the memorabilia dotted around the corridors is testament to the club's grand history.

It has hosted ten Opens, six Women's Opens, and many other elite tournaments, including The Amateur Championship, Walker Cup, Curtis Cup and Senior Open.

I would say there is nothing particularly flashy about Royal Birkdale. It hasn't got the best views or perhaps even a signature hole; it's just pure links golf of the highest quality among some giant sand dunes.

It's remarkable how undulating the property is despite giving the impression of being a fairly flat piece of land.

No gentle start

There's no easing you into the round at Royal Birkdale, with the par-4, 447-yard opener considered among the toughest starting holes on the Open rota.

Out of bounds lines the right side and is frighteningly close to the fairway. The hole bends slightly left with a solitary pot bunker on the corner and two more guarding the putting surface. It's a brutal start and a horrible opening tee shot if you're a bag of nerves and the wind is blowing in off the left.

The highlight of the front nine is the stretch from the 4th to the 7th. The 4th is the first par 3 and plays 219 yards slightly downhill to a well-bunkered green. It's a gorgeous hole that's 20 yards longer than in 2017.

Birkdale's four par 3s are all stunners and each plays in a different direction, which is one of many subtle things this links does so well.

The 5th is the most fun hole. The drivable dogleg-right par 4 has been reduced by 25 yards to just 321 and will make for thrilling viewing in The Open, tempting the pros to have a crack at threading a drive between bunkers and hoping for a friendly bounce.

The incredible green has dramatic run-offs all round, with scope for a devilish back-right pin, perched in front of a cliff-like drop-off.

It is also home to a small pond in the right rough, a rare bit of water that I managed to find. Competitors could also donate a ball if they hit an ugly push-slice like I did, but if they're hitting shots like that, they won't be around for the weekend.

The demanding dogleg-right 514-yard par-4 6th follows, definitely one of the toughest holes on the course.

The downhill 151-yard 7th is the shortest hole. A mere flick of a wedge should result in plenty of birdies, but a bogey is easily made as poor shots are severely punished at Royal Birkdale.

Miss any of the greens and you'll likely find a tiny pot bunker or face a tricky chip up and over mounds to a pin tucked on a shelf.

A strong greenside test

What stood out to me at Birkdale was that the green complexes are incredibly undulating, and many are perched up high.

The huge run-offs, featuring bumps, hollows and tiny pot bunkers, are a great defence against the big-hitting modern pro.

It feels like every green and surround has been given 100% attention to make it as challenging as possible. They're the stars of the show.

The 8th doglegs left while the 9th curves right back towards the clubhouse. The dogleg-left 10th then starts a fun three-hole stretch.

The 11th is a tough, straight par 4 with an elevated tee and some great vistas before my favourite – the par 3 12th, another spectacular short hole playing along huge sand dunes lining the beach.

It is 186 yards long and a fine example of Birkdale's spectacular run-offs, with two huge bumps short-left and two pot bunkers to the right.

The ride home begins at the par-4 13th, where Spieth found the dunes up the right before spending 20 minutes deliberating his drop on the driving range.

That shouldn't happen this year, as the practice ground has been relocated and replaced with the spectator village. It plays 502 yards before the arrow-straight and heavily bunkered 602-yard, par-5 14th, which was the 15th in 2017.

Next is Birkdale's brand new par-3 15th, a mammoth 241 yards with a long, elevated green set in front of the huge hospitality area.

The putting surface looks deceptively small from the tee and is well guarded by bunkers to the left and a large run-off area to the right.

The 15th will play as one of the hardest holes on the course and I suspect the Champion Golfer of the Year will make a stoic par on his way to the Claret Jug while his rivals drop shots here.

The run for home

The short 16th, at 393 yards, is one of two par 4s under 400 yards and the first of back-to-back birdie chances.

The dogleg-left par-5 17th, scene of Padraig Harrington's stunning 5-wood to set up eagle in 2008, will see the big-hitters drive over the corner to leave a mid-iron approach in calm conditions.

The thin, multi-tier green that awaits is surrounded by dunes offering up a great vantage point for spectators.

The closing hole is another that has been made harder, with the 508-yarder lengthened by 35 yards and the tee shot tightened with bunkers everywhere.

If the prospective victor needs a par to win and they pull it off, you will have to doff your cap to them.

You may be wondering what I shot. My index is 6.0 and I carded an 11-over 83 from the blues at 6,205 yards. I hit just one fairway but finished par, par, birdie playing the 18th as a 466-yard par 5.

I cannot imagine how difficult the par-70 Royal Birkdale is from the 7,223-yard tips with the rough up, firm and fast conditions, a strong sea breeze and thousands of spectators lining the fairways.

I now have a new perspective on just how good the world's best are.

Shooting under par from the blues on a calm day is unbelievable golf. Shooting under par from the back tees in Open Championship conditions is truly astonishing.

Royal Birkdale is a phenomenal test of golf that is ready to punish poor shots or strategic errors, and reward great play.

It is easy to see why it ranks as one of the country's greatest golf courses and I am sure after 72 holes it will correctly identify the golfer with the best control over their ball and duly reward them with the Claret Jug.

A thrilling climax: Birkdale's final four holes that will decide the 2026 Open

● 15th – par 3, 241 yards

This brand new par 3 could well decide who lifts the Claret Jug. Only a perfectly struck long iron will find the green, which is guarded by two pot bunkers to the left and a large run-off to the right. The exposed green will be even harder to find in a crosswind.

● 16th – par 4, 393 yards

This short par 4 has been reduced from 438 yards and is a fantastic birdie chance. It's just a long iron and a wedge, although missing the green could be costly due to its dramatic run-offs.

● 17th – par 5, 566 yards

Harrington eagled 17 in 2008 to give himself breathing room coming down the 72nd hole, and it could be a decider this year. It's easily reachable in two for the world's best, but its small green is tricky to find. Can someone make eagle to pull clear?

● 18th – par 4, 508 yards

A one-stroke lead on the 72nd tee is not safe. Six bunkers are in play from 250 to 340 yards, with three right and three left. No matter what club you hit, you must avoid the sand. Any less-than-perfect shot that finds a bunker instantly brings bogey into play.

If you asked most amateur golfers how far they hit their driver, most could give you an answer - even if it is slightly inflated.

Ask the same question about a pitching wedge, however, and you might hear answers delivered with less confidence.

In this series of articles, we have already explored how far the average amateur hits their driver, and their 7-iron, in 2026, according to the latest Shot Scope data, but how far is the average golfer carrying their wedges?

A pitching wedge can help you to set up birdie opportunities or save par, if wielded correctly, but understanding your yardages is a huge factor in the equation for success.

Below, we reveal how far amateur golfers at different handicap indexes hit their pitching wedge in 2026…

How Far Do Amateur Golfers Hit Their Pitching Wedge In 2026?

Let’s start with the average amateur golfer. According to the latest Shot Scope data, acquired through thousands of measured rounds from its registered users, the average amateur golfer hits their pitching wedge 118 yards.

The most competent golfers obviously outperform that average, with a scratch golfer hitting a pitching wedge 141 yards on average.

The difference between a scratch golfer and a 5-handicapper is one of the biggest in the entire spread, with a 5-handicap player hitting a pitching wedge 15 yards shorter - at 126 yards.

Pitching Wedge Average Carry Distance

How far amateur golfers from different handicap index brackets hit their pitching wedge on average

Carry Distance (yds)

0-handicap

141

5-handicap

126

10-handicap

127

15-handicap

121

20-handicap

108

25-handicap

90

037.575112.5150

Carry Distance (yds) Data

Product	Value
0-handicap	141
5-handicap	126
10-handicap	127
15-handicap	121
20-handicap	108
25-handicap	90

There is very little between those players and a 10- (127 yards) or 15-handicapper (121 yards), which is not the case for all clubs in the bag.

The difference between a 5-handicapper and a 15-handicapper with a driver is 25 yards, suggesting that distance at the top end of the bag is more closely linked to cutting your handicap in 2026.

The decline in distance when you reach the high-handicappers is stark, with a 20-handicap (108 yards) and 25-handicapper (90 yards) hitting their pitching wedge significantly shorter than mid- and low-handicap players.

This is likely down to the consistency and quality of their strike, but it’s also true that many high-handicappers struggle to control their low point effectively - which can also lead less distance with short irons and wedges.

There are plenty of great short game tips and drills that you can use to improve your strike and, therefore, distance with your wedges - like Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott’s pitch shot clinic.

Ultimately, understanding your start point and how far you can carry each of your wedges is crucial. Measure your own shots and compare against the latest averages to see if you are ahead of or behind the curve, then let us know in the comments below.

Oh, and before you go, make yourself feel better by learning how far Rory McIlroy hits his pitching wedge...

Scottie Scheffler turned a few heads on social media this week after a video of him playing golf at North Berwick Golf Club in a pair of 'gym shorts' and a collarless t-shirt emerged.

Likely warming up for the Genesis Scottish Open, the World No.1 opted for casual attire on one of the most famous courses in the country - if not the whole of the United Kingdom.

The comments that I have seen appear to be fairly well split, so I decided to ask a number of the Golf Monthly team whether they felt it was acceptable for the Scottie Scheffler to go against traditional dress code rules by rocking this casual look.

The result of the poll was unanimous - casual is fine... you go for it Scottie!

Scottie Scheffler's 'Casual' Attire: Our (Unanimous) Verdict

I received eight responses to my initial question, all of which suggested that Scottie Scheffler was fine to wear a collarless t-shirt and gym shorts in what was clearly a relaxed knock on a sunny summer's evening.

He wasn't teeing it up at a tour event, or in a Major, so I am baffled by how passionately some commenters have criticised his decision - it's so old fashioned.

The video in question has been posted numerous times, across various platforms and on many different social media accounts. For reference, here it is...

Interestingly, that particular post came directly from North Berwick Golf Club's X account. The fact that North Berwick have posted a video of the World No.1 hitting some shots on their incredible golf course is not at all surprising, but the caption may well raise a few eyebrows considering the club's stance on traditional dress rules.

The caption reads, "When the world's No.1 golfer pops out for a few holes on a beautiful evening at the West Links... relaxing, chilling out and having fun ahead of the Scottish Open. Great to see you at North Berwick, Scottie Scheffler".

If you compare that to the visitor section of the North Berwick Golf Club website, which details information about their dress code, there is quite a contrast in the messaging.

"On the course: An acceptable standard of golfing attire should be worn. Jeans, track suits, cargo shorts, t-shirts and similar are not permitted".

Some criticism has been shared regarding the inconsistency in standards, questioning whether the World No.1 has received preferential treatment as the average visitor would not be allowed to play in clothing of that style.

This comparison isn't intended to criticise North Berwick Golf Club, as I actually applaud their decision to embrace the World No.1's choice of casual attire and, perhaps more poignantly, share the content widely.

My stance has always been that traditional dress code rules are outdated and often hold the game back from attracting new participants - especially from the younger generation.

If you asked me what I would wear for a round at North Berwick, I would still opt for a polo shirt and a pullover - but that's because I like the look and comfort of golf-specific attire.

If, however, someone in the group with me or ahead of me was wearing a t-shirt and casual shorts, as Scottie Scheffler is in the video above, I wouldn't care one bit.

It's not impacting my enjoyment of the game, so if they are comfortable and technically able to perform well in that apparel, then I say go for it!

Golf Monthly's news editor, Elliott Heath, shared a similar view when discussing the matter with me on our internal work communications system.

"Yes I believe Scottie Scheffler's attire is perfectly acceptable and the fact that this is even a question makes a mockery of the sport. It's 2026 and the fact we are still debating over whether a golfer, who respects all of the rules and is the best player in the entire world, can play without a collar or tailored shorts with pockets is just ridiculous.

"If he is chopping up the fairways, not shouting 'fore' or taking six hours to get round with poor etiquette then we'd have a problem, but I feel it's time to move past golf's archaic dress code rules. His apparel is actually very modern, athletic and 'cool' and he is not impacting anyone else's day. Get over it."

Features editor at Golf Monthly, Nick Bonfield, added:

"If I were to list the things I care more about than Scottie Scheffler wearing 'casual' gear at North Berwick Golf Club, it would take me forever. While I am broadly in favour of some sort of dress code, what someone else chooses to wear is of little concern to me – how does it affect my life in any way?

"It's hardly as if Scheffler is a reprobate who is bringing the sport into disrepute with his despicable actions. If North Bewick had a problem with it, they would have stopped him from playing. And if they don't care, no one else should."

The fact that it's the World No.1 in this particular instance has upset a few people, who suggest that he should set a better example and help to protect the values of the game at one of its historic institutions - but I couldn't disagree more.

We have to step into the modern era at some point and this could be a huge leap forwards.

I wouldn't expect to see Scottie Scheffler teeing it up in a competition, like the Scottish Open, wearing such casual garments - but in a relaxed setting where the goal is enjoyment, socialising and practicing - why make it harder for people?

It's simple, at least in my eyes. Be professional in competition. You should respect the etiquette and dress code set out by tournament officials, which naturally align with traditional values of the game. That's fine.

Away from the competitive arena, let's embrace the fact that we live in a more casual world now. Less people wear suits to work, wearing a hat indoors is generally considered ok and almost everyone owns a pair of trainers.

Wearing a collarless shirt and comfortable shorts is not going to spell the end of the game as we know it, so shall we save the doomsday hysteria for another day? We have bigger problems to tackle in the game - like slow play, for example.

Scottie Scheffler is one of the closest examples we have to a proper professional and a good role model in the game, and I actually applaud him and North Berwick for challenging the norms that have shackled the game for too long.

Last moth, I wrote a piece on slow play that maybe offered a rather pessimistic view. Basically, I don’t believe there is a solution to this age-old issue.

Perhaps I should have worded it better. There are plenty of slow play solutions - it’s just that the difficulty in implementing rules and getting golfers to follow them, I believe, will prevent any real progress being made.

Anyway, thank you for your comments and emails, most of which were polite and constructive.

One or two, however, took issue with the suggestion that high handicap players are to blame for slow play.

Just to be clear, there are many types of slow golfers. The high-handicapper who reloads on every tee, spends over five minutes looking for their ball on every other hole, and refuses to pick up when they can’t score, is just one of the culprits.

The very good golfer with a 60-second pre-shot routine for every shot, including 18-inch putts (don’t get me started on AimPoint), is another.

However, having given the impression that I’m anti high handicapper player (I’m really not, and I’m often one myself), I feel obliged to ‘go after’ someone else this week: the extremely fast player.

Who gets your goat more? The slow golfer or the fast golfer? Not just fast, ridiculously rapid. The golfer who’s always on a mission to set a new PB for 18 holes.

We’ve all encountered slow players on the course and maybe been guilty of it ourselves, especially when catching up with friends or playing somewhere new.

If you’ve played the game for long enough, no doubt you’ve also come across the extremely fast golfer, too, which only becomes a problem when they start to make you feel uncomfortable.

Here’s the profile of a typical fast golfer: Fairly accomplished. Not overly interested in their score. Rarely hits a provisional. Not big on putting out. Keen to get home as quickly as possible. Hates waiting for the group in front. Once is just about Ok, twice… Raging mad.

I once fell out with a couple of quickies. I’d met up with three old friends on an annual trip, and we played a course on a Tuesday afternoon as guests (we like to play off-peak as it’s generally quieter).

By the time we reached the green on the 3rd, a two-ball had closed in behind us and had signalled their displeasure by placing hands on their hips. Both of them.

I’m not a big fan of this type of passive-aggressive behavior - I think it’s wholly unnecessary.

We had always intended to let the group through. The next hole, a par 3, was the perfect opportunity to allow them to play up and carry on through at their lightning speed.

“You should really try to keep up with the pace of play,” was one of the comments we received. I bit my tongue.

We ended up discussing where we were from, why we were visiting, and what we thought of the course - but it felt awkward. Moments earlier, they’d told us off like we were a bunch of schoolchildren!

This sort of thing has happened a few times, and in my experience, it’s members who are a little too keen to point the finger. That attitude of it's our golf course, perhaps.

I actually don’t have an issue with fast golfers. What irks me is when they start gesticulating on the tee and standing in the teapot position.

I also love a quick round. In the winter months, I play with several groups who target sub-four-hour rounds. It's like speed golf - keeps you fit.

Anything longer than that is considered slow. Lost your ball just off the fairway? Hard luck. Can’t score? Just pick the thing up.

But there’s a time and a place for this. Come the weekend, during competitions, everyone accepts that the pace of play is generally a bit slower. That’s fine.

We don’t do the teapot (actually, maybe one guy does, but does it to wind up his friend).

Not all fast golfers act like they’re driving in Italy. Some are naturally quick, and when asked if they’d like to play through, are quite happy to slow their pace.

Others, particularly single players, will drop another ball down and take it as an opportunity to get a bit of practice in.

If a course is busy, as tends to be the case on weekends, there’s little to be gained by playing through - that only tends to work when the fairways are fairly quiet.

No teapots, please, until you get to the clubhouse. Accept, of course, if you come across a really slow high handicapper - now they are really annoying (I’m joking, no more angry emails).

I remember the days when I used to stand on a tee and be asked the question: “What’s your handicap?” I’d pause awkwardly and consider how to frame my response, which was usually something along the lines of “I don’t have an official handicap, but I’ll play off 18.”

Even though I was almost always playing with friends, family or colleagues – I wasn’t able to enter competitions without an official handicap – I felt slightly uncomfortable producing a number I felt was right instead of one I knew was right.

It wasn’t my fault, of course – I stopped being a club member when I went off to university and it hasn’t been a viable option for me since then. So, in the days before the World Handicap System, my only choice was to make an educated guess if I wanted to have any sort of competitive game, whether with myself or others in my four-ball.

But if I started well, it wasn’t long before the word ‘bandit’ inevitably appeared. It was almost always in jest, but it still used to rankle me somewhat; partially because I’d never purposefully cheat and partially because I had no recourse – I didn’t have an official handicap, so my retorts would always fall on deaf ears.

This was a dilemma every non-club golfer used to face before the introduction of the WHS in January 2020. Competitive golf doesn’t just take place in official club competitions; it happens during ‘casual’ rounds with friends or at charity, work or corporate golf days.

For any sort of competition to take place – whether a four-ball better-ball match for bragging rights or a singles competition with money on the line – handicaps are required.

Before 2020, you either had to produce an unofficial number – some people’s best guesses were more accurate than others – not have any in-game matches or not compete for the prizes, none of which felt ideal.

Now, even though I’m not a golf club member, I can stand on the 1st tee and proudly bellow my official handicap index and course handicap. If people want to find fault in that – as some absolutely do – then that’s on them, not me.

'I don't care what they think'

Naturally, many club golfers absolutely still have reservations about nomadic handicaps. Some, like my colleague Elliott Heath, don’t understand why nomadic golfers even need official handicaps.

Others feel handicaps forged outside of club competitions aren’t legitimate because of a perceived lack of pressure, while more still believe non-member handicaps are more open to manipulation.

But, to be honest, I don’t care what they think. That’s their problem. I don’t cheat or manipulate – all I want to do is track every round, attempt to shoot my best score every time I set foot on the course and try to get my handicap as low as possible.

I know it happens and is probably far more common than it should be, but why anyone would put effort into falsely engineering their index up or down is beyond me.

I’m a huge advocate for submitting a scorecard every time you play and doing so elevates my enjoyment of the game. I’m out on the fairways to have fun, spend time with friends and family, get exercise and be outdoors, but I also love competing with myself and experiencing all the emotions you feel when you have a good round going.

If you’re not putting in a card, it’s not the same. Is it still fun? Of course. But has the ability to submit a handicap score every round enhanced my enjoyment of the sport? Absolutely. I have the WHS to thank for that.

What’s so good is I can put in a card even if no one else in my group is. The WHS has enabled me to get exactly what I want out of golf while not demanding others follow the same path. For nomadic golfers who are semi-competitive and don’t play as much as they’d like, it’s been a godsend.

I understand the objections people have to the system and I’m not saying they’re wrong - who am I to tell someone who thinks the WHS has ruined golf for low-handicappers how to feel? Plenty of people agree and thousands upon thousands would much prefer to go back to the previous CONGU system.

But the WHS has been a fantastic development for me. I don’t have to choose between casual and competitive; I can have both. Now, I don’t have any feelings of hollowness or invalidity if I produce a high Stableford score as I know my handicap is legitimate.

I hope those who complain endlessly about the WHS will take some comfort in learning it’s enhanced many nomadic golfers’ enjoyment of the sport.

What is the most popular golf ball on the PGA Tour this season? You probably already know the answer to this question.

Or do you? Do you know the split between the Titleist Pro V1 and Titleist Pro V1x?

And how many players use an entirely different model, another of the best premium golf ball models on the market?

The only way to get an accurate picture was to scroll down the long list of every player on the 2026 FedExCup standings (210 players at the time of writing).

Having done exactly that, here are the 10 most popular golf balls on the PGA Tour in 2026*.

*Results accurate up to but not including the John Deere Classic.

*Includes the TaylorMade TP5x Pix played by Tommy Fleetwood.
**Includes two players who currently play the Bridgestone Tour B X MindSet.

Since bursting on the scene in 2000, the Titleist Pro V1 franchise has dominated the market.

It was a golf ball ahead of its time and continues to set the standard for green-to-tee performance, consistency, and durability.

The research and development that goes into producing the number one ball in golf is significant - every Pro V1 golf ball must pass more than 90 quality checks, while the dual core Pro V1x must pass more than 120.

It’s not far off a 50/50 split between Pro V1 and Pro V1x usage on the PGA Tour, with just a handful more players currently favoring the latter - which is the slightly firmer-feeling model.

Eight years ago, Titleist also introduced a Tour-only Pro V1 Left Dot, which later became available to buy.

Designed for those seeking a lower and more penetrating flight and lower long game spin than the Pro V1, the Left Dot went on sale in the US and Canada for $55 a dozen last year, and it was limited to two dozen per customer.

It's tailored for the best of the best with high swing speeds, and has racked up 30 PGA Tour titles and two Major Championships (Henrik Stenson at The 2016 Open Championship and Patrick Reed at the 2018 Masters).

Tony Finau and Jake Knapp are just two of the eight players currently using the Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot, while four players prefer the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash.

The Left Dash made its retail debut in 2019 after success on the professional circuits, with Bryson DeChambeau using it to win the 2024 US Open.

Titleist says the Left Dash delivers exceptionally fast ball speeds along with a higher ball flight, which is similar to the Pro V1x.

The manufacturer also claims that the Left Dash has dramatically lower spin in the long game and offers the firmest feel off the club face across its ball lineup.

Other Popular Ball Models On Tour

If you took out the Titleist Pro V1 franchise, there'd no clear most popular ball on the PGA Tour.

Srixon and Callaway also have two of its models being played on the American circuit, with both the Z-Star XV and Z-Star Diamond and Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X popular choices for some of the world's best players.

Meanwhile, 12 players in total are currently using the TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x, which is the brand's equivalent of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy plays the TP5 and Tommy Fleetwood the TP5x Pix, which he first started using as first as a practice aid.

Elsewhere, the Bridgestone Tour B X is gaining some traction on tour, with Jason Day and Chris Gotterup settling on the Mindest model.

There's just one other golf ball used on the PGA Tour, and that's the Maxfli Tour X played by Ben Griffin.

Earlier this year, at the WM Phoenix Open, the three-time PGA Tour winner debuted the brand's newest Tour X-LS ball.

Nobody goes into a round of golf looking to be an annoying playing partner – unless they're displaying shocking etiquette and purposefully trying to put someone off – but sometimes our actions unintentionally have a negative impact on others.

The next time you play, make sure you're not falling into any of these common traps...

Taking the flag out without asking

These days, players can opt to keep the flag in while putting as no longer does hitting the flag from a shot played from the green incur a penalty. But some players still automatically go up and take the flag out before people putt, without asking, when it isn’t even their putt next.

Also, there are some players who forget who likes to putt with the flag in and stand there in a world of their own away from the hole, holding the flag when they should be moving forward to replace it for the next putter.

Or there are those who collect their ball from the cup and walk away, forgetting that the next person to putt wants the flag out.

Marking using a poker chip

The idea of marking a ball is that another ball can roll over it and not get its path badly impeded, although it is always best to mark a ball such that it is not on anyone’s intended line.

So what is it with these poker chip markers, which stand proud on the putting surface and would most certainly badly impede the ball if struck?

Unsolicited advice

You may think you are being helpful, but are you? For example, someone hits their putt too hard and says to you as you settle down to play your shot: “Careful, it is a deceptively quick putt”.

But is it? Have they just hit the ball too hard and are simply looking for an excuse for their poor play? Is this green indeed somehow quicker than the others played so far? Or is that particular slope somehow steeper and trickier than it looks?

All this unsolicited advice often does is make your putt harder to play, as you now have all these uninvited thoughts running round in your head. Also, unless it is from someone on your side, it is against the rules.

Shadows

Especially on the green, be aware of where your shadow is falling. You may be well away from the golfer playing, but is your shadow falling on the line of the putt?

Moaning

We all play bad shots and we all have frustrating experiences on the golf course. You may be having a bad round and this is making you miserable. But don’t make it a miserable experience for everyone else in your group. Don’t create an awkward atmosphere. Don’t make it all about you.

Forgetting to watch other players’ shots

It can easily be done – you are worrying about your next shot, checking your scorecard to see if you get a shot on that hole, looking at the course plan on your GPS... or you have simply lost track of who is playing from where.

But it is irritating when someone playing a shot loses track of where it has gone, they ask around and everyone says: “Sorry, didn’t see it.”

A halfway house is often perceived to be one of the true luxuries on a golf course. The joy of stopping for a hot or cold drink and a snack is a real treat. As such, many of the most prestigious venues across the UK and overseas are renowned for their halfway houses. Some, like Surrey’s Top 100 gem Sunningdale Golf Club, have a halfway house that’s famous for fabulous sausage baps, others are known for their homemade cakes.

However, when it comes to making a pit-stop halfway round in a competition I think they are a total nuisance. Having a halfway house slows play down considerably and causes a loss of momentum if you are playing well. For this reason, I refuse to stop at a halfway house when I’m marking a competition card. Even a quick detour to collect a coffee can be enough to completely ruin the flow of your game, affecting your swing tempo, timing and your concentration.

As an elite county golfer, trying to shoot a low score, I’m 100% focused on my round. A tour professional would never dream of stopping for a sit down snack and a drink during a tournament round. They carry energy bars, fruit, water and hydration drinks in their bags. So why, as amateurs, do we think that taking a break is a good idea?

My home club, Parkstone in Dorset, invested in building a wonderful new halfway house last year. It’s perfectly positioned so that you can access it after the seventh green, before or after hitting a tee shot at 13 and again after putting out on 15. It’s a fantastic addition but a speed of play killer! The only time I’ll use it is when I’m playing casual golf or during a fun competition like on Lady Captain’s Day when everyone in the field stops.

My attitude towards its interference in the flow of a round may be frowned upon by some club managers who want to encourage their members to use this ‘expensive-to-staff’ service, but I genuinely believe that stopping slows play down considerably and halts momentum, and the game is slow enough as it is!

And then there are our halfway house food choices. Golf is supposed to be an athletic sport, so why is it acceptable to eat a big greasy breakfast bap, a sausage roll or a slice of cake when you make a pitstop during a round of golf? We’d never dream of fuelling our body with such rubbish mid-way through a workout at the gym, yet some players stop for a bacon sarnie every single time they play.

I’ve also seen arguments ensue when one or two players in a group don’t want to stop (usually due to a shortage of time) and others do. It often means they end up having to let the group behind play through. All of this adds considerable time to their day and for working women, parents trying to rush to do the school run, and in other situations, many of us are already on the clock. We’re supposed to be trying to speed the game up - not slow it down!

Golfers often talk about the 'turn' as a reset moment. Walking from the 9th green to the 10th tee is a moment of genuine change in their round of golf - a brief pause to add up your front-9 score and reflect.

I was so convinced that making a halfway stop after the 9th hole harms your score on the next that I wanted to dig into the facts. With the help of the brilliant statistics and insights available from Shot Scope, we can see exactly how a halfway break impacts performance. The only caveat is that we don't know who actually stopped, but the results are still an eye-opener.

The metrics compared the average score over par on holes 8 and 9 (the end of the front nine) against holes 10 and 11 (the start of the back nine), broken down by handicap group. Perhaps most revealing was that hole 9 is the hardest of the four holes for almost everyone. Across all handicap groups, it consistently produces the highest average score over par.

But does the data support a genuine performance shift - for better or worse - at the start of the back nine?

Interestingly, the answer splits cleanly down skill level. Better players (scratch to 10 handicap) actually scored worse on holes 10 and 11, averaging fractionally more strokes over par on the start of the back nine than the end of the front. While these differences are tiny, they are incredibly consistent across all three groups of lower-handicap players.

However, for higher handicappers (15 to 30 handicap), the exact opposite was true. This group actually scored better at the start of the back nine, averaging fewer strokes over par on holes 10 and 11 compared to holes 8 and 9. While the effect is small on a per-hole basis, it is a consistent trend - every single handicap group from 15 to 30 shows a clear improvement after the turn.

The statistics make perfect sense. Stopping at the halfway house likely disrupts a low handicapper's concentration and breaks the flow of their round.

For a typical higher handicapper having a bad round and scoring poorly, stopping at a halfway house for a few minutes gives you the chance to regroup and perhaps approach the remaining holes with a fresh attitude and more positive mindset. It gives you the opportunity to take a few deep breaths and draw a line under a disastrous front nine.

We’ve all seen this happen during bad weather delays in televised tour championships when players get called off the course for safety because conditions become unplayable or dangerous. Players who were scoring badly get a chance to speak to their coach and regroup. They often come back out fighting, improve their score and make the cut.

Golf is a leisure sport. Most of us play at a recreational level for pleasure and there’s no doubt that a halfway house is a great addition to clubs as part of that service. I think a solution to slowing speed of play would be for the halfway house to have a system to take orders in advance of the stop, either via an app or an on-course order point at the start of hole 9.

This allows the server to prepare drinks and snacks for the upcoming group to simply grab and go. There’s no hanging about or time-wasting, so when it comes to slowing play and ruining the momentum of a round of golf they are not a scorecard killer.

So the moral is, if you take your golf seriously, choose to use a halfway hut wisely, as a grab and go stop or a leisurely luxury on a fun day out only.

I remember reading Golf Monthly editor Neil Tappin's article last year on one huge change he'd make to improve the game, and it related heavily to the introduction of more 12-hole golf courses and consequently rounds.

He talked about how it could well be the future of the game as not only would 12 holes take less time than its longer counterpart, but it would also save natural resources and ultimately take some strain off the planet - and that's certainly a message I'd endorse.

At the time, I thought: 'I wonder what it would be like to play a 12-hole course?' but seeing as there weren't any bespoke courses consisting of a dozen greens etc around near me, I didn't ponder any more than that.

Then, as luck would have it, a golf club on the edge of my home town declared it would be expanding from a nine-hole to a 12-hole course in time for summer 2026, giving me the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.

In the meantime, other colleagues - such as Genelle Aldred - had shared their experience of playing 66% of a full round and I'd also heard about the Mad Swans franchise, which is leaning into a slightly shorter round of golf alongside other sporting activities to create a cracking weekend away for the more active among us.

Most people had spoken very positively of their 12-hole experience, but I really wanted to see it for myself. Finally, on Father's Day, I took up the chance alongside my dad.

On a very warm day in England and with tee times in shorter supply than sun cream, I managed to squeeze us on just before midday.

Ahead of my first shot, I pulled up the England Golf app and submitted my intention to provide a score for my WHS. The app said a 12-hole version was possible, so I clicked save and went from there.

However, once we'd reached the 12th (and final) hole on the course, it wasn't possible to submit a score and I was forced to tap 'did not attempt' on the remaining six holes.

I was ten over par at that stage and pretty pleased, despite having chained six pars together from the second. Yet, because I'd 'not attempted' so many holes, the app says I've scored * rather than a number.

I'm not highlighting this to have a dig at iGolf or the club itself, I only mentioned it to highlight whether golf is really ready for 12 holes if a basic problem like this is happening?

Another issue I found with the whole experience - and it should be reiterated it was very warm and the course was rammed - was that it took us three hours to complete 12 holes. That's clearly far too slow and not far off what it can take to do the full set.

Playing a shorter round should obviously take less time, that's one of the key positives its supporters promote. Yet if 12 holes is taking that long when a course is busy, you might as well stay out for the full 18, right?

As you can probably tell by now, I'm not on board with the 12-hole round at this stage and it will take a good deal of convincing for me to come around. The final issue I discovered is that I came off the course having no real sense of how well I'd scored.

I knew I'd played quite well until the clubhouse was near and the thought of a nice cold pint took my head elsewhere, but as for my score - is 58 good? What's par at this stage? What should a 16-handicapper like myself be on through 12 holes? I have absolutely no idea.

My 12-hole debut left a lot to be desired, it must be said. I can certainly appreciate the potential positives of the format and respect it will work for a lot of other people, yet I just couldn't see that it will work for me.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great time playing golf with my dad, but I'm not sure 12 holes is the future of golf.

When it comes to golf equipment marketing, the narrative around wedges usually revolves around terms like ‘micro-grooves,’ ‘CG Optimization,’ or ‘all-over face texturing.’ Every January, we are promised more RPMs, lower and more controlled launch angles, and the magical ability to stop a ball on a dime from the deepest rough.

But if you spend enough time looking closely at the bags of top amateurs, mini-tour grinders, and even a few stubborn tour pros, you'll spot something fascinating. When it comes to the short game, newer isn't always better.

Artistry around the greens is dictated entirely by head shape, turf interaction, and pure tactile feel - elements that, in my humble opinion, reached peak perfection decades ago.

Furthermore, while drivers and irons have benefited immensely from multi-material construction and artificial intelligence, wedges remain humble blocks of steel. Once the master craftsmen of the industry perfected the geometry of a wedge sole, modern technology essentially hit a wall of diminishing returns.

Here are the five iconic wedges that, in my opinion, have never truly been topped.

1. Cleveland Tour Action Reg. 588 (1988)

Before 1988, wedges were often treated as blocky, uninspired extensions of a standard iron set. Roger Cleveland changed the trajectory of short-game design forever with the release of the Tour Action Reg. 588.

This club brought the classic teardrop profile to the masses. It featured a perfectly straight leading edge that flowed seamlessly into the hosel, offering a clean, confidence-inspiring look at address that virtually every modern wedge manufacturer still copies today.

Though the original was a cast wedge (they subsequently made some forged versions), Cleveland utilized a soft form of carbon steel that provided a legendary, muted feel at impact.

It became the blueprint for one of the most successful wedge franchises in golf history. Decades later, purists still scour used bins and online auction sites looking for original 588s because the visual profile behind the ball remains completely flawless to many.

2. Ping Eye2 (1982)

If the Cleveland 588 represents traditional beauty, the 1982 Ping Eye2 is the ultimate functional rebel. Designed by Karsten Solheim, its high-toe profile, extreme perimeter weighting, and scooped sole looked radically different from anything else on the market.

Yet, its performance out of heavy rough and bunkers remains arguably unmatched to this day. The wide, heavily bounced sole essentially refused to dig, acting as an insurance policy against the dreaded chunked pitch shot.

The real legend of the Eye2, however, lies in its aggressive U-grooves. They generated so much raw, biting spin that they sparked a massive legal battle between Ping and the USGA. Decades later, during the 2010 season, when the governing bodies implemented strict new groove regulations, a legal loophole protected pre-1990 Ping Eye2 wedges.

This prompted superstars like Phil Mickelson and John Daly to famously put these vintage wedges back into their bags at major championships, proving that a design from 1982 could still outperform anything the modern era had to offer.

3. Callaway Forged (2002)

When legendary designer Roger Cleveland transitioned to Callaway in the late 1990s, he was tasked with elevating the brand's short-game pedigree. His definitive statement, for me, arrived in 2002 with the Callaway Forged wedge lineup.

Most famous in its striking, matte-black ‘Vintage’ finish - which intentionally rusted over time to eliminate glare and add a raw texture - this club was forged from ultra-soft carbon steel. It offered a buttery, cohesive feel that many modern wedges struggle to replicate.

What made the 2002 Callaway Forged truly unbeatable was its versatile sole grind. It allowed elite players to lay the clubface completely flat and wide open for towering flop shots, all without raising the leading edge off the ground.

On a more personal note, I always absolutely loved the transition from head to hosel in this particular model, with a severely pinched-in hosel section making the head look somewhat dainty. Coupled with the most beautifully rounded profile, there are few wedges ever made that I would prefer to look down on.

4. Nike Forged (2002)

Released during the golden era of Nike Golf’s aggressive push into premium hardware, the 2002 Nike Forged wedges were absolute works of art. Crafted under the watchful eye of master club maker Tom Stites, these wedges were targeted strictly at purists and better players.

Nike utilized a unique two-step precision ‘squeeze-forging’ process with soft 1030 carbon steel. By aligning the metal's grain under immense pressure, they successfully eliminated any hot spots or dead zones on the face, a critical factor when trying to manage the subtleties of a delicate 40-yard pitch shot.

The standout feature was the signature 'drop-away heel' grind. By removing excess material from the trailing heel, Nike gave golfers total freedom to manipulate the face on tight lies without unwanted bounce getting in the way.

Boasting a clean, minimalist aesthetic heavily inspired by the exact preferences of Tiger Woods, it remains a masterpiece of pure feedback and control.

5. Vokey 200 Series (2000)

Before the ‘Spin Milled’ franchise completely took over the market, Bob Vokey cemented Titleist’s absolute dominance in the wedge category with the 200 Series at the turn of the millennium.

Available in Chrome, Black Nickel, and a highly sought-after Raw finish, the 200 Series featured a classic, slightly compact teardrop shape. What set it apart was a subtle trailing edge ribbon cut across the back of the sole. This minor relief grind kept the back of the club from dragging or snagging through turf, ensuring an incredibly clean, crisp release at impact.

The geometry of the 200 Series was so perfect that it served as the blueprint for many of Titleist’s modern wedge grinds.

Tour pros were so fiercely loyal to these heads that they frequently revolted when asked to upgrade. Most famously, short-game maestro Steve Stricker kept his trusty Vokey 200 Series 60-degree wedge in play for nearly fifteen years, refusing to replace the club that defined his legendary precision around the greens.

Why Haven't They Been Beaten?

The primary reason these vintage wedges still hold their own - and in some cases, beat modern club design - comes down to a massive regulatory shift. In 2010, the USGA and R&A instituted strict limits on groove volume and edge sharpness to stop players from easily gouging balls out of deep rough with excessive spin.

Modern wedges are legally bound by these tighter restrictions. However, well-maintained vintage wedges designed prior to 2010 feature aggressive, deep "box" grooves that are fully legal for recreational club golfers.

Out of a wet or thick lie, an old-school Nike Forged or Ping Eye2 will literally bite and spin the ball harder than a brand-new, premium wedge straight off the pro shop shelf.

Beyond the rules, wedge design is entirely a game of geometry and human touch. There are no flexible faces, carbon fiber crowns, or speed pockets to engineer here. Once the master craftsmen of the late '80s and early 2000s perfected the ideal head shapes and sole grinds, manufacturers reached peak performance.

If you happen to have one of these five classics stashed away in your garage, clean it up and put it back in the bag - your short game, and your wallet, will thank you.

Golf can be a dangerous sport, but it’s often the less obvious threats that cause medical emergencies on the course. Heat is a major killer. Fortunately, if you’re prepared, you can easily avoid heat exhaustion, which brings on dizziness, nausea, and muscle cramps, and the even more severe threat of heat stroke, where worst-case scenarios include unconsciousness and death.

Here are my 5 survival tips for playing golf when the temperature skyrockets…

Consider Your Tee Time

Golfers are creatures of habit. If they always play on a Monday at midday, they’re going to damn well play on a Monday at midday. But listen to the warnings on the weather forecast. If the weather man is saying the temperature and UV levels are off the charts, perhaps rethink your usual Monday routine.

Can you adapt? Are you choosing the best time of day to play golf? Can you manage an early or late tee time? The type of golf you play can also be adapted in extreme heat and there is no need to say yes to playing in everything.

The hottest day on record may not be the time for the monthly medal and I believe golf clubs have a responsibility to cancel some competition golf so members don’t even have the option.

Keep It Cool

Now you’d think common sense should prevail, but it’s incredible how many golfers do very little pre-game prep at any time, let alone in a heatwave. Preparation is everything if you want to stay hydrated and keep your core temperature down during your round.

Get set the night before, freeze some bottles of hydrating drinks In the morning, fill insulated water bottles with cold water, add a few ice cubes, and if you have decent bottles, they’ll stay icy.

Talking of staying hydrated, remember that preparation for playing golf, or in fact any activity in hot weather, begins way before you step out into the sun.

Pre-hydrate the day before and the morning of the round using electrolytes, and ensure that you continue to hydrate long into the evening after you’ve played. Try to keep alcohol consumption down, as the main goal is to stay hydrated and not have a hangover!

Lower your body temperature before you head out with a cold shower, ice plunge if your club has a spa, or simply eat a crushed ice drink. Your core will be cooler to begin with and this will help massively.

A cooling towel is an essential bit of kit in my golf bag for hot days. The material keeps you cool and you can constantly re-wet it with cold water from your water bottle. Look at cyclists or people in the building trade, they often have tricks to keep them cool when they’re outside in the sun with nowhere to hide. A roofer friend of mine swears by a wet towel round the back of his neck to keep him from overheating. This is proven to cool the body temperature and prevent melting.

A handheld fan is also a game changer, or even a fan that loops around your neck and blows air at you whilst you are putting or walking to and from a buggy.

Do Not Carry

Please don’t carry in hot weather… the less you exert yourself the better. Go for efficiency and use an electric or push trolley, or even better, book a cart. This will be your sanctuary when it is roasting. The roof will act as a sun shade and also enable you to carry an ice box full of cool hydrating goodies on board.

Flipping the windscreen down to half open will allow what breeze there is to flow into your face. You can attach fans to the sides and keep sun cream and water facial spritz at hand. Trust me, if you’re able to hire a cart then do it. You’ll then rejoice about your golf afterwards rather than moan about how much you melted.

Cover Up

The temptation to slap the sunscreen on and bare as much flesh as possible on the course is high when temperatures are on the up, but covering up with long sleeve UV protective clothing can keep you cooler.

The fabrics these days are extremely intelligent and will wick moisture away from your body, keep you at an optimum temperature and bounce the sun’s rays off. The heat of the sun can quite literally cook you, especially as it heats the ground you walk on, so the heat gets you from above and below.

Wear breathable golf shoes, light colours and a wide brim hat. Sunglasses will prevent headaches and eye strain. It goes without saying that a high factor sunscreen on any skin that is exposed is non-negotiable. Remember that golfers carry a much higher risk of developing skin cancers. According to Skincancer.org, on average it has been estimated that professional golfers receive 217 times the amount of ultraviolet

(UV) radiation needed to cause a sunburn over the course of the year. So cover up as much as you can, there is no such thing as a safe tan.

With this in mind, seek the shade. If you’re playing a tree-lined course, walk in the shade as much as possible and park your buggy or trolley in the shade. Utilise a sunshade umbrella when playing, there are some great lightweight brollies on the market. If you haven’t got one of those, then use a good old-fashioned giant golf umbrella to create a protective canopy over your head while you trundle your trolley along.

Be Efficient

Cut down the amount of your pre-game warm-up. Reduce the usual bucket of balls before playing to some stretching, chipping and putting. Artificial grass is one of the biggest causes of hotspots in towns and cities, and guess what is covering your practice area? The heat bounces off the fake grass and will literally bake you from below.

I’d advise against the range and instead find a shady spot to chip. The less you exert yourself, the longer you’ll survive out there. So conserve energy and be sensible about how you move about on the course.

No running back to get your putter from the bag after that bunker shot, take your putter with you. Be prepared and think ahead. Play Ready Golf. Leave your bag at the back of the green on the way to the next tee, all the usual stuff that helps play move along at a decent pace.

We all love playing golf, but there will be days where it will quite simply be too hot. When this happens, think about booking an air conditioned simulator or finding a cool shaded range that has full cover. Setting up a fan in a bay is ideal, this can still be great for your game. Nobody enjoys heatstroke, but follow these rules and here’s hoping you’ll avoid it.

It's been a pretty good year for me on the golf course. I've dragged my handicap index down a couple of notches and I managed the win of my life back in April.

But, results aside, I'm just really enjoying play the game at the moment. Don't get me wrong, there's still room for improvement as a 16-handicapper - especially in relation to my putting - but I'm loving the grind and it's a lot of fun to be out there.

So when the chance to compete in an upcoming iGolf Open arose, I thought 'yeah, count me in!' I'd heard great things about the events and I was excited to play in my first proper golf competition as an adult.

At the same time, it made me think back to the last time I'd played an organized event. I was very much a junior golfer and they hadn't always gone to plan, let's say. Maybe I hadn't handled myself in the best way possible and I certainly hadn't produced my best stuff.

Then again, plenty of time has passed since and I'm a far better player now. But what about between the ears? Some would say not a lot has changed...

With hopes of another memorable day ahead of me, I thought I'd make the most of my job and speak to a handful of the very best to see if they could help me out.

I really hope the following advice is not only beneficial to me, but also to you as well. These are tips or bits of advice which we can all use in any competition, or even a casual round for that matter.

I asked five former or current professionals for one piece of advice ahead of my tournament debut as an adult. Here's who they are and what they said.

DAVID HOWELL: BE GREAT COMPANY

David Howell is a former pro who holds the record for the most number of tournament starts on the DP World Tour - 726. He is also a former World No.9, has seven pro victories and is a two-time Ryder Cup winner.

Younger viewers may be more familiar with him as a commentator on Sky Sports' golf coverage - and an excellent one at that.

Here is his advice: "If you're playing with strangers you will most likely have some nerves, which is lovely as it shows you care, so it's best to acknowledge them and see them as a real treat. Not many people do anything that makes them nervous, so you're already one up.

"Not many play well in competition to start with, so keep expectations low and set out with the goal of being great company for your playing partners.

"What does that mean? Play at a good speed, play in good humor, take an interest in your playing partner's game and try your best.

"If you can do those four things then your game will be enjoyable and you will probably play well too."

JAMES NICHOLAS: COSMIC INSIGNIFICANCE

James Nicholas is a rising star in golf with one Korn Ferry Tour title to his name this year and a spot booked at The Open Championship later this month.

Nicholas has played in two US Opens previously and seems likely to reach the PGA Tour very soon. He's also very active on social media, giving fans a really detailed look at what being a pro is like.

His advice was simple: "Honestly, just go for it! I think remembering the fact that no one will remember who we are in 100 years should help calm the nerves and allow you to excel.

"I call it cosmic insignificance. It's almost belittling the moment to allow you to do your best."

PIERS BERRINGTON: EMBRACE AND ENJOY

Piers Berrington is another young talent with bags of ability and a great head on his shoulders. The Englishman plays on the Clutch Tour currently and has managed 10 wins as a pro so far on various circuits.

With aspirations to reach the HotelPlanner Tour very soon before progressing up to the DP World Tour, Berrington has the right attitude to make it happen.

In an interview earlier this summer, he told me: "I would embrace the pressure. A lot of people get scared and worried and think like "oh my god, I'm really nervous." Good. We get nervous every time we hit a first tee shot of a tournament because it means something to you.

"Everybody's nervous. Every great athlete gets nervous. So I think embrace the nerves. You're meant to be nervous, you've never played in an event. I would be worried if you weren't nervous.

"Nerves are good. Just control your breathing. Give yourself a clear mind on what you want to do and where you want to hit it and do it. It's as clear as that.

"And then enjoy it. I think a lot of guys, they put too much pressure on themselves to do well at these events and that's not... golf doesn't work like that.

"You don't win every week. So if you won last week you're probably not going to win next week. You might do, but if you play bad, it is what it is.

"Enjoy the experience, enjoy the day, especially if it's a golf course you might never play again. If you make eight on hole four, who cares? You've now got hole five - go make a birdie or go make a par.

"Don't live in the past. There's too much bad luck in this game, so when you can control your outlook and your mood then you'll have a good day."

SAM DE'ATH: NOTHING NEEDS TO CHANGE

Full disclosure, Sam is a colleague of mine. But he used to be a pro and he's one of the best golfers I've ever seen.

That opinion is backed up by the fact he won multiple events during his time in the US college system, he was nominated for the Jack Nicklaus Collegiate Player of the Year and he's a three-time All-American and Conference team of the year player.

Now a key cog in the Hampshire first team, Sam's best advice is as follows: "Tournament golf is just golf with the word tournament in front of it. Nothing else changes, so go out there and play as you would on any other given day.

"Try to enjoy playing the game as much as possible, because it’s one of those crazy sports where there are far more bad times than good.

"Embrace hitting a good shot and congratulate yourself for it; vice versa, stay calm when you hit a bad one. Everyone does it, and it’s ok to acknowledge it, but it’s so important to remain committed and confident heading into the shot after.

"Lastly, simplify the game, because overthinking and thinking of outcome and technique for 4.5 hours will just drain you.

"Aim for the largest part of the fairway and the centre of the green. When it comes to putting, try to just get the pace control correct. You’re far more likely to two-putt or even hole a putt if your pace is right. If it’s off, it doesn’t matter how good your line is, the ball won’t have a chance."

JOE FERGUSON: DON'T BE OUTCOME-FOCUSED

To bring the advice session home is another wise owl who also happens to be a colleague of mine, Joe Ferguson.

Fans of 'Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show' will be well aware of Joe's background already, but for the rest of you, Joe competed in various England Boy's and Men's squads as an amateur before turning pro.

Once in the paid ranks, he competed on the PGA EuroPro Tour for several years while also making a couple of European Tour starts.

Nowadays, he is more likely to be seen on the GB&I PGA Pro circuit when he's not presenting Kick Point with our colleague, Dan Parker.

Given his years of experience and good success, I tend to listen to Joe when he gives me advice, and I think you should to. Here's what he said about playing better tournament golf.

"Stay away from being outcome focused. Everything amateurs say to me about events seem to be centered around outcomes relating to score, what the winner gets, what people will think etc, and that is distinctly unhelpful psychology!

"To be at your best, you need to be very focused on the individual task at hand, not a wider task of score and result.

"Golf is just a series of individual problems that need solving (shots). Solve each problem as best as you can and add that up at then end of the day!

"Also, in the nicest way possible, no one cares as much as you about this! Relax and enjoy the day!"

In recent seasons, the golf equipment industry has witnessed a fascinating rise of the mini driver. Manufacturers have aggressively rushed to fill a gap in the market with retail heads hovering between 280cc to 340cc, engineered to deliver more control than a standard driver and more raw distance than a traditional 3-wood.

Yet, an intriguing counter-trend is emerging among elite players on professional tours. Instead of adopting purpose-built, out-of-the-box mini drivers, players like Neal Shipley and Ben Silverman are taking customization into their own hands, assembling high-MOI clubs labelled "Thrivers" - full-sized driver heads shortened to 3-wood specifications.

The Pro Perspective: Retaining Maximum Forgiveness

When rising star Neal Shipley showed up at the Valspar Championship testing a unique alternative tee weapon, it wasn't a standard retail mini driver. Instead, Shipley and his team configured a full-sized 460cc Ping G440 Max driver head, cranked the loft up to 12 degrees, and paired it with a short, 43-inch shaft - the playing length of a standard 3-wood.

Shipley’s rationale exposes the inherent engineering compromise of standard retail mini drivers. “One thing with the mini driver is that they’re a smaller head and less forgiving,” Shipley explained to GolfWRX.

“But with this Max head, it has a really big head that’s on a really short shaft, so you can kind of feel really confident on it. I feel like it’s really straight.”

For Shipley, this build is an indispensable "situational club" and a pure fairway finder on tighter tracks where carrying a ball 300 yards introduces unnecessary risk, but hitting a controlled 280-yard bullet into a precise landing zone is optimal.

Solving the Ultimate 3-Wood Dilemma

PGA Tour veteran Ben Silverman deploys an almost identical strategic blueprint, utilizing a ‘dual driver’ configuration. At the top of his bag sits his primary driver, complemented immediately by his homemade ‘Thriver ’- an older Ping G410 driver head set at 12 degrees of loft and built to 3-wood length with a cut-down Accra TourZ RPG 400 Series shaft.

For Silverman, the experiment was born out of a perpetual frustration with the modern 3-wood. He discovered that a 3-wood optimized to fly beautifully off the turf spun excessively when struck from a tee, while a low-spinning tee-monster was virtually impossible to execute cleanly from a tight fairway lie.

Recognizing that he rarely required a 3-wood for hero shots off the ground, he optimized entirely for the tee box. By anchoring a 460cc head onto a shortened shaft, he constructed an ultra-reliable secondary weapon.

Silverman noted that the larger, older driver head naturally generated the extra spin he desired - consistently in the 3000s rpm range - giving him the unique ability to comfortably control and curve the ball into narrow fairways while maintaining center-face contact every single time.

Why Build Rather Than Buy?

The decision of Tour professionals to reject commercial mini drivers in favor of custom-built ‘Thrivers’ highlights a major distinction in clubhead design: the physics of Moment of Inertia (MOI). Retail mini drivers intentionally shrink the footprint to roughly 300cc to preserve the theoretical ability to use the club effectively off the turf.

However, if a player plans to use the club exclusively off a tee peg, shrinking the head offers zero engineering benefits. By maintaining a maximum 460cc driver footprint, Shipley and Silverman retain massive MOI benefit and an expansive sweet spot that standard mini drivers simply cannot replicate.

They achieve the shorter, high-control arc of a 3-wood without sacrificing the catastrophic-miss protection of a modern Max driver.

The Cheat Code for the Average Golfer

While this tactical calibration is gaining massive traction on Tour, the underlying physics potentially represent an even bigger breakthrough for the average amateur golfer. The standard modern driver has ballooned to an average retail length of 45.5 to 46 inches. Manufacturers do this to maximize potential clubhead speed, but the compromise is often devastating for mid-to-high handicappers, resulting in erratic strikes and exaggerated offline misses.

For the everyday player, building a DIY 'Thriver' by shortening a high-loft, high-forgiveness driver head (such as a 10.5° or 12° Max model) to sub-43.5 inches is a legitimate competitive edge.

Commercial mini drivers can actually be intimidating to amateurs because their smaller profiles still require relatively precise, highly consistent striking. A custom ‘Thriver’ completely solves this. The large 460cc face offers a massive visual safety net at address, while the shortened shaft dramatically enhances the player's ability to strike the sweet spot.

Furthermore, many players will actually spin a ‘Thriver’ set up more off the floor than a conventional 3-wood due to the vertical strike location. With the deeper-faced driver head, impact will naturally occur lower in the face (relative to the CG) than with a shallower mini-driver, generally resulting in a slightly lower launch but with significantly higher spin.

Conclusion

The custom ‘Thriver’ projects of Neal Shipley and Ben Silverman illustrate a profound lesson in golf equipment philosophy: out-of-the-box trends rarely beat tailored engineering. By scaling down the length of the shaft while scaling up the forgiveness of the clubhead, players at every level can neutralize tight fairways, maximize strike consistency, and discover an ultra-reliable alternative off the tee.

Ready Golf has been introduced to speed up play and I am hundred percent certain that this has worked. This efficient approach to playing the game is encouraged by golf’s governing bodies and golf clubs, provided it is done in a safe, respectful manner.

But is it gently stripping away golf etiquette and skipping over manners and safety on the course? If not applied correctly I would say it’s having an adverse effect.

The ground rules for Ready Golf are:

On the tee box, whoever is ready and in the box first goes first - not the person who scored lowest or won the last hole.

On the fairway players who are ready take their shots, not players who are further away and not ready.

Players should hit their own shots before searching for playing partners balls in rough/hazards.

Ready Golf doesn’t give you an immediate entitlement to play your shot whenever you fancy it. It does not give you permission to hit your shot over your playing partners heads, or indeed fly up to the green in your buggy when you’re playing partners have not even hit their approach shots. Common sense and respect for others should prevail at all times. I just don’t think the ground rules are being explained to new golfers. There’s more emphasis on rushing around the course.

I believe you can play Ready Golf and still maintain etiquette, but I fear many new golfers are entering the game where it’s a bit of a free-for-all when it comes to who hits when. With a panicked rush to hit a shot as soon as possible, it’s easy to miss out on the enjoyment of watching a playing partner hit a personal best shot, you miss the ability to acknowledge a great shot and say well played.

By constantly being in your own bubble and playing your shot when you’re ready, you are often unaware of what the other golfers in your group are doing. Have they lost their ball? Have they taken a few extra stabs at the ball in the rough? You don’t know, you haven’t watched it.

So although ready golf is designed to speed up play, sometimes it can have the opposite effect because if you’re not paying attention to where your mate's ball went, they’re now going to spend ages searching.

Golf should be more about teamwork. Although you are playing an individual sport you’re playing together, therefore you’re in it together, you should be looking out for your teammates or playing partners and you should be aware of how they’re doing and what they’re doing.

Ready Golf as a mixed fourball is tricky. Picture this, the guys have already teed off and are striding up the hole chasing their fastest round. For women, it often feels a rush to get to the forward tees and hit their shots.

I’ve experienced men walking up the fairway before we’ve teed off on numerous occasions. They’re not actually communicating in any way or even acknowledging each other’s shots at this point.

I feel like we miss out on camaraderie and banter as the game feels a bit disjointed. Not to mention, quite frankly, it can be dangerous. In my experience women are very good at ready golf as they have to play more shots so always have to be ready.

I also believe Ready Golf needs to be applied differently depending on if you’re playing stableford, medal or matchplay. When there are rules of golf resulting in penalties for playing out of turn, applying Ready Golf without first agreeing the ground rules in a competitive round of golf can have consequences. I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments box below.

If Ready Golf is not explained correctly, we risk losing golfing manners and losing so much of the qualities of a game. One of the reasons I encourage juniors to take up this sport is because golf is one of the best games for kids to play to teach them etiquette and sportsmanship. It teaches them respect for their playing partners and good manners.

Yes, it’s a singular game as a general rule, but you are so aware of what the people you are playing with are doing that you are courteous towards them and at no point do you ignore them. I fear often with ready golf it’s easy for players to become quite isolated during a round.

So let’s lay down the ground rules shall we? If you are ready to go and your playing partner is not, give them a shout and say “I’m just gonna go and hit my shot .”

If you’ve lost your ball in the woods and your playing partner is ready to hit, tell them to play, but don’t carry on looking for your ball. Pause while they hit their shot so at least you can acknowledge where their ball has gone and then continue your search.

When you’re on the green I believe playing ready golf doesn’t necessarily speed up play and traditional honours should still apply. If you have putted up to the hole and you’re close, ask if you can knock the ball in. Don’t walk across your playing partner’s line to knock the ball in because you’re ready, they may be about to mark their ball.

If a golfer has stuffed it into the bunker and is struggling to get out, then absolutely continue to putt. But do it safely and respectfully. I do feel that when your playing partner arrives on the green and you’ve already finished the hole it rushes them.

Honours on the tee should remain if a player has had a brilliant hole previously. A birdie or personal best should warrant acknowledgement and invitation to tee off first if they’re indeed ready, if they’re not, they will turn down the invitation. Simple.

Let’s talk about safety. Yes, hitting your shot when you’re ready to play has its advantages and it has certainly sped up play, often reducing rounds to under four hours. But it’s an accident waiting to happen if not applied correctly.

I constantly hear accounts of balls landing beside or past players who are waiting on the fairway. The rush to get the ball in play off the tee causes lack of thought to the players ahead.

Though Ready Golf is a fairly recent recommendation, common sense is not always prevailing. Fairly new golfers are tending to assume it’s just the norm to hit shots over each other’s heads and I’ve seen this all too many times recently out on the golf course.

Golf is still a very dangerous sport and those almost blinkered by thinking “I’m ready, I’m just gonna play” will have a bit of tunnel vision and be focused so much on the speed of play that they forget about safety.

So unless you’re extremely confident that you can hit your golf ball over your playing partner's head when they’ve headed up the hole, I would say don’t do it.

If you're the golfer rushing ahead to speed up play, think about the effect that your actions are having on the golfer you’ve now silently challenged to miss you. The worry of potentially hitting a golfer ahead off putting for some players.

All of this misuse of ready golf can be cleared up by simply agreeing on ground rules before you tee off. Play at a good pace, be respectful and be safe. That would be my Ready Golf motto. Ready Golf is brilliant, but just constantly remind yourselves that manners and safety are still hugely important.

Like many amateur golfers, I look forward to playing golf for days before I actually tee it up.

I am very fortunate as part of my job to play lots of golf as part of my job, at some of the best courses in the UK, but sadly my enjoyment of the round itself can be marred by a number of factors.

Sometimes it's slow play, other times it's my inconsistent ball striking, but more often it's senseless comments from other golfers.

Below, I share six examples that rile me up on the golf course - and one custom that makes me crazy in the clubhouse!

6 Comments That Rile Me Up On The Golf Course

I am almost certain you will have heard many of these on the course or around the golf club, but I am also sure you will have some great examples of your own.

This could be like a form of therapy, in a way, so why not share them in the comments box at the bottom of this article? Let's create the ultimate guide to golfing lunacy - it will be fun, I promise.

1. What's your handicap again?

You know my handicap. I just told you on the first tee box when we exchanged cards and worked out how many shots I get.

Yes - I am not very good at golf. Yes - I sometimes play better than my high handicap.

But, please do not question my integrity with your back-handed digs.

You only need to take a glance at my WHS handicap record, which is readily available for your inspection, to see the wild inconsistency that has earned me my high-handicapper badge.

I put a card in every single round, mainly in pursuit of cutting my handicap in 2026, so the index really couldn't be more accurate.

I don't care about winning enough to cheat in a club match or social competition, so get back in your lane and worry playing better golf - or I, the hacker, will beat you and that will make you even more cross.

2. The early congratulation

Is there anything more annoying that an early congratulation on the golf course?

The ball has literally just left the clubface and you already hear... "great shot".

As my inevitable slice attacks the ball flight and the wind kicks it further into the trees down the right - my blood pressure begins to rise.

The awkwardness of the recovery or the silence that follows is toe-curling. In fact, your playing partner then saying "it looked good early" or "that's a bad break" makes it 10-times worse.

It wasn't a bad break, it was a rubbish shot. Just wait a few more seconds before sharing your feedback and reserve the praise for the one occasion per round where I actually flush it.

3. it's still you

Chances are if you hear the phrase 'still you', something has gone wrong somewhere.

What I don't need is the reminder of that fact. I know it's still me. I can see it's still me.

It's the equivalent of saying mind your head after you've banged it or don't forget your keys after door has just shut behind you - unnecessary and unhelpful.

4. We are playing a match

Playing a match doesn't entitle you to be obnoxious.

Why should that give you the right to take an age over every putt or refuse to let our two-ball through when we are right up your backside for the entire front-nine?

Let's take a dose of perspective here. You aren't playing on the PGA Tour, you aren't battling it out for a Major Championship, so get over yourself and let others enjoy their golf around you.

In my opinion, everyone is equal on the golf course. Whether you are a good player, a beginner, playing a match or having a friendly knock. Simple principles should govern us all.

Be polite, be respectful of each other and keep up with the pace of play (or move out of the way).

5. I'm Waiting For The Green

I've been playing golf for a few years now and I can recall one occasion where the person who said "I am waiting for the green to clear" has actually gone on to hit the green.

In fact, I could count on one hand the amount of times the people on the green would have been even remotely in danger.

Waiting five minutes to then slice it 30 yards right of the fairway or duff it 125 yards down the middle is more likely the result after making that statement. I mean, make better decisions people. Slow play is a thing.

6. What's the rush?

You'll notice that many of these examples centre around my biggest bugbear, slow play on the golf course.

I like to play fast, which I am aware isn't the same for everyone, but a pedestrian pace of play impacts everyone.

Being late home to help with the kids is one thing, but waiting five minutes over every shot also has a direct negative impact on the scoring and enjoyment of others.

You might be someone who can spend all day at the golf club, with no other commitments and plenty of time for five beers in the clubhouse, but that isn't the case for everyone.

It's not about rushing, it's just about being considerate of others time and enjoyment of the game.

Infuriating Clubhouse Custom

The ritual judgement of people as they walk into the clubhouse is something that I am yet to experience in any other business, organisation or establishment anywhere else.

It's like that scene in the famous film 'An American Werewolf in London' where the backpackers walk into a pub and everyone stares in complete silence.

If you are lucky, the locals won't bother you. If you aren't, you might get an earful about your shoes, clothing, hat, mobile phone or a myriad of other things that would be totally normal in any other building within a 50 miles radius.

Let's get something right, we aren't still living in the 1920s. Fewer people were suits to work now, almost everyone owns a pair of trainers and mobile phones have been a thing for almost four decades.

So, if I walk in wearing shorts, with my clean golf shoes on, that are designed to be worn both on and off the course, and my mobile phone in my hand - I really don't expect to receive a lecture about it.

Fortunately, I've never experienced this at my home club - so at least I am safe there.

Outside of a wedding or a funeral, I'd be surprised to be asked to wear a shirt, tie and jacket. So, I certainly will not be changing into my formals for some food or a drink after a round of golf. How ridiculous.

My feelings are that if I can wear it at the restaurant down the road or in the bars in town, I should be able to wear it in the clubhouse.

After all, is it not a space for golfers to go to relax and enjoy a few drinks after their round? Drop the formalities, lose the silent stare and let's all get on with our lives.

Sometimes we go down a bit of a rabbit hole with our equipment chat. Actually, this happens quite often, which you probably know if you’re a regular Kick Point listener.

Recently, someone asked what clubs you’d have in the bag if you could have no more than one model from each brand - and very little work was carried out for the next two hours.

After much deliberation, and on the basis that we made this unique 14-club lineup suitable for most golfers (there are one or two exceptions), here’s what the team has agreed on.

Fancy killing an hour or two of your time? Have this discussion with your golfing pals and let us know your lineup by leaving a comment in the box below.

No doubt you’ll also find it hard to leave certain clubs out, especially if you’ve always been loyal to just one brand - but that’s the idea…

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D

This wasn’t a difficult choice. The TaylorMade Qi4D is, quite frankly, an outstanding driver, boasting a winning combination of clubhead speed and stability.

The true innovation in the Qi4D lies in its relentless pursuit of speed, which is clearly where TaylorMade has invested heavily - and it showed during testing.

For Joe, our driver expert, it gave him 1.5 mph more clubhead speed than any other driver he tested during the 2026 launch season, which equated to between 5-8 yards of additional carry.

Another notable improvement on the Qi35 was the feel, which Joe says is “spot on”, and the tour-inspired head profile, with a look that should appeal to a very wide range of players.

It’s the “total package” and one you can read more about in our guide to the best drivers 2026.

Fairway Wood: Cobra Optm X

“I’m calling it now. This will be the most underrated fairway wood of 2026.”

That's what fairway wood reviewer Sam De’Ath said at the start of the year, adding that the Cobra Optm X fairway wood was a “superb all-rounder”.

Although the LS version provides the fastest ball speeds, it’s the X that should suit the most golfers, offering a balanced combination of fast speed and forgiveness.

The LS model looks a touch more compact at address, too, so we’re putting the X in the bag for that little extra confidence boost.

Together with an adjustable weighting system, the Cobra Optm X features an adjustable hosel, which allows for 33 unique loft and lie settings, a dream for players who like to tinker in between playing different courses.

Hybrid: Callaway Quantum Max

The Callaway Quantum Max hybrid is a well-rounded performer that makes a pretty good job of balancing forgiveness and workability - and it’s this standard version that gets the nod for our bag.

With its bold, modern appearance and clean lines, it boasts plenty of shelf appeal - plus it packs plenty of punch, with lots of height and distance.

One of the key technical stories here is the Speed Wave 2.0. By pushing weight low and forward in the head, the technology helps increase ball speed while maintaining stable, predictable launch conditions.

Not everyone will like the glossy crown finish, but the black and gray headcover complements the club nicely.

Irons: Mizuno Pro S3

When it comes to irons, we've broken our own rule and put the exceptionally premium-looking Mizuno Pro S3 irons in the bag, aimed at the low-handicap player and accomplished ball striker.

A compact profile, shorter blade length and straighter lines than normally found on Mizuno irons offer a refreshing look.

As for the feel, simply outstanding.

Looks have played their part in the inclusion of these irons, too, as you would expect.

“Sensational” is the word Joe uses. “From the shelf appeal perspective, the Pro S3 is about as clean as it gets.”

You’ll know about it if you don’t quite catch one, but who cares? Just look at them.

If you are that kind of player who likes to work the ball and demands superior feel, you might find that the shorter blade length makes it a little easier to manipulate the face and create a variety of shot shapes and trajectories.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM11

There were numerous wedge models in this conversation, but the team were pretty unanimous on the scoring clubs. Vokeys.

Although the performance gains over the SM10 wedges are subtle, the refined aesthetics and improved GC make the Titleist Vokey SM11 wedges the most complete and premium-looking wedge system the manufacturer has ever produced.

Vokey loyalists will have immediately noticed that the branding has moved from the back to the hosel, creating a more minimalist look.

Furthermore, the refined banner strip on the back is a nod to the previous Vokey WedgeWorks models.

For Sam, our wedges expert, the flight control is where the progressive CG really shines - and the feel, he says, is sensational. We’ll put three of those in the bag, all with the raw finish.

Putter: L.A.B. Golf DF3i

Sam also knows his putters, and didn't hesitate when it came to which model would make it into this bag - it's one of the many L.A.B. Golf models that he's tested.

The brand has become a major player in the putter market, challenging established giants such as Odyssey and Scotty Cameron.

Although this is certainly a unique putter, the only real criticism of the original DF3 was that the ball came off a touch softly for some.

The L.A.B. Golf DF3i has been designed to correct this by replacing the face with a fly-milled stainless-steel insert bonded to the 6061 aircraft aluminium body, the same one found in the Oz.1i putter.

Not too confident over the shorties? Although the large footprint will likely take a little getting used to, the near automatic squaring of the DF3i's face makes it especially prolific from short range.

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

What about a golf ball? With several brands left to choose from, we eventually agreed on the Srixon Z-Star Diamond, which just edged out the Bridgestone Tour B X.

For Joel, the Diamond is arguably the pick of the bunch when it comes to total performance from Srixon’s premium balls lineup.

Fast and low spinning with the driver, it provides extreme spin with wedges as well as a soft yet responsive feel through the bag.

It was the model that five-time Major champion Brooks Koepka played when he signed with the brand in 2021, and sits between the Z-Star and Z-Star XV in terms of its feel and spin profile.

Club lineup and ball selection complete, with no brand used twice - and a pretty impressive arsenal it is too.

Do you agree with our selections? Got any of these clubs in your bag? Let us know in the comments below.

Breaking 90 in golf is hard. There is a reason so many amateurs fail to get over the line, but I am not prepared to lay down and accept that fate just yet.

There are data-proven ways to break 90, as well as certain shots that high-handicappers need, but so much of overcoming this hurdle is psychological. The fact is, I need to do a bit of work on improving my mental resilience.

So, in a sort of therapeutic way, I decided to share with you 5 things you can only relate to if you've never broken 90 - in the hope that it builds community, creates a feeling of acceptance and relights the fire for my on-going pursuit...

5 Things You Can Only Relate To If You've Never Broken 90

This list of observations, experiences and general frustrations are things I have picked up on my own journey to breaking 90, which I still haven't yet completed, but if you have some of your own that I have missed - drop them in the comments box below.

Writing this certainly made me feel better about my lacklustre performances on the course, but there is always room for a few more relatable reasons that evidence how the golfing gods are punishing me for something.

1. 'Jeckyll And Hyde' Phenomenon

In my pursuit of a sub-90 score, one of the biggest frustrations I have encountered is a 'Jekyll and Hyde' phenomenon that plagues my scoring.

If you look at my front-nine and back-nine score from any particular round, you could be excused for thinking that two different people have teed it up over the course of the full 18 holes.

One guy is a decent golfer who makes a few pars and goes round in 43, while the other is a chopper who, it appears, has never picked up a golf club in his life and hacks his way to a 52.

I'm either left frustrated that I didn't shoot better on the front after a recovery on the back, or I am dejectedly sipping my pint in the clubhouse after I threw away a golden opportunity to reach the milestone down the stretch.

The most irritating part is I have no idea when either will make an appearance, but both seem pretty content to collaborate in causing me pain and misery on the golf course.

2. Turning Into Archimedes Himself

Four holes to go. Closing stretch officially entered.

All of a sudden, I turn into Archimedes himself as I make an intellectual breakthrough in working out exactly what I still need to do in order to break 90.

Combinations flash in front of my very eyes as I process the different scoring variations that lead to the magical land of scoring in the 80s.

A score of 47 on the front and a score of 26 on the first five holes of the back-nine means I have 16 shots to play with.

Three gross pars and a nett par should do the trick, but if I could turn that nett par into a nett birdie I can then afford to make a nett par instead of one of the gross pars.

You catch my drift. A flash of light and I'm back in the room, but now I have forgotten how to swing a golf club. At least the maths was right.

3. The Blow-Up Hole

Clearly, golfers of any ability can have a blow-up hole - but I would wager that few do it quite as spectacularly as me (or other high-handicap golfers).

Recently, I was on my way towards my best ever front-nine. A series of gross pars and bogeys meant I needed a bogey down the par-4 9th to score 43 and give myself a great chance of breaking 90 for the first time ever.

Anyone who has played golf at Sand Moor Golf Club will attest to the fact that the 9th tee box is the most stunning location on the course, with views of the reservoir and dramatic 16th fairway, but sadly - it's also flanked by white stakes.

"I know, I'll play it safe and get the halfway hut with a great chance on the back-nine", I thought.

"Iron for safety, Baz. Anywhere down the left".

Cue shank of said 'safety' club straight out of bounds. Re-tee, still seething about my incompetence, and proceed to do exactly the same thing. Fantastic.

So, that five I needed now required me to hole out from the tee - on a 350-yard+ par 4. If I told you I made a nine, I would be protecting myself and my ego. So, read into that what you will.

4. Range Confidence

I am a flusher on the range. There, I said it!

I know many people think the same, but if you watched me off that lovely flat mat with a 70-yard wide range in front of me, you'd think I was a single-figure golfer (probably).

Get me onto the course, however, and things take a turn for the worse. Suddenly, I look like a chopper desperately trying to piece together a decent score.

Now, before you point out the psychology of hitting on the range vs the course and point out that there are a number of perfectly logical reasons as to why this happens - I know all of that already.

I'm just saying... it's annoying.

5. Not Losing A Ball Celebrations

Trying to break 90 has been a long and arduous journey, which has yet shown no sign of ending - apart from when I shot 86 with an asterisk on a non-counting course.

So, in the interest of maintaining a degree of sanity, you have to celebrate the small wins.

One such victory is playing a whole round without losing a golf ball. For many 'good' golfers, this might seem a little pathetic.

Well, I made enough deposits into the water, trees and long rough of a variety of courses over the years to be considered a major shareholder in second-hand golf ball businesses - so I am taking the W.

Let's face it, the life expectancy of the treasured full round golf ball is limited anyway. I'll be playing again in a few days time.

The club championship should be the biggest event on any golf club’s calendar. Establishing and celebrating the best golfer of the year is a fundamental reason for running and being part of a golf club.

But what is the best way to find the most deserving golfer? Should clubs use a stroke play format, like the biggest events in elite professional golf?

Or should they use a format that’s favoured in the top-level amateur competitions, a mixture of stroke play and match play?

Or, maybe the club championship should be straight match play…

What are your thoughts on the best club championship format? Let us know in the comments below.

When travelling around the UK, and further afield, you’ll find no set format for the club championship. But it would seem the most common is to hold a stroke play qualifier leading into a match-play knockout phase.

There is, of course, no right or wrong and there is something to be said for stroke play and match play. Some clubs favour a full match play format for the following reasons:

Firstly, having a little more variety might be welcome. If the championship is match play, it’s a nice break from the steady run of stroke play club medals and Stablefords.

On tour, there is a reluctance to include match play events – lesser-known players can knock out the big names with a stellar performance, and the latter stages can be less star-studded and that has an impact on TV viewing figures. Sponsors don’t like that.

But, at club level, is it not refreshing for a few more members to have a chance of making an impact and getting their name on the board?

More often than not, the best players will prevail, but the occasional upset would keep things interesting. A multi-round stroke-play event might be too much for a slightly higher-handicap player to come out on top, but in match play, they might just have a chance.

I like the idea. But, for me, stroke play is the only way to sort the wheat from the chaff and find the club’s true 'champion golfer for the year'. The vagaries of match play are too great. In stroke play the cream will always rise to the top.

Over four rounds of stroke play, there is no doubt the victor has earned the honour of being club champion. They have beaten the field to take the title.

And one of the great things about a stroke play championship is that more members will be involved competitively to the very end of the event.

There might be a finals day when the last round of the men’s, women’s, juniors and senior’s championships are all played.

That means more people around the club to watch the final stages, better atmosphere and more chance of a party afterwards.

Most clubs have knockout tournaments, and these have an important place. Always throwing up some unlikely results, they’re great fun, but should be used to find 'match play' rather than 'club' champions.

'The best way to decide the club champion'

What about mixing the two though? As mentioned, many clubs have a stroke play qualifying element to their championship. Perhaps 36-holes with the top 16 progressing to the match play stages.

That’s what the highest-level amateur championships of Britain and the USA do (with more participants of course.) You must excel at both stroke play and match play to claim the win.

The problem I have with that format at club level is that, when it comes to the final, it’s just two players on the course. Unless the membership is interested and involved, there might be little support and involvement – how many will realistically come out simply to spectate?

In my opinion, 72 holes of stroke play is the best way to decide the club champion for the year. The winner must display consistency over four rounds and make few mistakes.

Like in pro events, there might be a midway cut, but there will still be a number of participants right at the end. That means more people will be involved, both as players and as interested spectators (friends and family members).

You should get a good crowd around the final green to see the club champion crowned for the year. That champion will have thoroughly deserved the plaudits and the celebrations that follow.

The best format for a club championship is multi-round stroke play.

When you have a card in hand there is nowhere to hide. Everyone will be able to see how terrible at golf you really are! You scored 6 on that short par-3? Hmm, are you sure that was just a bad day and not a true reflection of your game? Golf is very hard, maybe you should try Pickle Ball? You should give up on the 12th now and NR…

If those spiralling, chaotic thoughts sound in any way familiar, this article is for you. As a golfer who played to a high level as an amateur and now a golf coach with over 20 years experience, I know how it feels to get the scorecard nerves and have seen over and over again how the fear of a scorecard can wreak havoc on people’s enjoyment of the game. Here are my top 5 tips for navigating scorecard nerves.

Understand And Accept

You are nervous because you care and it means something. Feeling anxious does not make you weak, it makes you human and means you are challenging yourself by doing things outside of your comfort zone.

Understanding that nerves are normal and actually good, is the first step in freeing you from thinking of them as a negative thing. So accept and embrace the nerves, it makes completing the challenge all that bit sweeter.

It’s The Hope That Kills You

Or rather in golf, it’s the expectation, and there is no other sport I’ve come across where the gap between people’s expectations of what they think they ‘should’ be able to do and ‘can’ actually do are bigger.

Golf doesn’t care if you were hitting it well at the range yesterday, it doesn’t care if you used to be really good a few years ago, golf only cares about the here and now and will quickly highlight any weak areas of your game. Remember goals are good, expectations will weigh you down. So be realistic about what you’d like to achieve.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is the process of gradually and repeatedly facing the situations, thoughts or feelings that make you anxious instead of avoiding them. Over time, your brain learns that the situation is not as dangerous as it is first believed and the anxiety about it begins to lose its power.

An example of this is often people who are scared of spiders, following the steps of first being in the same room as one, to then being closer, to then building up to holding one. Just as someone with a fear of spiders might gradually learn to hold one, you can learn to become comfortable with scorecards by facing the discomfort rather than avoiding it.

Like being in the same room as a spider, start slowly by setting yourself small challenges; keeping your score for 6 holes during a round. Having a friend mark your card for 9. Entering more 9-hole competitions. You will undoubtedly experience some bad scores that make you feel uncomfortable, but you will also start to feel less anxious about it because you have experienced the nerves, done it anyway and realised it is just another part of the game.

Stay On Task

There’s a reason why the best golfers in the world have set pre-shot routines. A routine gives your mind something to focus on and acts as an anchor when nerves start to build.

Think of your attention like a torch, wherever you point and shine the light is where your attention goes, so shine it on what you are trying to do. That’s not to say you won’t still have nerves but bringing your attention back to the task in hand keeps the mind busy and gives you less time to let doubts creep in. Being able to focus is a skill and one of the most powerful tools to have when playing golf under pressure.

There Is The Possibility…

Scorecard golf might not be for you. For many golfers, keeping score and competing is what golf is all about, it is certainly the traditional image of the game. But golf has changed, nowadays there are more ways than ever to enjoy the game and not all of them revolve around scorecards and competition.

Playing socially with friends, driving range and simulator golf, or just being outside and hitting balls are all ways golf is enjoyed. So if keeping score consistently causes stress, takes away your enjoyment and is not something you want to overcome, that is absolutely more than okay and good that you know that about yourself. Find the version of the game that makes you happy and keeps you coming back.

Parting Thoughts

The scorecard is often treated as a judgment of our ability, but in reality it’s simply a record of one day’s golf. The problem isn’t usually the numbers on the card, it's the stories we attach to them. We worry about what a bad score says about us, what others might think, or whether we’ve lived up to our own expectations. It is also always worth remembering that other people care very little about your golf and far more about their own!

So the more we can separate our self worth from our score, the more freedom we give ourselves to enjoy the game. Golf will always contain uncertainty, mistakes and the occasional disaster hole. That’s the nature of the game and what makes it so challenging.

The most important point with all of this is to remember you are meant to be playing for fun, this is where you are spending your precious leisure time. If the pursuit of scorecard golf makes you nervous in an excited way, embrace the tips above, but if it doesn’t light your candle, find and embrace the golf that does.

It’s official: women’s golf is experiencing an unprecedented global surge. According to the National Golf Foundation, the United States has seen a staggering 45% rise in the number of female golfers since 2020. This momentum is mirrored across the Atlantic; England Golf reported that in 2025, female players submitted over 151,000 additional scores, a 14% increase that underscores a growing community.

However, does this surge in numbers mean there is now a clear pathway from a beginner to full club membership and regular, committed play? In all honesty, I’m not so sure.

Bridging the Gap

From my experience, only a few golf courses manage the beginner-to-member transition really well. For most clubs, the standard offering is a short course of lessons and a six-week academy membership. While this provides off-peak access to the course, the majority of club competitions remain stubbornly mid-week.

Equally challenging is the cultural barrier: new golfers often aren’t deemed "real" golfers by the existing membership unless they are playing 18 holes every time they go out. I long for a world where women can learn the game, inevitably get hooked, and then be offered flexible, diverse ways to pursue their golfing journey.

I asked a group of women in both the US and the UK about their experiences, and the feedback was mixed. Are you a woman who got into golf, excited by the prospect of a lifetime sport, only to be disappointed by a complete lack of a next step?

One woman shared a brutally honest perspective:

"The answer is no; beginners are not really welcome at all, though the club would deny this. It launches occasional, half-hearted attempts at recruiting new women members, but success is generally limited to existing golfers who are medium-to-low handicappers.

“We are a century behind the times equality-wise. Any woman who pushes for change is punished with banishment from cliques and sidelined for committee roles. The 'backbench' traditional men are bad enough, but I'm ashamed to note that the worst enemies of beginners at my club are often the existing women members themselves."

Without a clear pathway, I frequently find myself unable to answer the desperate questions from women in my group lessons: “What next? How do I actually go and play golf on a course? I haven’t got all day, I’ve got three hours maximum. How do I make this work?”

It’s been embarrassing at times to simply say, "Unfortunately, you can’t do it here. Why not pop down the road to the nine-hole course that does it really well, or stick to the par-3 course?" It often feels like the traditional sport is not set up for women unless they are retired and have hours of leisure time.

The Financial Case for Flex-Memberships

Some clubs might look at this problem and wonder, “Is it worth it? What’s it going to do for our revenue? We have a waiting list, so why should we alter things for groups who only want to play nine holes?”

I’ll tell you why: New women golfers spend money. Working women buy lunches, look for venues to hold meetings, host parties, and organise social gatherings. Furthermore, women usually manage the family diary; get them involved, and they will bring their children, the future members of your club. A short-form academy membership utilising off-peak times injects reliable revenue into quieter slots in the club diary.

Here is the framework that forward-thinking facilities are already using brilliantly:

An Active Beginner Community: Group coaching blended seamlessly with on-course lessons.

A Dedicated 9-Hole Membership: A tier that differentiates itself from full membership purely by format and time, not status.

Accessible Competitive Formats: Nine-hole competitions, knockouts, and small team events that foster camaraderie in a social playing environment.

Clubs Doing It Brilliantly

Jo Shorrocks, a board member at Bigbury Golf Club in Devon, notes: "We’ve been really successful in getting women into golf, which is why England Golf chose us as a pilot club for their 'Women’s Growth Initiative.' This is largely due to an open-minded Board, enthusiastic volunteers, and a progressive Pro who understands that women are a different, highly valuable proposition."

Bigbury’s highly successful two-year pathway works like this:

Year 1 (Get Into Golf): An off-peak membership offered at a fraction of the full cost. Women can play after 1:00 PM on any day of the week, playing as many holes as they feel comfortable with once the Pro deems them course-ready. 75% of their beginners took up this option.

Year 2 (Integration Membership): Still off-peak and heavily discounted, but introducing structured social events, on-course competitions, and handicap support. Almost all Year 1 members progressed to Year 2 - in fact, one of those beginners is playing in the 36-hole Club Championship today!

Innovative thinking is saving the game elsewhere, too. At Bishops Stortford Golf Club in Hertfordshire, Barbara Tucker won the "Women’s Initiative" award at the 2024 Women in Golf Awards. The Blue Course scheme she created in 2014 boasted shorter tees, group lessons, free facility use, and a buddy system. Today, the majority of the club's ladies' committee started their journeys through that very scheme.

Meanwhile, at Highpost Golf Club in Salisbury, Debbie Rock began her journey through a "Women Into Golf" (WIG) program. She just finished her year as the first female Club Captain in the club’s 104-year history. Compare that to a less supportive club experience shared by another golfer:

"Our club runs a 'Get Into Golf' for six weeks, followed by members taking newbies out for four holes a few times. But there’s nothing to progress on afterward. It’s hard to play with other beginners because no one knows what they’re doing, and if you don’t own clubs yet, you literally can't play."

Proven Frameworks To Adopt

A modern 9-hole section must be trusted and respected. Alternatively, clubs can offer a flexible credit system where points are deducted depending on when and how many holes are played, a system Goodwood in West Sussex has used with massive success.

Goodwood’s Copse facility features six short par-3 holes, making it the ultimate playground for beginners to master their short game before seamlessly transitioning to a quick nine holes from the forward tees on The Park course.

Flagged by several US golfers, Operation 36 is a structured, six-level programme designed to take a beginner from their very first round to the formal tees. Golfers start playing nine holes from just 25 yards out from the green. Once they can shoot a 36 or better from that distance, they move back to the next yardage marker.

This model tackles a massive industry problem: 70% of beginners who try golf ultimately quit because they feel lost and discouraged. Frameworks like Operation 36 give pros a reliable revenue stream and facilities a structured way to retain players. As LPGA & PGA Coach Maggie Simons puts it: "Operation 36 is the backbone of my programming. It gives golfers a clear roadmap to improvement, no matter their goals."

Finding The Tribe

Whether it’s the 'Ladies Masters Scheme' I utilised back in the early 2000s at Hamptworth Golf & Country Club in Wiltshire, or the incredibly popular 'Happy Hour' Tuesday evening league at Hillcrest Country Club in Indianapolis (which regularly sees over 40 women participating in clinics and social play), success always comes down to community and connection.

Whatever a club decides to do, the most important thing is that a clear, visible pathway exists. If you are a member of a club that doesn't actively encourage beginners, start asking why. If you are a beginner, don’t wait around for the perfect invitation. Book a playing lesson, tee up from the fairway with a friend, and ask your club what they can offer.

If your local club doesn't give you the answer you're looking for, leverage the digital communities available to us today. Platforms like Women Who Golf, Skratch Women, the Women’s Golf Lounge, and the UK Women’s Golf Community are the perfect places to find your tribe, get nomadic playing opportunities and safely fall in love with this fantastic sport.