Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Golf Monthly

FROM THE EDITOR It would be fair to say I’m something of an enthusiast when it comes to golf equipment. I’m interested in the latest technologies, innovations and designs, whether it be a sleek new pair of shoes or a clever piece of game-tracking software. As such, the Editor’s Choice issue is one of my favourites of the year and I’m excited to bring it to you. Since Editor’s Choice was introduced in 2018, it has become a firm fixture on the calendar. This year, it’s been expanded to cover 150 products showcasing the very best in golf equipment across a broad range of categories, from standard hardware to training aids and accessories. Editor’s Choice provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate innovation within golf and it’s always impressive…

The DP World Tour has won its legal battle to impose sanctions on players who appeared in conflicting LIV Golf events without its permission. Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were among the 12 players who appealed the £100,000 fines and two-week suspensions issued after teeing it up in the inaugural LIV Golf event at the Centurion Club last June. Those sanctions were initially stayed, allowing LIV players to feature on the DP World Tour in the interim, pending the outcome of a five-day arbitration hearing in London in February. The DP World Tour had argued players were in breach of membership regulations and the three panel members from Sports Arbitration UK upheld the Tour’s right to impose its conflicting-event clause. The LIV appellants were ordered to pay the £100,000 fines…

Spain says Fergus Bisset Jeremy and I will wholeheartedly agree that both Spain and Portugal offer some of the best golf courses and best holiday opportunities in Europe. The two countries have understandably attracted tourists for as long as tourism has existed. Brits in particular travel in their droves to the Iberian Peninsula for the beautiful scenery, the warm weather, the wonderful food and the historic culture. It’s hard to choose between Spain and Portugal as a favourite destination, but if it’s for a golfing break, I’m going to say Spain. Spain is a vast country where the golfing opportunities are many and varied. There isn’t space here to give a full guide but, suffice to say, there are more courses to explore than in Portugal and there’s exceptional diversity…

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. Follow him on Instagram @ wayneradarriley_ I’ve just got back from a two-week stint in America covering The Masters and the RBC Heritage, and it was an absolute pleasure to be in attendance at these two fabulous golf tournaments. We all know by now how special The Masters is, and heading to Augusta National never gets old. I’m sure Jon Rahm feels the same way after his terrific victory in Georgia’s golfing playground. It was exactly what I expected – an incredible week and Rahm was sublime from start to finish. Well, not exactly from start to finish, actually. As we all know, he four-putted his…

Bryson driving it 375 yards, 650-yard par 5s reachable in two, classic courses becoming obsolete; the issue of increasing distance within elite golf has been a point of discussion for more than 20 years. The governing bodies (The R&A and USGA) have observed and monitored increasing hitting distances in elite golf over the last two decades and have stated repeatedly that they feel the proven increases are detrimental to the game – that they reduce the requirement for a breadth of skills and necessitate the lengthening of courses, which is a threat to the long-term sustainability of the sport: longer courses requiring more land and increased resources. With that in mind, The R&A and USGA launched a comprehensive Distance Insights Project in 2018, which involved extensive review, research, testing and…

By Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott 1First, you need to understand why you are struggling with your fairway woods. One of the big reasons is the intimidation factor. At address, it doesn’t look like there’s a lot of loft on the club. That causes golfers to lean back and feel like they need to help the ball into the air. Instead, think of the bottom of the club as the wheels of a plane. Now, you don’t want to abort the landing as that results in the scooping motion, but you don’t want to crash-land and swing too steeply into the ball. Instead, you want to feel like you’re getting the wheels to just touch down as you’re striking the ball away. 2 To make this easier, you need to…

Words: Chris Wallace John Paramor’s Seve ruling John Paramor (JP), one of the most celebrated and respected rules officials in professional golf, sadly passed away earlier this year. Chris Wallace, Rules manager at The R&A, takes a look back at one of Paramor’s most famous rulings and how the subsequent evolution of the Rules – to which he was a great contributor – would impact the outcome were the same scenario to happen today. The ruling will be known to many and involved Seve Ballesteros on the final hole of the 1994 Volvo Masters at Valderrama. The Spaniard was tied for the lead with Bernhard Langer with one hole to play in front of a passionate home crowd. Ballesteros pushed his tee shot at the 18th right of the fairway,…

Looks Having an iron that is almost as wide as it is tall is different, but it certainly achieves the desired outcome. GM verdict Last year, TaylorMade consolidated its gameimprovement offerings into one iron, the Stealth, which seriously impressed us with its distance and accuracy. However, its low spin and strong lofts meant it wasn’t overly suited to slowerswinging golfers, which is the gap in its range that the new Stealth HD iron is meant to fill. In achieving its goal of a high, draw-biased flight, TaylorMade has gone to fairly drastic measures, creating a very low-profile head with a shallow face height and wide sole. It is nearly as wide as it is tall, which takes some getting used to, especially looking down on the longer irons. There’s a…

What would you say is the best all-around golf trolley right now? TigerBear, GM forum We’ve seen three new remote models launched this year from PowaKaddy, Motocaddy and Stewart Golf, all of which are contenders for the best of the best. If you don’t want the remote functionality, the Motocaddy M5 GPS or PowaKaddy CT8 GPS are the two best all-rounders in my opinion. Could I carry two different drivers in the bag? Backsticks, GM forum If you’ve got room in the bag, I think it could be a great idea, especially if you don’t like hitting woods. TaylorMade’s new Brnr Mini Driver has a more compact head and is slightly shorter in length, meaning it should be easier to hit and have different characteristics to a conventional driver. If you…

A golfer will average somewhere in the region of 13,000 steps during a round of golf. That’s a lot of steps, so it pays to have a good pair of golf shoes. If you’ve got a trusty but crusty pair stowed away as you read this, maybe this is the season to finally upgrade and treat your feet. A trend we’ve noticed this year is the emergence of hybrid golf shoes – astyle you can wear on and off the course. You may have seen the likes of Nike and Adidas do a stellar job of converting popular trainer styles into effective golf shoes, but new brands are emerging that specialise in golf shoes that can be worn all day wherever you go. Let’s not forget about the more traditional…

Westerwood This Dave Thomas and Seve Ballesteros creation opened to great acclaim in the late 1980s. Much has changed since then, but it still boasts some very good holes, plus splendid views of the Kilsyth and Campsie hills early on. It opens with a sweeping par 5, then a testing downhill par 3. You’ll remember the 5th, a short par 4 that plays down and round to the right, where big hitters may be tempted to take dead aim. The downhill par-3 7th enjoys a stirring backdrop before you get into the trees more on the back nine, nowhere more so than on the 12th, a feisty little risk-reward hole that may just lure power-faders in. The sprawling par-5 14th dips steeply down and gently back up, while the much-photographed…

Golf Monthly’s editor-atlarge and Golf Ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK Okay compadres, let’s stick with The Masters this month. More precisely, let’s talk about Sandy Lyle, whose final two-putt on Augusta’s 18th green this time was his exit shot from the old jamboree. After 42 Masters, Lyle, now 65, was finished. His 20-over-par 36-hole total meant he finished stone last after being forced to wait overnight to finish that 18th hole, where he had a 12ft putt waiting. Being Sandy, he prepared well during the wait, fuelling up on tequila before digging into his Scottish roots and switching to whisky as the clock chimed 1am. All things considered, he did well 390 minutes later to two-putt his way back to the clubhouse. “Sandy Lyle remains underestimated by too many who should…

After the success of the S1 model launched in 2022, Motocaddy has taken its S-Series of electric trolleys a step further by embedding GPS for an even more comprehensive experience. The S5 GPS shares a lot of the DNA that helped make the S1 such a hit, including Motocaddy’s quickest ever one-step folding system and the Click-‘N’-Connect battery system, which is cablefree and allows you to charge the battery without ever having to remove it from the chassis. When the trolley is folded down, the battery automatically disconnects to reveal a quickaccess port where you can start the onboard charging. Not only is this convenient, but it should also mean that you’ll never turn up at the golf course again having forgotten your battery! Performance plan The integrated GPS system…

The Arccos Caddie shot-tracking system and performance analysis platform has been around for a number of years now but today’s product has evolved significantly from its humble beginnings. It continues to track shots seamlessly using sensors screwed into the tops of your grips that are paired with your phone or the Gen2 Link device clipped to your pocket. It will also provide detailed analysis of your play, including Strokes Gained broken down by category and benchmarked against any handicap index you desire to be compared with. The level of detail on offer now has grown significantly – if there’s a very specific part of your game you want an answer on, Arccos will provide it in a digestible manner. Even smarter distances Recent updates have made Arccos an even more valuable…

This is the club we have crowned best game-improvement iron of 2023, which is no mean feat given the stiff competition it was up against. Behind the ball, it looks more compact with less offset and a thinner topline than the previous ZX4 iron, appealing perhaps to the more competent golfer. The sole width has narrowed significantly, too, and the V-shaped camber that runs along the centre line has become much more pronounced to help with turf interaction. This iron feels fantastic. Energetic, solid, stable yet soft all at the same time, the impact experience was up there with any iron we’ve tested in the last few years. The 7-iron comes in at 28.5° of loft, which is strong even by modern standards, and yet the ZX4 Mk II does…

In PowaKaddy’s RX1 GPS Remote, you benefit from a cutting-edge touchscreen, remote control capability and GPS functionality. This makes it one of the most comprehensive trolleys around, doing so much more than transporting your bag from A to B. The RX1 GPS Remote can’t control where your ball goes, sadly, but it will get your gear around the course with greater ease and enjoyment than ever before. Take charge It boasts a slimline remotecontrol handset with a powerful 50m range, giving you wireless control from the palm of your hand. The swivel front wheel offers smooth manoeuvring in all conditions, while the Slope Traverse Assist (STA) helps to keep the trolley stable on even the most demanding terrain. Backing all this up is a 3.5in touchscreen with an Optically…

The Zen Swing Stage aims to bring the genuine experience of hitting from sloping lies to an indoor simulator or driving range. You may be familiar with the Zen Green Stage, as seen on Sky Sports golf coverage, which allows the golfer to create a plethora of breaking putts to better replicate subtle and extreme borrows on the greens. The Swing Stage now transfers this concept to the full swing. The Swing Stage is a 6ft by 8ft mat that runs on hydraulics controlled by a simple touchscreen connected to it via Bluetooth. Impressively, it can be adjusted from a completely flat lie to one where the ball is up to nine per cent either above or below your feet and 12 per cent uphill or downhill, so you can…

It’s hard to over-emphasise the importance of a consistent, neutral grip, with even tour players slipping into some bad habits. This glove is fantastic at giving you the correct feeling via some outstanding feedback features – three blue silicone areas that will highlight whether or not you’ve got a consistent grip on the club. Across the base of the fingers is a blue channel that will help you set the club in the right place. Then there’s a dualknuckle silicone spot on top, which should be visible when you look down at address, plus an arrow tip on the thumb which should point to your right shoulder. Range companion Basically, it reinforces all the fundamentals you’ve heard for years via three key, visible checkpoints that will ensure things haven’t slipped…

If you like the idea of pumping out some tunes while on the driving range or playing on the golf course, the Blue Tees Golf Player+ smart speaker with built-in GPS could be just what you’ve been waiting for. It offers yardages to the front, middle and back of greens, as well as distances to the next four hazards. Its auto ‘hole and course recognition’ feature means it will find you on any hole, on any layout from its library of 40,000 courses. It sports a 2.4in colour touchscreen display and the yardages are clear and easy to read, even in the brightest sunlight. The Player+ can even speak the distances to you at the touch of a button, so you can share those vital yardages and hazard details with…

Bah humbug Maybe it’s my age (it definitely is!) but things have been getting on my nerves recently. For example… Every golfing news story seems to be about which tour is falling over themselves to give these pampered millionaire golf pros even more money for playing less. The Full Swing docu-series on Netflix mistook infantile frat boy attitude for ‘character’. And largely all I felt was a big boo hoo with regard to the difficulties some of the featured players faced – just try enduring these things when you haven’t got your own yacht! A potential rules infraction at The Masters was seemingly not given due consideration when the smallest inadvertent infraction causes interminable recriminations in our monthly medals. The WHS is failing to serve its purpose because people are…

SOUND BITES “I WAS TALKING TO HIM AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, AND HE WAS SAYING THE REASON HE PULLED OUT OF THE US PGA WAS A SCREW WENT THROUGH THE SKIN ON THE SATURDAY” “JON WENT TO THE BATHROOM SEVEN TIMES AND WE WERE STILL WAITING” “RULES ARE RULES. SO, I MEAN, FOR THE MOST PART, A LOT OF WHAT HE WANTED IS WHAT’S HAPPENING. AND THE IRONY IS THAT HE’S NOT HERE” “I’M FORTUNATE TO HAVE LIVED IN HIS ERA AND WITNESSED HIS EXCELLENCE. TONIGHT, I’M NOT ASHAMED TO SAY I SHED A TEAR” BRIEFS Walton Heath hosts Women In Golf summit Walton Heath Golf Club, venue for the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, hosted its first Women In Golf summit in March. It was presented by the…

Driver Callaway Paradym TD, 11.5°, Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 shaft. Fairway woods Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond, 15° and 18°, Graphite Design Tour AD shafts. Irons Callaway Apex TCB, 4-PW, Project X 125 6.5 shafts. Putter Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S. Ball Callaway Chrome Soft X. Wedges Callaway Jaws Raw, 52°, 56° and 60°, Project X 125 6.5 shafts. GEAR NEWS ROUND-UP Corey Conners prevailed at the Valero Texas Open with a Ping G430 LST driver and Ping iBlade irons. Brooks Koepka used a Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron and Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedges to win in Orlando. Sam Burns used a Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver to win the WGC-Match Play in Austin. Matt Wallace triumphed in the Dominican Republic with a Titleist TSR3 driver and Callaway…

Sarah Stirk is a Sky Sports presenter and co-host of the Stirkers and Radar podcast: Instagram @ stirkersand radarpod or Twitter @ stirkersradar It was such a thrill to be back at Augusta this year after missing the last three tournaments, firstly due to Covid and then maternity leave. The Masters has brought me some of the best moments of my career, but I think this year may have topped them all, for reasons I’ll come on to later. It’s such a magical place and I’ve been lucky enough to witness some iconic moments in recent years. The two that stick out most for me are Sergio finally getting over the line in 2017 and Tiger’s triumph in 2019. I know Sergio hasn’t covered himself in glory since his victory, but…

Min Woo Lee has packed a lot into his first 24 years. At the age of 17, he became the first Aussie to win the US Junior Amateur, four years after his sister, Minjee, had done the same. He’s also hit balls in front of his hero Tiger Woods, played the Old Course backwards, won a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour and shot 30 on the front nine on his debut at Augusta. In March of this year at The Players Championship, he teed off in the final group alongside eventual winner Scottie Scheffler and was tied for the lead with 15 holes to play. The general rule of thumb is that most interviews take place later than the arranged time, if at all. I’m speaking to…

GM verdict One of the flagship models in the Adidas range, the ZG23 was introduced to replace the extremely popular ZG21 that launched two years ago. New in the ZG23 is Lightstrike technology used throughout a revamped midsole, and it is a marked improvement on the Boost technology it’s replacing. Those who have worn a pair of Adidas running shoes before will recognise the Lightstrike moniker as the midsole technology the brand has utilised in its running division to much acclaim. Now in a golf shoe for the first time, we were impressed with the comfort, softness and energy return. While Lightstrike covers comfort, the improved Stability Fin gives the shoe an incredible amount of solidity as your weight shifts through the golf swing. This technology has been upgraded this…

Edited by Jeremy Ellwood & Rob Smith Many golfers will have heard of Surrey’s famous ‘Three Ws’ – Worplesdon, West Hill and Woking – which lie a mere stone’s throw apart and reside comfortably inside Golf Monthly’s UK&I Top 100. But fewer will have heard of another heathland ‘W’ just five miles away that’s also worthy of your attention and which celebrated a centenary of sorts in 2022, 100 years after perhaps wisely changing its name from Bleakdown to West Byfleet. The course’s connection with the Three Ws runs a little deeper too. Cuthbert Butchart, who designed it back in 1906, also laid out West Hill, where he was the first professional. The layout, with its often tree-lined and occasionally narrow fairways, is largely still true to Butchart’s design,…

It is an interesting state of affairs that the name Eddie Hackett is revered among Irish golfers, while anyone else will probably frown, shrug and ask “who?” Hackett, or simply Eddie, was one of Ireland’s greatest golf course architects, but one who didn’t design outside Ireland. He had a hand in the design of over 100 courses… but not outside Ireland. And he worked for 33 years… but not outside Ireland. It is easy to see why his name might slip beneath the radar, but that is the type of man Eddie was. He was quiet, understated, humble. In a way, that washowhewentabouthisdesigns,too.Hewas never fussy, he didn’t overembellish and he let his layouts and the land work hand-in-hand. Eddie once said: “I find that nature is the best architect... I…

Payntr is a relatively new footwear brand in golf that has excelled in a short space of time by focusing on how golfers can achieve more speed in their swings via increased traction from their golf shoes. Some of the world’s best long-drive golfers are now using Payntr shoes in their tournaments, and it has been exciting to see the brand launch its first spiked golf shoe. Clinical cleats Payntr has chosen the all-new Softspikes Tour Flex Pro cleats for the X-004 RS as it introduces cleats for the first time. Alongside these class-leading spikes, the X-004 RS also features a carbonfibre propulsion plate in the outsole. The two combine to provide incredible control and impressive stability through the use of three degrees of traction and ten points of contact.…

The back story of the GForce 7-iron Nxt-Gen swing trainer is that it’s been designed by PGA coach Stuart Small. When he passed his exams in 2000, he was thrown by the first lesson he gave in that he wasn’t prepared for the level of knowledge that was required. He had dismissed the biomechanics as it looked complicated, so he then threw himself into the science behind the golf swing and developed the GForce swing trainers. Perfectly balanced and weighted like your regular clubs, this unorthodox 7-iron is fitted with a very flexible shaft that claims to improve your rhythm and tempo while also helping to create effortless speed. Whippy shaft aside, it looks like a regular golf club, too, and there are a host of online tutorials to…

Quality golf sunglasses shouldn’t have to cost the earth and Tifosi is a brand that offers a whole host of high-performance styles without the premium price tag. The Veloce is a sporty, versatile frame that comes with three interchangeable lenses, so you can adapt them to suit the activity or light conditions you’re facing on any given day. Zero distractions The biggest compliment we could pay the Veloce is that we forgot we were wearing them in testing. They weigh just 28g and feature an adjustable nose piece, which helps create a comfortable and secure fit. The matte black Grilamid TR-90 frames felt sturdy plus there’s just enough give in them to ensure they will fit a variety of face sizes. The Veloce comes with a firm, zippered carry case…

Any golfer in the market for a driver that offers a consistent blend of distance and forgiveness will be interested in what TaylorMade has to offer in 2023. The driver that likely has the broadest appeal in the secondgeneration Stealth line-up is the standard TaylorMade Stealth 2 model, which is one of three to choose from. Building on the original 60X Carbon Twist Face that optimised energy transfer for fast ball speeds, the new face design features an advanced version of Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) to help maintain ball speed on off-centre strikes and to increase forgiveness. It’s 2g lighter than the original Stealth face and has an expanded sweetspot that boosts performance across the whole hitting area. Surprise package The Stealth 2 Plus offers movable weight settings and low-spin…

The latest addition to the Foresight Sports GC family provides the same data accuracy and true-to-life simulation experience at a lower price point than the company’s flagship launch monitor – the GCQuad. Engineered using advanced photometric technology, the GC3 features a three-camera system that measures ball and club performance data, both outdoors and indoors, with precision. Measured to perfection The GC3 measures the golf club and ball with exceptional, sub-millimetre accuracy. This means the feedback is extremely precise and reliable. Just 30cm high and weighing just over 2kg, it’s fully portable, so you could easily take it out on the course with you to measure shots. The unit generates comprehensive ball data (speed, launch, spin and carry distance) as well as clubhead data (speed, efficiency, club path and angle of…

Bushnell continues to lead the way in the laser rangefinder category and one product that is sure to be popular with tour pros and amateurs alike is the Tour V6 Shift. This new model offers enhanced accuracy and consistency over the Tour V5 Shift thanks to improved electronics and a better PinSeeker algorithm. The Slope Switch feature carries over, allowing you to toggle slope-adjusted distances on or off for more accurate yardages when playing hilly courses. Rapid flag detection Locking on to the flag is a nearautomatic experience with Bushnell but the Jolt vibration and flashing red ring provide that extra dose of reassurance. It’s now weather-resistant to IPX6 for even greater protection from the elements and features the convenient Bite magnetic mount on the side to attach easily and firmly…

PuttOut makes some of our favourite putting mats and training aids, and its latest offering is designed to give golfers a clearer understanding of how their putter face interacts with the ball at impact. Face angle is one of the most vital aspects of the putting stroke to get right, especially on short putts. The Devil ball is designed with a flat-edged impact zone to exaggerate the face angle delivered at the point of strike. This helps teach golfers the right feel in order to get the putter face as square as possible when it matters. It has half the tolerance of a normal golf ball, so getting it to start on line becomes doubly difficult. Instant feedback The feedback is immediate – if the Devil ball topples over quickly,…

Rahm reigns supreme at Augusta National Jon, congratulations on winning The Masters. How much does it mean to you? It’s hard to put it into words. Obviously we all dream of things like this, and you try to visualise what it’s going to be like and what it’s going to feel like. When I hit that third shot on the green, and I could tell it was close by the crowd’s reaction, a wave of emotion hit me. I never thought I was going to cry by winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on the 18th. Seve meant a lot to you and Spanish golf. How special was it winning on what would have been his 66th birthday? This one is for Seve. He was up there…

Over the stick This is a really useful drill in helping to eliminate the causes of a push. Set an alignment stick in the ground on the correct target line a safe distance in front of you – roughly five yards. Then work on hitting the ball straight over the stick. To do this, your arms will need to go down the line, rather than out to the right as they would with a push. Visual cue From my experience of teaching, having this visual target in front of you as a reminder can really help you to focus on where the arms should be going as you swing through. For pupils with a severe push or block, I’ve sometimes even asked them to try and start the ball left…

Set at the tip of the Baja Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific, Quivira is in one of the most striking locations of any golf course on the planet. Established in 2014, it’s a Jack Nicklaus signature layout. The course combines elements of the rolling desert foothills with incredible ocean-front clifftop holes. The stretch from the 6th to the 8th delivers breathtaking golf, with holes hugging the coastline. Nicklaus has spoken particularly about those superb sea-front holes. “I’ve never seen any place that has three holes hanging out over the ocean like this golf course does,” he said. “They are unbelievable.” Mexico GF: $306-$465 (USD) depending on season and time of day Stats: par 72, 7,085 yards Quivira is a unique course offering coastal and inland settings.…

G eorgiaon My Mind, Other arms reach out to me, Other eyes smile tenderly, Still in peaceful dreams I see, The road leads back to you... Well, the road back to Augusta, Georgia, will figure hugely in the dreams of Jon Rahm Rodriguez between now and the next Masters as he contemplates returning to the scene of his great triumph and the comforting wrap of a Green Jacket. Not so much, however, for Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods. When it comes to the spring ritual of The Masters, golf’s overly made-up glamour puss and a course that manages to reinvent subtle, significant slices of its challenge while looking the same as always, McIlroy and Woods have retreated from this latest rumble appearing an odd couple of yesterday’s men in a…

The world of golf was put on red alert when Tiger Woods announced he’d be teeing it up at the Genesis Invitational. “I’m ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event @thegenesisinv,” he tweeted. The prestigious tournament – sponsored by premium car brand Genesis – was the perfect stage for his first full-field event since that emotional walk up the 18th on the Old Course during the 150th Open Championship. Such is his list of ailments that many wondered whether he might even linger on the Swilcan Bridge, doff his cap, perhaps raise his good leg, and commence the ‘goodbye wave’ routine that has become tradition for so many of the game’s greats. But that would have been too easy. There was, however, an air of finality to what transpired…

Have you ever wondered how the stats compare between golfers who regularly shoot in the low 70s (scratch players), low 80s (10-indexes) and low 90s (20- handicappers)? If so, read on. The numbers are from Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 540 million shots from 11.5 million rounds worldwide. Obviously scratch players shoot lower scores, make more birdies and less bogeys, but just what do those numbers actually look like? Scratch golfers who use Arccos to track their stats make on average 2.2 birdies per round, which is a whopping 1.5 more than 10- handicappers and a huge 1.9 more than 20-handicappers. Zero-index golfers make an average of 4.6 bogeys per round, which is 3.1 fewer than 10- handicappers and almost half the number that 20-handicappers make, who…

Thereare an overwhelming amount of stand bags on the market today, but don’t worry, you’re in luck. We’ve tested nine of our favourite 2023 models to help guide your next buying decision. Strap in... Looks Often with stand bags, golfers will go for a brand that matches that of the golf clubs they play. If this sounds like you, rest assured that club manufacturers like TaylorMade, Callaway, Cobra, Ping and Titleist all have smart stand-bag designs with plenty of colour options this year. You certainly can’t go wrong with the black and red colourway of the Titleist Players 5 StaDry, while Callaway’s Fairway C HD has some brighter colour options. Something really different for 2023 is the Ogio All Elements Hybrid. Not only does it boast a unique eight-way divider,…

Le Touquet is a famous holiday town that was already attracting visitors from London and Paris by the late 19th century. Golf was growing in popularity and it was decided to create the first course here, La Foret. Horace Hutchinson was a very successful golfer who won the Amateur Championship twice and had three top-ten finishes in The Open, but he never turned professional. He designed the course in 1904, with the nine-holer Le Manoir added soon after. Edward VIII, then Prince of Wales, was a frequent player. As demand grew, Harry Colt was engaged to design La Mer. This runs over land closer to the shore and it opened for play in 1931. The course is surprisingly different from La Foret, with trees rarely coming into play but instead…

Canterbury Harry Colt designed the lovely course at Canterbury and it opened for play in 1927. It works its way through attractive woodland and at times more open downland to the east of this historic city. It’s not particularly long, but the undulating terrain and a fair share of doglegs mean it plays every inch. Positional play through the trees is the key to scoring well at what is ultimately a very enjoyable and fair test of golf. There are some thrilling, elevated drives and the welcome back in the clubhouse is genuinely warm and friendly. GF: 18 holes: £60wd, £70we The 12th is a cracking par 4 played from an elevated tee to a winding, sea-saw fairway before the rise up to a sloping green. Ely City Cambridgeshire is…

Drivers Callaway Paradym Cobra Aerojet Ping G430 LST PXG 0311 XF Gen6 Srixon ZX7 Mk II TaylorMade Stealth 2 Titleist TSR3 Fairway woods Callaway Paradym Mizuno ST-Z 230 Ping G430 Max TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Titleist TSR3 Hybrids/utilities Callaway Paradym Cobra King Tec Ping G430 Ping iCrossover Srixon ZX U Mk II Irons Callaway Paradym Cobra King Tour Edel SMS Pro Mizuno JPX923 Forged Ping i230 PXG 0317 ST blades Srixon ZX4 Mk II TaylorMade P770 Wilson Dynapower Yonex Ezone GS i-Tech Wedges Cleveland CBX FF 2 Mizuno T22 Ping ChipR Titleist Vokey SM9 Vega Alcor Tour Putters Bettinardi Queen B 11 Evnroll V-Series EV5.2 LA Golf Bel-Air Makefield V-S Odyssey Tri-Hot 5k Double Wide PXG Battle Ready Blackjack Scotty Cameron Super Select Newport 2.5+ TaylorMade Spider GT Max Zebra…

Stewart Golf has been the pioneer in the remote electric trolley space since the brand was conceived 20 years ago. Its Q range in particular, which includes Follow technology, has truly resonated with golfers around the world. Now for 2023, a brand-new model is ready to hit the course, with the Apex Remote joining the Q Follow and X10 ranges in the British manufacturer’s fleet. Continued innovation Built from the ground up, the Apex Remote brings a world first to the category in the form of Active Terrain Control (ATC). This new operating system in the Apex is designed to allow the trolley to tackle any terrain or gradient on the golf course while you control it from a distance with the Bluetooth remote. Using ATC, the Apex can…

Making swing changes correctly and quickly can be a really tough journey, with bad habits often creeping back in and sending you back to the drawing board. But Dewiz is a product that can provide the feedback and guidance you need to implement improved movements in doublequick time. It’s a lightweight wristband worn on your lead arm that uses an internal motion-sensor chip to analyse each of your swings in real time. It now gives you 14 data points to assess, including your length of backswing, plane, transition and tempo. There are also three new metrics, which cover steepening and shallowing as well as initial downswing direction to help golfers hit the ball straighter. Standout feature The key to the success of Dewiz is the Learning Stimuli feature. Using the…

A watch may be an increasingly popular choice among golfers, but some may be keen to return to a handheld device with products like the Blue Tees Ringer. This clever GPS is stylishly designed and ergonomically shaped to fit perfectly into the palm of your hand, while its compact dimensions enable you to slip it seamlessly into and out of your pocket. It also boasts a powerful built-in magnet, so you can quickly and easily attach it to a trolley or the frame of a buggy for easy access and viewing. Stats to study Dynamic front, middle and back yardages are clearly displayed with bold numbers on a 2.4in colour, touch-sensitive, toughened-glass screen that is easy to read in all light conditions. You can scroll between screens with a…

The athletic, sporty HyperFlex has been a popular franchise for FootJoy, certainly among recreational golfers. But tour players were calling for more stability, which explains the introduction of the HyperFlex Carbon into the range for 2023. This crucial addition, along with a few more bells and whistles that should enhance grip and comfort, make it one of the favourites in the battle to be crowned best all-round golf shoe of the year. Handfuls of highlights In testing, the effect of the Ortholite Impressions Fitbed was the real highlight of this shoe. It has a memory foam feel to it and, over a number of rounds, it will mould to the shape of your foot giving you a feeling akin to putting on an old pair of slippers. Despite this,…

Certain clubs stand the test of time and if you grew up playing golf in the 1970s and ’80s then the Ram Zebra putter will certainly be one of those. The low-profile face and distinctive lines on the crown drew a loyal fanbase because they worked. You didn’t see many poor putters with a Zebra and two Major wins by Ray Floyd and Nick Price put the exclamation mark on the putter’s history. Welcome relaunch Sometimes when brands like this are relaunched under new ownership, they don’t quite capture the essence of the original. However, for the 2022 Zebra relaunch the new owners hired veteran Odyssey designer Austie Rollinson to reimagine the iconic shape of the original in this Zebra AIT 1 model, using Artificial Intelligence Technology (AIT) to…

We’re not often bowled over by a laser rangefinder experience but we certainly have been with the CaddyTalk Cube as it genuinely offers you something unique in this category. This lightweight (140g) and futuristic rangefinder is very easy to hold and you can enhance the look as well as the grip with a silicone cover available in various colours. The Cube features Magic Slope. This feature applies the concept of ballistics to improve accuracy over conventional golf rangefinders via Slope and e-Slope, which takes into account the environmental factors of temperature, altitude and humidity. But the Cube goes a step or two further with its clever Caddy Mode, which incorporates three-dimensional measuring. 3D distances Picture the scene – you’re waiting for your playing companion to hit so can’t get…

Skechers has earned a reputation for making some of the most comfortable golf shoes on the market, often with a slightly different look to what many other shoe manufacturers are putting on the shelves. New for 2023 is the Go Golf Elite 5 Slip ’In shoe that boasts all of the best features from previous models in Skechers’ golf collections, along with some new ones to create an extremely comfortable shoe with plenty of performance benefits. Versatile design Like all the best spikeless golf shoes, this model makes the transition from the car to the course as seamless as possible. The hands-free slip-in design allows those with a stiff back in the morning to slide their shoes on effortlessly and it can be fastened easily using the Twist-Fit dial system…

Nobull was founded in 2015 by Reebok veterans Marcus Wilson and Michael Schaeffer and it has become the dominant brand in CrossFit. More recently, it has expanded into golf – American pro Scott Stallings is the current face of the brand on the PGA Tour and we expect to see more players wear these shoes in time. The Matryx has been in the line for a while, but some eye-catching new sole patterns have been added, including a floral design hailed Tropical Matryx. It has exactly the same upper as the white model, but with a patterned sole. This is a very athletic, sporty, trainer-like shoe. The upper features a seamless one-piece construction using Matryx, a hard-wearing and breathable material that is water-resistant but not waterproof. Stylish in the sun…

It’s rare for an iron to boast an appeal that covers such a wide handicap spectrum but the Mizuno JPX923 Forged could, and should, find its way into many golfers’ bags this year. This mid-sized cavity back benefits from Mizuno’s Grain Flow Chromoly HD forging process, which guarantees good feel and feedback while also allowing the face to be thinner. A milling slot from 4- to 7-iron extends even wider into the heel and toe for faster ball speeds. Pleasing feel At address, it looks compact while still inspiring confidence. The thinner topline certainly makes it look more like a betterplayer iron than the previous generation, although the hint of offset reminds you that it’s probably closer to a compact distance iron. With fairly strong lofts, it’ll probably be one…

The impressive King Tec comes with a clean, appealing look and a high level of customisation thanks to three interchangeable weights (two 12g and one 3g). This means you can set it up for maximum forgiveness with the heavier weights split, or with additional draw or fade bias to promote a certain shot shape. It’s incredibly fast off the face and adjustable for loft, so you can really dial it in to prevent gapping issues. The adjustability means you’re able to maintain control over where the ball is going, too.…