Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 18 February 2016
Getting custom fit for golf clubs is a bit like upgrading to Sky HD from the standard resolution. Everyone who has done it will tell you that the difference is remarkable, it’s well worth the money, and that once you’ve done it you’ll never be able to go back. But when you’re sat there, watching the perfectly acceptable standard definition, it...
Written by Chris Jones on Thursday 18 February 2016
Has there ever been a better time to be a golfer? The game is buzzing right now. With the new ‘Big Four’ doing battle on tour, golf’s imminent return to the Olympics and a Ryder Cup on the horizon, there’s lots to get excited about. Whether you’re a golfer like me who’s constantly battling to improve his (now 11) handicap,...
Written by Stuart Hood on Thursday 18 February 2016
How do you get a golf handicap? “Our official system is run by The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU),” explains Gemma Hunter, Handicap and Course Rating Executive for England Golf. “Members of affiliated golf clubs can gain a CONGU handicap by returning either three 18-hole or six nine-hole cards that have been signed by someone the club deems to be...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 18 February 2016
According to the AimPoint website, 45,000 amateur golfers, 5,000 juniors, 200 tour pros and 250 instructors are using the unique green-reading system to, as AimPoint put it, “make everything!” Some – including some of the world’s best golfers – swear by it. Others dismiss it as a gimmick. Zimbabwean pro Tony Johnstone, who won six times on the European Tour,...
Written by Denis Pugh, PGA Master professional and coach to Francesco Molinari and Ross Fisher on Wednesday 27 January 2016
The PGA Tour trailers on TV often finish with the slogan “these guys are good”. Actually, these guys aren’t just good – they are far, far better than you think. Every amateur golfer has dreamed of what it would be like to be a tour professional. Some of you may be scratch golfers, or play with scratch golfers, and wonder if...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 26 January 2016
Golfers spend £214 a month on the game One in ten hide their expenditure from their partner Biggest expense is golf club membership Golf is as expensive as you choose to make it. Decide to splash £100,000 or however much they’re charging these days for a membership at Wentworth, get diamond-encrusted balls and clubs forged from gold, and the bill will quickly add...
Written by Courses & Travel Editor Kevin Brown on Monday 25 January 2016
The 2015 Open Championship in St Andrews delivered £140 million of economic benefit to Scotland – the largest amount ever achieved by a golf event in the United Kingdom or Ireland, according to an independent economic impact assessment. The study, commissioned by the R&A, shows spending by visitors to Scotland for the tournament generated £88 million – nearly double the £47.5...
Monday 25 January 2016
1. Dustin Johnson exclusive We sat down with the game’s longest hitter to get his thoughts to help you unleash longer tee shots. 2. Gain 30 yards in 30 minutes Two TG readers and Top 50 pro Chris Ryan set about gaining distance through tips and fitting. The results surprised everyone. 3. 5 power moves you can master Chris Ryan shares the secrets to more...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 25 January 2016
Paul Chaplet was only ten years old when he first picked up a golf club, but six years later, he’s on his way to Augusta to play in the 2016 Masters. Chaplet won the Latin American Amateur on Sunday, and will follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Matias Dominguez, as he makes his first appearance in a major. “It’s...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 25 January 2016
Jordan Spieth earnt a reported $53,030,465 in prize winnings and sponsorship last year, dethroning Tiger Woods as the game’s top earner for the first time in over a decade. Spieth won $23,030,465 in prize money during 2015, the highest total in history, making up the other $30 million in sponsorships, including his big-money deal with Under Armour. Spieth’s total is £37,575,615.75 by...
Written by Stuart Hood on Monday 25 January 2016
90% of amateur golfers hit the ball with a left-to-right shot shape. And almost 100% of them would swap it for a crowd-pleasing draw, given half the chance. But is a draw all it’s cracked up to be? Plenty of the world’s best golfers favour a fade, and Martin Kaymer’s game fell apart when he tried to swap his for...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 25 January 2016
Being in the Guinness Book of World Records used to be something to be really proud of, before entries like ‘most pieces of sweetcorn eaten using only your toes in 60 seconds’ and ‘most T-shirts worn at once’* detracted from the prestige somewhat. (*The record is 270, which, to be fair, is actually quite impressive.) Holding a golf world record would still...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 25 January 2016
The PC used to be the homeland of golf games, until Sony’s PlayStation came along and we all ditched three clicks of the mouse for a pull and push of a joystick as they way of making a virtual swing. The PC may be about to make a comeback, though, with the release of Winning Putt by Bandai Namco. Winning Putt is completely...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 25 January 2016
Golf’s participation statistics are a real cause for concern. Golf has lost 13% of its regular players in the last four years. That’s worrying enough, but another stat troubles us even more: participation amongst 16 to 25-year-olds has dropped 45% in the same period. There are currently only around 50,000 regular golfers in that age range. That means, as older...
Written by Rob Jerram on Tuesday 12 January 2016
When Dan Walker’s mother cut short his first golf lesson, a group session being taught by a drunken instructor, he could never have guessed the huge part the sport would play in his life. The 38-year-old has been a key part of the BBC’s golf team for over a decade, and it was during the 2009 Open at Turnberry that Walker...
Written by Stuart Hood on Tuesday 12 January 2016
Ian Richards has been a professional golf gambler for 15 years. In that time he has developed a strategy that has relieved bookmakers of hundreds of thousands of pounds. He agreed to reveal his secrets, as long as we didn’t reveal his face. If you are planning to bet on golf, make sure you pay close attention to Richards’ tips. How did...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 12 January 2016
It’s often easy to dismiss mini golf as a bit of novelty fun, a nice way to spend half an hour on a summer holiday putting through the mouth of a whale or a clown’s pocket, but with little resemblance to real golf. At The Belfry’s new 12-hole mini golf course, however, it’s a much more serious affair. The Belfry has...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 6 January 2016
2016 is set to be a year to remember for golf fans. As well as the usual four majors, we’ve got the Ryder Cup 2016 to look forward to, and the little matter of the 2016 Olympics being the first to feature golf since 1904. To ensure you don’t miss any of the action, make sure you’ve got these dates...
Written by Denis Pugh, PGA Master professional and coach to Francesco Molinari and Ross Fisher on Wednesday 6 January 2016
I spend a lot of time at Tour events, both as a Sky Sports pundit, and working with the players I coach. Walking along the practice range, I’ll see players practising and preparing in a variety of different manners. They have different routines, use different swing aids, hit different clubs in different orders and work on different things. One thing...
Written by Chris Jones on Wednesday 6 January 2016
If you’ve been tempted to try some of the new kit revealed in the last week, you’ll get the chance at a new golf show. The Golf Show by American Golf, which takes place over the weekend of February 27-28, will see the latest hardware on show from brands such as Benross, Callaway, Cobra, Nike, Ping, Srixon, TaylorMade, Titleist and Wilson. This...