Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 26 November 2015
Perhaps it’s because there’s about 14 seconds of daylight each day at the moment that indoor crazy golf seems to be enjoying something of a boom. We recently brought you the news that ‘Birdies crazy golf club‘ gives you the opportunity to play golf underground in central London, and now there’s good news for crazy golf fans in Manchester, with the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 26 November 2015
Rory McIlroy has A LOT of Facebook fans. We thought we’d done well to hit 10,000 likes – you can and SHOULD like the TG Facebook page right now, by the way – but Rory McIlroy makes us look silly with his 978,934 likes. 978,936 now. That’s two new likes in the time it took us to type how many...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 26 November 2015
We like to think of ourselves as pretty committed golfers. There’s not much that will keep us off the course. Wind, rain, hail, snow, a really good episode of Grand Designs – we’ll overcome it all for a game of golf. But we’re still in awe of keen amateur John Charlton, who was back on the course just eight days after...
Written by Denis Pugh, PGA Master professional and coach to Francesco Molinari and Ross Fisher on Monday 23 November 2015
Most golf courses are too long Most golfers play off the wrong tees for their driving distance The Rules of Golf are too complicated Slow play is the second biggest factor making people give up the game I feel that if something isn’t done about slow play – and fast – the game of golf is really going to suffer. The R&A recently released a...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 20 November 2015
Last week, we brought you the news that the Old Course at St Andrews has been crowned the world’s best golf course for the second year running at the World Golf Awards. It led to quite an intense debate in the office: how good is the Old Course? We’re talking about the course itself. If you put aside all the tradition...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 19 November 2015
Ivor Robson has been announcing players on the first tee of European golf tournaments for over 40 years, and he’s never had a single toilet break. That tells you everything you need to know about the man’s dedication. His voice has become synonymous with golf, and will be impossible to replace. We caught up with him just before he hangs...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 18 November 2015
There’s nothing more annoying than being stuck at an airport, waiting for a flight, knowing you could be using that time to play at least nine holes of golf. Thankfully, at Minneapolis–St.Paul International Airport, they’ve come up with a perfect solution. The aiport recently opened a 12,000-foot golfing area, including a putting green and six simulators where you can play your...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 18 November 2015
We’ve all had rounds so bad we’ve considered throwing our golf clubs in the bin, but that should be our choice. You should never face the scenario where you go to fetch your clubs only to find they’ve gone missing without a trace. Sadly, that is an all too common occurrence for UK golfers, with millions of pounds of equipment being...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 17 November 2015
Tiger Woods’ injury problems have given him plenty of time to design golf courses. He opened his first design, El Cardonal, in Mexico late last year, and is working on projects in China, Dubai and the USA. Woods’ first American golf course, Bluejack National, opened last week. Woods stressed he wanted to create a course that is “very playable” where you “can...
Tuesday 17 November 2015
In the last of series 3 we follow Luke Donald on a short par 4 to pick his thoughts on the tee shot, approach and putting lines.
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 13 November 2015
Over the next seven days, 156 European Tour hopefuls will do battle over six rounds at PGA Catalunya in the hope of securing one of 25 European Tour cards available for the 2016 season. Among them are Mark Foster, who has been an ever-present for the last 14 seasons on the European Tour; Soren Hansen, who has won over €9 million...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 13 November 2015
Greg Norman calls it one of the two best he’s worked on Offers a true links test in Vietnam Golfers will experience fantastic 360-degree views from elevated sections of the course The Bluffs Ho Tam Strip in Vietnam is officially the world’s best new golf course. It took the title at the World Golf Awards, beating competition from Lofoten Links in Norway, Palm...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 13 November 2015
The Old Course at St Andrews divides opinion among golfers. Some insist that the home of golf is the best course you’ll ever find, offering the truest example of the way the game was meant to be played. Others, whilst respectful of the history and heritage of the ancient links, feel that the course itself, judged on its own merits,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 12 November 2015
With first tee nerves to contend with, we’re normally happy to walk off with par in the first hole of a golf tournament. Thomas Aiken went two massive strides better, notching a hole-in-one on his first hole of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. Starting on the tenth, the longest par 3 on the El Camaleon course in Mexixo, Aiken tamed the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 12 November 2015
TrackMan launch monitors widely used by golf professionals Able to measure exactly what the ball and club are doing at impact Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose all own one PGA Tour uses TrackMan for its official statistics In 2002, three golf-mad Danes had an idea. One of them was Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen, a talented golfer who had represented the Danish national...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 12 November 2015
There’s been no shortage of talk about The Open being broadcast exclusively like on Sky and the affect this may have on golf participation in the UK. For those fearing the worst, there is some good news, in the shape of new ticket and pricing options announced by the R&A. A new twilight ticket is being introduced at Troon next year,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 12 November 2015
Playing golf in central London can be tough. It usually means lugging your clubs to an Underground station, facing angry glares from fellow passengers, and three tubes and two overground trains later you’re at a decidedly average golf club, already dreading the journey home. But it doesn’t have to be this way. From 11th November to 20th December, you can hone...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 11 November 2015
For most people, golf is just a pastime. For some, it’s a genuine life-saver. Take former fusilier Tom James, for instance, injured in Afghanistan in 2009 by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a tree. Waking from a coma two weeks later, Tom’s journey to recovery would be a long one. The explosion cost him his sight in one eye,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 11 November 2015
Your 7-iron may be the same as someone else’s 5-iron Lofts keep getting stronger over time Expert club maker Tom Wishon says it’s so manufacturers can say new clubs go further Long irons are now harder to hit It’s a common question on the golf course: “What club did you hit there?” But, unless the person you’re asking is someone you play with regularly,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 11 November 2015
16th at Hamptworth Golf Club has been lengthened to 666 yards Becomes the only par 6 in the country Anyone making a net birdie receives a certificate A devilish golf hole measuring 666 yards called ‘The Beast’ has been created at Hamptworth Golf and Country Club in Wiltshire. It is believed to be the only par 6 in the country. The mammoth hole was...