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
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 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
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 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...
Written by Pete Masters, Golf World Magazine on Wednesday 6 January 2016
In 2015, Jordan Spieth put together one of the greatest years in the history of professional golf. Spieth who began the year aged 21, won two majors and three other tournaments en route to FedEx Cup glory, earning more than $22 million and overhauling Rory McIlroy at the top of the world rankings. But how does Spieth’s 2015 season compare...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 5 January 2016
If we asked you to name 10 golf manufacturers, Parsons Xtreme Golf probably wouldn’t make the list. Unless you’re seriously into your golf gear, it’s likely you’ve never heard of Parsons Xtreme Golf, often known simply as ‘PXG’. But you can expect that to change during the course of 2016. In a world where the likes of Ping, Callaway, Titleist and...
Written by James Henderson on Tuesday 22 December 2015
If a golfer dominated the game the way Tony ‘AP’ McCoy has dominated horse racing, they would have 100 Majors under their belt and make a hole-in-one every time they so much as looked at a par 3. Watch the documentary Being AP and you could be forgiven for thinking you’re watching an extended episode of children’s TV show Record Breakers. McCoy’s...
Written by Kevin Brown on Tuesday 22 December 2015
It’s always a tough time of year for golf club members, when the annual fees are due and you’re forced to assess whether you’re getting value for money from your membership and can justify paying for another year. So spare a thought for members of Wentworth, who will have to stump up £100,000 if they want to retain their membership after...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 18 December 2015
A few weeks ago, we brought you the news that Greg Norman had designed the world’s best new golf course, in the form of The Bluffs in Vietnam. But that was 2015’s best new golf course. That’s old news now. These courses are the ones that will be in contention for world’s best new course of 2016. Some are already open...
Written by Courses & Travel Editor Kevin Brown on Wednesday 16 December 2015
Controversial US politician and golf course owner Donald Trump has run into more trouble, having failed in his bid to stop an offshore wind farm being built opposite Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen. Trump, who is the Republican presidential frontrunner, said the construction of 11 turbines off the northeastern coast of Scotland would be a blot on the horizon of...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 16 December 2015
It’s the third instalment of Today’s Golfer Throwback Thursday, and you should know the drill by now. We pick a date, wind back the clock, and see what was happening in the world of golf at that time. In the inaugural TG TBT, we popped back five years to 2010, when Lee Westwood was world number one. Then, last week,...
Written by James Henderson & Rob McGarr on Wednesday 16 December 2015
What’s the most impressive shot you’ve ever seen hit live, in the flesh? Until recently, I had three contenders: Joe Miller launching drives at 200 miles per hour, the ball disappearing upon impact and arcing back into view 400 yards away; Rory McIlroy hitting a 5-iron that never left the flag from 239 yards to set up a second eagle...
Wednesday 16 December 2015
*Image: Leaderboard Photography. Three men who have each ‘pulled out all the stops’ to support golfers have been honoured with awards at the England Golf coaching conference. Terry Casey, who has just retired as the manager of the England men’s team, won the award for the Outstanding Contribution to Coaching. He also happens to be the dad of PGA Tour star Paul. Steve Parrish,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 15 December 2015
Most of us won’t be unwrapping any presents until the 25th of December, but golfers live in a world where the 2016 season started weeks ago, so they can’t be blamed for being a bit premature when it comes to opening their gifts. Judging by their reactions, some of them clearly made Santa’s ‘nice list’. Others, not so much… “Wow! This...