June

  • Jordan Spieth shares his scoring secrets

    Written by Kevin Brown on Thursday 30 June 2016

    Jordan Spieth started the 2015 season as an up-and-coming pro, one of a number of guys who had one victory on tour and lots of promise. Then this happened… ● He won the Masters, becoming the second-youngest player to win at Augusta and just the fifth man ever to lead from start to finish. ● He won the US Open, becoming the...

  • Want to know how to get a hole-in-one?

    Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 29 June 2016

    There’s something very special about a hole-in-one. It’s a pure example of the perfect shot. It doesn’t really matter whether you thin a 9-iron that would have shot off the back off the green but happened to hammer against the flag and drop in, or whether you hit a soaring 7-iron that pitches just past the hole and spins back...

  • How much better at putting is a scratch golfer than a 10-handicapper?

    Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 22 June 2016

    Rob McGarr has been stuck on a 10 handicap for too long. He wants to get to scratch.  Catch up on his journey so far: Part One: How hard can it be to go from 10 to scratch? Part Two: I’m trying to get from 10 to scratch, and now I’m off 11… Part Three: My first cut and two costly missed tiddlers Part Four:...

  • Major winners galore in star-studded Berenberg Gary Player Invitational

    Written by Kevin Brown on Monday 20 June 2016

    An all-star field has been announced for the Berenberg Gary Player Invitational at Wentworth Club in London on July 18, including 15 Major winners and current Masters Champion, Danny Willett. Black Knight International and title sponsor Berenberg will bring together stars from the men’s and women’s game, following The Open at Royal Troon, under the banner of a Union of Golf and...

  • Why do golf balls have dimples?

    Written by Michael Catling on Thursday 16 June 2016

    Why are there dimples on a golf ball? They feature on every single ball. But how do the size, number and pattern of dimples affect what your ball does through the air? And why don’t balls in other sports bother with them? Nike Golf’s balls expert explains. Why do golf balls have dimples on them?  Dimples, along with the amount of spin...

  • You can buy the Dunvegan Hotel in St Andrews for £2.9 million

    Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 15 June 2016

    It’s only 112 yards from the Old Course, and it’s the place to be whenever The Open comes to town. It’s a favourite spot for golf fans and tour pros alike, and now you can own it – if you have £2.9 million going spare.  Dunvegan Hotel owners Jack and Sheena Willoughby have decided to sell up after 22 years at...

  • Unusual course review: Junkyard Golf Club in London

    Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 14 June 2016

    On most golf courses, finding an old car bumper or some discarded cereal packets would be cause for concern, but at Junkyard Golf Club in Shoreditch, London, it’s all part of the charm. The three nine-hole courses put the ‘crazy’ in crazy golf, with slides, jacuzzis, pool tables, doghouses and treadmills to navigate. The emphasis is on fun, with four on-site bars...

  • Who is the Secret Tour Pro? Who cares?!

    Written by Denis Pugh, PGA Master professional, tour coach and Sky Sports pundit on Tuesday 14 June 2016

    As feelgood stories go, Danny Willett’s victory at the Masters was about as good as they get. He had two days to prepare, no major pedigree and was still embracing fatherhood when he landed in Georgia, against the advice of his manager Chubby Chandler. All signs pointed to a missed cut, and yet he somehow managed to achieve the improbable...

  • 6 ways to take your game to the next level

    Tuesday 14 June 2016

    Watching the world’s best players, we could all be forgiven for thinking their swings are based on covert techniques we amateurs don’t get to hear about. But that’s just paranoia, right? Well, perhaps not. While an elite technique is built on the same basics any golf swing needs, there are a series of thoughts and moves...

  • Scientists (and Padraig Harrington) have worked out how much further you can hit with a Happy Gilmore swing

    Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 13 June 2016

    We’ve all tried it when messing around with mates, but could the Happy Gilmore swing actually be a secret weapon in competition? Using three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and launch monitor TrackMan, scientists have calculated that a properly struck drive using Happy Gilmore’s famous technique will travel 10% further than a ball hit with a standard swing. That means Harrington can...

  • Mark Wahlberg has the back garden of any golfer’s dreams

    Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 10 June 2016

    If you’re looking for more reasons to be jealous of multi-millionaire, award-winning Hollywood heart-throb Mark Wahlberg, take a look at his back garden.  The 45-year-old posted this picture of his new back garden practice facility on Instagram. The facility is made entirely of artificial grass, meaning 5-handicapper Wahlberg can practice all year round to his heart’s content.  For many years, Wahlberg said he...

  • How many hours per week does it take to get to scratch?

    Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 2 June 2016

    Rob McGarr is trying to get from a handicap of 10, which he’s been stuck on for a while, to scratch.  Previous articles: Part One: How hard can it be to go from 10 to scratch? Part Two: I’m trying to get from 10 to scratch, and now I’m off 11… Part Three: My first cut and two costly missed tiddlers _______________ I should be off...

  • SPRINT6GOLF unveiled as golf’s new faster format

    Written by Michael Catling on Thursday 2 June 2016

    Fed up of playing five-hour rounds? SPRINT6Golf – a new quick-fire, shorter format of golf – has been launched to help speed up the game. SPRINT6GOLF is played over just six holes and utilises a free mobile app with a 30-second shot clock to ensure a continuous pace of play. Designed to attract players of all ages and abilities, the format typically...

  • Don’t be too proud to use a pink plastic tee… it could improve your driving!

    Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 1 June 2016

    Many golfers wouldn’t be seen dead using a pink plastic castle tee. They are often seen as the reserve of lesser golfers. Any decent golfer uses proper wooden tee pegs, don’t they?  Well, consider this… Golf, as we know, is a game of very fine margins. The difference between a perfect strike and a disastrous mishit is is less than an inch. When...