Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Golf Monthly

Those of us of a certain age will remember a time when televised sport was not available on tap as it is today. In fact, it was largely confined to weekend afternoons when the most significant (and occasionally less significant) events arrived in our sitting rooms via Grandstand, described by a group of commentators whose voices became the soundtrack for their respective sports. Dan Maskell was Wimbledon and Murray Walker as much the sound of Formula 1 as the roaring engines. When golf was shown, it was accompanied by the dulcet tones and humorous phrases of Peter Alliss. Was ever a twinkle in the eye more audible than when Peter was commentating on the golf? I’m remembering those lazy afternoons listening to Alliss at The Open Championship, or perhaps the…

Driver Titleist TSR3, 9°, Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6 Xshaft. Fairway Callaway Rogue ST LS, 13.5°, Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro White 70 TX shaft. Irons Titleist T200 utility, 3-iron, Fujikura Ventus Black Hybrid 10 TX shaft; Titleist T100, 4-PW, Project X 120 6.0 shafts. Putter Scotty Cameron TourType GSS, SuperStroke Traxion Tour 2.0 grip. Ball Titleist Pro V1x. Hybrid Callaway Apex 21, 18°, Fujikura Ventus Black Hybrid 9 TX shaft. Wedges Titleist Vokey SM9, 53°; Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks Proto, 59°, Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts. GEAR NEWS ROUND-UP Keegan Bradley won the Zozo Championship with a new Ping G430 LST driver, Srixon ZX7 irons and an Odyssey Versa Jailbird Pro putter. Ryan Fox came out on top at the Dunhill Links with a prototype Srixon ZX5 MK II…

Western Gailes, just north of Troon in golf-rich Ayrshire, is the epitome of a true Scottish links, occupying a sliver of linksland between sea and railway. It was founded in 1897 when a group of Glasgow golfers sought to find somewhere to play that offered fresher air and a lower susceptibility to frost. Its Firth of Clyde setting brings splendid views across to Arran as the course heads first north, then south for a nine-hole stretch along the shore, before a five-hole northward trek home. There are mischievously placed bunkers galore, plus a number of inconveniently located burns. In recent years, the bunkering has been returned to a more natural style under the guidance of course architect firm Mackenzie and Ebert. Wind direction has a strong bearing on which stretches…

Within the non-golfing community there remains a perception that golf is a resource-hungry, landhungry dinosaur, taking up too much space and requiring too much artificial assistance to sustain itself. Even those in the industry may have struggled to argue against that 25 years ago, but significant research and efforts have been undertaken since then. When approached with sustainability in mind, golf can benefit the environment and play a key role in involving and educating communities. This October, the GEO Foundation’s inaugural Sustainable Golf Week shone a spotlight on golf’s achievements, celebrating the eco-friendly actions of clubs, developers, designers, tournaments, players and businesses. It also highlighted, however, the need to do more at all levels from grassroots to elite. A plan for sustainability Golf is played on 39,000 courses globally covering…

Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal irons from £135 a club GM verdict Mizuno has utilised the Swing DNA data collected from its impressive Shaft Optimiser 3D technology to shape the new range of JPX923 Hot Metal irons. Specifically, it had noticed a trend towards more shaft lean being presented to the ball across the handicap spectrum and, as a result, has added some bounce and camber to the sole to improve the turf interaction on offer. Mizuno has launched three Hot Metal models now, with the Forged and Tour versions coming in February next year. The Hot Metal and Hot Metal Pro are billed as the longest JPX923 irons. This is, in part, down to them having the strongest lofts – up to 1.5˚ stronger compared with the prior JPX921 Hot…

Mizuno Pro 225 iron £200 per iron 7-iron loft: 30° Shaft: Project X IO 5.5 The minimal offset and thinner topline certainly appealed more to our eye as a 3-handicapper, although we’d have liked a less reflective finish to have been applied to the heel and toe sections of the face. Powerful, stable and consistent, this iron has a sensational feel off the face, managing to be springy but also quite gentle in its acoustics at the same time. Only the very worst strikes felt harsh. It produced a slightly lower launch and ball flight than the P790, but a descent angle of 46° with the 7-iron ensured playability, even when hitting into firm greens (helped by a little more spin). It matched the P790 for carry distance at 174…

Edited by Jeremy Ellwood & Rob Smith Links golf is at the very heart of the sport. Its courses dominate the rankings and attract golfing enthusiasts and groups from all over the world. England has a fabulous wealth of historic links of the highest quality, but surprisingly the south coast has relatively few. One very welcome exception is the excellent links at Hayling in Hampshire, a very popular perennial in Golf Monthly’s Next 100 Courses of the UK and Ireland. The club dates back to 1883 and is blessed with a beautiful location on Hayling Island, just east of Portsmouth. A strong heritage The course runs over wonderfully springy turf and its initial nine-hole layout was designed by Joe Lloyd, a professional from Hoylake who went on to win the…

The scenic opening hole at Royal Norwich is not long, but it plays up to a well-protected and tricky green. Royal Norwich Founded in 1893, the club was granted royal status the same year. Its original course was close to the city centre and mainly the result of a major revision by James Braid. Selling off the land for housing enabled a seven-mile move to the site of Weston Park Golf Club, where Ross McMurray of European Golf Design built a spacious and varied course which opened in 2019. The sweeping par-5 3rd is a standout, as is the short 17th over water, and the green complexes and run-off areas create interest on every hole. GF: £100 Sat-Thu, £120 Fri Bedfordshire Bedfordshire Golf Club was founded in 1891 as a…

O verthe years, I have visited the Southport area a number of times to enjoy playing its unbelievable stretch of exemplary links courses. By circumstance rather than design, there have been some noticeable gaps between visits, so this summer I headed up not once but twice to make up for lost time. The course I was most keen to revisit was Royal Birkdale, the leading English entry in the Golf Monthly Top 100 and one that I had somehow failed to play since 1994! Since then, it has been regularly and sympathetically upgraded, largely under the expert guidance of Martin Hawtree. Much of this has been in preparation for the staging of three more Open Championships, the most recent being in 2017 when Jordan Spieth amazed with his imperious finish.…

E asyto reach and even easier to explore, Ayrshire & Arran is located on the west coast of Scotland, just a 40-minute drive from Glasgow. With its countryside towns, stunning coastlines and ancient castles, it’s a wonderful place to unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. The quality of golf on offer here is no secret, either, with the region home to nearly 50 courses, many of which will take your breath away. Dundonald Links certainly falls into this category, as do Royal Troon, Prestwick, Western Gailes, which sits next door, and Turnberry, just a half-hour drive away. With Gailes Links to the north and Kilmarnock Barassie to the south, Dundonald forms part of one of the most intensive concentrations of links golf anywhere. This being the case, finding a good…

Y oureally are spoilt for choice at Infinitum on the Costa Dorada, which makes it a brilliant retreat for the holiday golfer as well as the perfect venue for the 156 hopefuls looking to earn their DP World Tour cards at the Final Qualifying Stage of Q-School. If you’re unfamiliar with the name, the resort was rebranded from Lumine to Infinitum in the middle of 2021. Infinitum, which lies just over an hour south of Barcelona, was always regarded as one of the very best in Europe and the vision now is to cement that with improvements to the courses, an ongoing and hugely impressive realestate project and some fairly spectacular plans to build a hotel overlooking the Hills course. If we were to start with the golf, then let’s…

N estledbetween the arresting beauty of the Sierra de Mijas Natural Park and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, La Cala Resort is an idyllic and secluded retreat offering a wealth of golfing opportunities, together with the very best in off-course hospitality. Situated just 30 minutes from the easily accessible Malaga airport, La Cala is ideally located for guests from all European destinations, with many major airports providing multiple direct to-and-from flight options. Enjoying a feeling of isolation in the Andalusian countryside, worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the coast, La Cala offers quiet seclusion while still only 20 minutes from Marbella and two to two-and-a-half hours from the exciting cities of Granada and Seville. The quality of the facilities and service available at La Cala Resort have recently been…

I t’sa fair bet that if you were asked to compile a list of the world’s greatest golfing destinations, Greece would not be the first country on your lips. While Greece may be recognised globally as the birthplace of democracy and the Olympics, and for giving the world some of its finest philosophers in Plato, Socrates and Aristotle, it’s not generally been known for its choice of world-class golf courses and venues. Until now. The dream of ship owner and keen environmentalist Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos, Costa Navarino opened in 2010 with the goal of creating a sustainable tourism destination in his home region of Messinia. Twelve years on and ‘The Captain’s’ vision is a glorious reality with four 18-hole signature golf courses, three five-star hotels (a fourth will open next…

O urTunisian press trip was one of bewildering contrasts. Tunisia has ten courses, of which we played seven. When they get it all right, as they did at one of our stops, boy have they got it right. But at some of the other courses, sadly, decent designs can be let down by sub-standard conditioning. For instance, at Yasmine Valley, weeds and goodness knows what else have captured what were no doubt intended on the architect’s plans as fairways. “It was like this five years ago,” said one of our party sadly. “So, too, when I played here 25 years ago,” chimed in another. It has some good hole designs and the putting surfaces are fine, but to stand on a tee and know that, however straight your drive, you…

I think it’s safe to say the last two years have been turbulent for both golf travel and aviation. Thankfully, the world has slowly started to turn once again, and golfers all over the globe have finally taken to looking towards their next golfing adventure. As an airline pilot and golf writer, getting to travel and see so many far-flung courses around the world has been, and always will be, an immense privilege. The past two years have shown that there are some things that we just can’t predict, but what it has reaffirmed for me is just how much travel, and connecting with people from other cultures, is what makes the world tick. Since my last article for Golf Monthly, I have played over 140 courses across the globe,…

Down memory lane I read with great interest your article featuring the Warren Golf Club in Essex [Not to be confused with… November issue]. I was junior captain there back in 1980/81 and what an interesting golf club it was. For a start, the club professional was John Hudson, who scored consecutive hole-inones in the 1971 Martini Open at Royal Norwich. The second one was on a par 4 too – five-under for two holes! John was later replaced by Mickey Walker, four-time Solheim Cup captain. Mike Reid, later of Eastenders, played at the Warren, and if you’re approaching 60 like me, you may remember a kids’ TV quiz show that he hosted called Runaround. As he came around to the 11th tee, Mark Smith, another member, would shout “Runaround…

History was made at the Japan Open as Taiga Semikawa became the first amateur winner in the tournament’s 95-year history. Amazingly, it was Semikawa’s third pro victory in a row, having tasted success at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship and Japan Create Challenge. The 21-year-old began the final day with a whopping six-shot lead as he looked to triumph over a field which included former Masters Champion Adam Scott. Back-to-back birdies gave the Japanese star the dream start, before a triple-bogey at the 9th opened the door to the chasing pack. His lead was then cut to two when he dropped a shot at the penultimate hole, but he managed to hold his nerve and capture his home title with a closing par. Now that he has a taste for…

Stroke-builder This drill is all about pure stroke-building. Aligning the stroke and ensuring a solid, square contact are the keys to holing out consistently, as straying from the centre of the blade can easily lead to a miss even from close range. This drill will highlight if you’re finding the middle of the blade and thus rolling the ball a consistent distance. Make a gate Holing those little testers is often the key to scoring and retaining momentum. Tiger was one of the very best at holing out in his prime and the first thing you would see him do on the practice green was to place two tee pegs down by the ball a little wider than the putterhead and practise moving the putter between them. Listen for it…

It’s time to embrace those crisp off-season days on the fairways and, if you haven’t already done so, bolster your golf wardrobe for the months ahead. Following last year’s HydroSeries outerwear launch, the evolution of FootJoy’s performance apparel collection continues with the new ThermoSeries, which comprises a range of garments all designed to be worn in conjunction with each other. The new collection, which FootJoy describes as its “most advanced and versatile clothing layering system ever”, is spearheaded by the ThermoSeries Hybrid jacket (£130), which features a brushed-back jacquard knit fabric and provides golfers with fleece-like warmth and a luxurious feel. GM says This range is ideal for the changing temperatures golfers face throughout the day in the winter. You could conceivably wear all of them at once! The garments…

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 We’ve now reached the point on the DP World Tour where the top 117 players on the Race to Dubai have kept their cards, and those who have fallen outside that mark – unless still exempt for another reason – are mentally preparing for Q-School, which is back for the first time in three years in 2022. In fact, by the time you read this, you might already know who’s earned their card and who’s facing a year on the Challenge Tour in 2023. I can’t tell you how stressful it is when you’re trying to keep your card – even more so these days…

Shane Lowry insists his Wentworth win did not feel like he had finally got a monkey off his back – because he learned a long time ago that getting “kicked in the teeth regularly is part of golf”. Lowry’s thrilling victory over Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm in the BMW PGA Championship was his first success since he romped to a six-shot victory in the 2019 Open at Portrush. Nobody who witnessed the imperious manner of that triumph would have believed it would be more than three years until the Irishman would be back in the winners’ circle. But Lowry refused to be downhearted during that lean spell, sustained by the fact that he was still playing some great golf and the knowledge that you can never take the next…

Eversince I started to play golf at five years of age, it’s been a central part of my life. Not only have I competed at the game for as long as I can recall, but it has also become my job. With Golf Monthly, I’ve travelled the world treading the fairways, interviewing top players and reviewing the latest gear. The opportunities golf has afforded me have gone way beyond what I or my parents could have imagined. When I became a dad for the first time in 2013, I began to consider if, how and when I might introduce my own kids to golf. How would I foster genuine interest without going too far and making it a chore? Fortunately, my son is sports-mad. If it involves kicking, whacking…

Ball at rest moved by outside agency Chris Wallace, Rules manager at The R&A, discusses an interesting scenario from round two of the RBC Canadian Open, when Rory McIlroy’s drive on the 10th managed to find the same spot as the ball of his playing companion, Justin Thomas. With both drives finding the middle of the fairway, McIlroy’s ball rolled out on a collision course with Thomas’ ball, causing it to move a foot or so. Not having seen this from the tee, both players were told about it by one of the on-course commentators following their group, prompting them to call in a Rules official. As McIlroy’s ball was in motion after making a stroke, he simply had to play from the spot where it had come to rest.…

Ping has always adopted a pragmatic, considered approach to developing products and this process is going to improve with its new Performance Research Centre, which I recently had the chance to visit. Located at Loughborough University and opened in July, it is a sporting mecca set up for previously untapped performance gains to be discovered. It cost £15m and for that you get a bespoke Focal golf swing measurement system, which captures images at 800 times per second using various wall-mounted cameras and markers on the club and shaft, as well as some very clever analysis software. “The aim is to dig into how an athlete interacts with equipment and to understand what we’re potentially leaving on the table in our design and technology processes,” explains Jonathan Shepherd, who runs…

If you’re a good player who has fallen out of love with your irons, consider these ten models as a potential upgrade. We tested the 7-irons on the launch monitor and golf course to get a full flavour of what each has to offer. Looks In general, all of these irons are blessed with the features that better players typically look for standing over the ball at address – athin sole and topline, little to no offset and a compact overall head size. However, there is some variation across the ten models tested here, especially when it comes to dimensions. For example, the Titleist T100 has by far the thinnest topline, closely followed by the Ping i59 and Callaway Apex Pro, the latter combining it with an unusually generous degree…

Moor Park The legendary Harry Colt designed both courses at Moor Park in 1923; the championship-standard High and the sporty and extremely entertaining West. The High has staged many notable professional and amateur events, including the Carris Trophy. There is plenty to interest and challenge, including several strong par 4s – the 8th, which curves to the right between two ponds, and the 14th, which requires a perfectly struck long approach, among them. Substantially shorter, the West is huge fun while still a challenge. It has the two best green sites at the 15th and 18th with the magnificent clubhouse beyond. Talking of which, this 17th-century Palladian mansion is unique, especially inside. In an area with more than its fair share of great golf, Moor Park offers an excellent 36-hole…

Golf Monthly’s editor-atlarge and Golf Ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK I needed to take a break from noticing who was being sacked/ resigning/giving-up-while-drunk from what passes as the UK Government at the moment, so I turned to my current secondfavourite pastime – counting the loot earned by golfers who have transferred their affections to the LIV circuit. “The LIV ball is too cash heavy and rolling too fast for anyone to call a halt” A lot of people seem to think there is only one reason why so many stars have moved onto the top deck of Greg Norman’s noisy showboat. This may well be correct, but for Dustin Johnson there are lots of reasons. Indeed, by the time you cast a possibly despairing eye over these words, it seems…

I fyou’ve not visited Prince’s for a while, you could be in for a surprise given how different in appearance the courses now are. The Shore and Dunes nines used to be the clear star turns, with the Himalayas the more ordinary of the trio, but that’s all changed now thanks to renowned architects Mackenzie and Ebert. The Himalayas was given a huge facelift in 2017 by Martin Ebert, who merged the 2nd and 3rd and inserted a very picturesque par 3 at the 5th. It now makes more of its sea views and the routing is less up and down in nature. There’s now a little bit of everything on the Himalayas, with a double green, a drivable par 4 at the brilliant 8th and a par 5 of…

I clearlyhadn’t thought this through, I thought to myself, as I drove north-west on the Friday of the August Bank Holiday. The motorways were so bad I resorted mostly to A roads, but I wasn’t too worried as I was off on an adventure next morning. And choosing the ferry over the plane really did turn my trip to County Down into an adventure, even if that might seem a little over the top for a near-60-yearold man. I was sailing from Liverpool to Dublin, then back from Belfast three days later, and having eight hours each way to myself proved a rare pleasure, especially with the Irish Sea uncharacteristically mill pond-like and both Anglesey and the Isle of Man clearly visible. This time there would be no Royal County…

IIthad been nearly three years since my last overseas trip when I boarded the 8.40am easyJet flight from Gatwick to Malaga in mid-September. My destination was the recently rebranded La Hacienda Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort on the Costa del Sol and a chance to play its Links layout, one of two courses here. It reopened to great acclaim in July following a complete remodelling by Kurtis Bowman, a former Nicklaus Design golf course architect. La Hacienda recently joined the European Tour Destination network and the ultimate mission is to develop the golf and hotel offering into one of Europe’s finest resorts, with a contemporary new clubhouse and driving range already completed and a luxury 323-room hotel and villa complex, under the famous Fairmont banner, set for a soft opening next…

W estCliffs, which opened five years ago, gained an impressive reputation right from the off – at the 2017 World Golf Awards, it won ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’. An hour north of Lisbon, it is the second course built for the Praia D’El Rey resort, which already boasted the widely admired Praia D’El Rey course. West Cliffs, three miles from Praia D’El Rey, was designed by Cynthia Dye. She doesn’t seem to have been imbued with quite the degree of sadistic glee that has infused some of Uncle Pete’s designs, but West Cliffs is not one of your easy resort courses. Far from it. Fairways tend to be generously wide, but miss them and, like as not, you’ll be in trouble. Several tee shots involve a fairly hefty carry…

Were you always confident you’d reach the summit again? If someone had told me on the Friday night of the Valero Texas Open when I missed the cut that I would be World No.1 by October, I would have asked them what they were smoking because I would not have believed them! It’s just been a wild six months. I figured a few things out with my game and I’ve just been on a really good run. How important has your putting been to your success? Yeah, it’s massive. I feel like when you can fall back on your putting, it takes pressure off your iron play, it takes pressure off your short game, it takes pressure off your driving. You know that if you can get it up there…

SOUND BITES “I HAVEN’T HEARD ANYTHING YET, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY I THINK YOU’D BE MAD NOT TO CONSIDER IT. BUT I’M PRETTY HAPPY WITH THE LPGA TOUR AND I LOVE IT THERE” “IF THE TEAM IS BETTER WITHOUT ME, I’D RATHER BE OUT OF IT” “I SEE LIV GOLF TRENDING UPWARDS AND I SEE THE PGA TOUR TRENDING DOWNWARDS. I LOVE THE SIDE THAT I’M ON” “I WILL CREATE MY OWN MAJORS” BRIEFS New Golf Foundation president announced The Golf Foundation, a national charity which works with The R&A and other leading organisations to help bring golf to children of all backgrounds, has announced the appointment of Nick Dougherty as its new president. Record Ruth secures special Sandiway hat-trick Ruth Elliott-Smith made history at Sandiway GC,…

Yes says Fergus Bisset As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, we’re more inclined to consider our expenditures and whether we’re receiving value for money from them. The golf club membership subscription is a major outlay for most of us and one that could, oh so easily, be ditched. As such, clubs must look at every element of their offering to ensure they are providing value for money. A competitive season that covers just seven months of the year doesn’t tally with that objective. Clubs should organise competitive golf through the winter. There’s no obligation for members to play competitively through the colder weather; there’s no obligation for them to play at all! But there should be opportunities for those who would like to remain competitive from November to March.…

Sarah Stirk is a Sky Sports presenter and co-host of the Stirkers and Radar podcast: Instagram @ stirkersand radarpod or Twitter @ stirkersradar With such turbulent times at the top of men’s professional golf, it felt very significant when Rory McIlroy returned to the summit of the world rankings after his victory at the CJ Cup. It’s the ninth time he’s reached the top spot and, despite all the current controversy about the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), few would argue he’s not the best player on the planet right now. It was his third PGA Tour win of 2022 and he managed top-ten finishes in all four Majors. He’s also in pole position to top the DP World Tour rankings for the season to add to the FedExCup crown…

U nderneaththe towering pines of North Carolina, there lies a New England-style village that many regard as America’s Home of Golf. Pinehurst. Home to occasions, Pinehurst’s history dates back well over a hundred years – and its archives boast some of the game’s most iconic moments, Payne Stewart’s winning putt at the 1999 US Open chief among them. This is where the American golf story is rooted. In – the famed No.2, a US Open venue on three the early 1900s, James Walker Tufts, a wealthy businessman and the visionary behind the Pinehurst Resort, commissioned a young Scottish professional by the name of Donald Ross. In 1907, he created the No.2, and alongside Tufts, they went on to make Pinehurst the ultimate influencer of golf in America. The Village of…

Walk over an imaginary line into what I call the ‘play zone’. As you cross the line, breathe out smoothly and slowly. All you need to do now is make the same swing as your practice one, focusing on clipping the tee or brushing the grass and giving it your best photo finish. Try to think of the process as two practice swings – one behind the ball then one after you’ve stepped in where the ball simply ‘gets in the way’. And remember... They’re not here for you and don’t care whether you hit it a bit right or send it down the middle a foot off the ground. You just focus on you. How can I eliminate the pulled putt? Hold the finish Focus on your hands moving…

Starting time A competition round commences when you make a stroke to start your first hole, and many club competitions have a designated start time either set by the committee or that you sign up for. But what happens if you start either early or late? Rule 5.3a has all the answers, although neither option is wise as the penalties can be quite severe. The default penalty is disqualification, but the Rules do provide a little leeway in certain circumstances via some exceptions. But you generally won’t get away scot-free. The Rules say you must be ready to play at your starting time and the starting point set by the committee. A starting time is an exact time, so 9am is 9:00:00am, not any time until 9:01am. This is important…

Is now a good time to buy a set of irons? Peter Harris, email This depends on whether you’re playing competitive golf this winter or if you’re able to use the off-season to experiment with new irons in the knowledge that they may take some time to bed in. That said, if the irons are properly custom fitted and you like everything about them, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get on with them almost straight away. If you’re currently struggling, the chances of getting any worse are fairly slim! Do you think drivers are getting too expensive? Harvey Taylor, email Cost is relative to a person’s wealth and buying habits. The price of drivers hasn’t actually changed that much in the last five years – the 2017 TaylorMade M1…

For many, the first sign of leaves turning orange and tumbling from the trees means it’s time to retire the clubs to the garage until spring comes round once more. But it doesn’t have to be this way – lower temperatures and bad weather shouldn’t stop you from playing the game you love. To combat the cold you’ll need a wardrobe suitably stocked with a variety of items to keep you warm and comfortable when the weather isn’t favourable. We hope the gear featured here will provide you with the inspiration needed to fill any gaps and keep you playing this winter. Waterproofs By Joel Tadman Nobody likes getting caught out in the rain during a round of golf – that’s why having a trustworthy waterproof is essential for serious…

Several years ago, a reader wrote in to tell me that he kept a record of everywhere he’d played, but that he didn’t count nine-holers as they weren’t proper golf courses. It struck me as such an odd sentiment and it has stayed with me ever since. He couldn’t have been more wrong, of course, but if he were right, I was just about to waste three days of my life as I officially entered the Highlands on the A82 at 4.50pm on September 29 en route to the Isle of Skye. Fifteen minutes later, I was driving along the valley floor of a brooding and magnificent Glencoe. What a debt of gratitude we drivers owe to those who laid down these spectacular roads through such spellbinding and majestic scenery. My…

T hecourse is easier today,” the assistant director of golf told us. “Yesterday there were 127 bunkers, now there are only 126.” Chatting away like this, I had forgotten to warm up before my first tee shot on The Montgomerie course at Carton House. I sent my drive into the next county. Literally. The drive is played from County Meath over the River Rye to the fairway in County Kildare. The layout is open and sparse – fairways are wide and trees and foliage rare, so the deep bunkers provide both the main protection and course definition. Only the 8th does not have bunkers contending with the drive. The greens are also heavily protected by bunkering. It pays to be long here. The good news is that there will be…

L ocatedat the southern tip of Spain, just 40 minutes from Marbella, Sotogrande is arguably Europe’s most exceptional golf and lifestyle destination. Within easy reach of all major European cities by air, it boasts an enviable climate to enjoy year-round golf. Soon to be celebrating its 60th anniversary, Sotogrande is set in the rolling hills of Andalucia on a stretch of the Costa del Sol. Just 50 minutes from Malaga airport and 20 minutes from Gibraltar airport, the region is home to some of the continent’s finest golf courses, which between them have hosted the Ryder Cup, World Golf Championships, European Tour (DP World Tour) events and Ladies European Tour events – including the ongoing Aramco Team Series. Set atop its highest peak, La Reserva Club is a must-play for…

I can’ttell you how many times I’ve read about the Algarve being Europe’s premier golf-break destination, but until this year, I hadn’t experienced it for myself. Now, I’ll be looking to go back as often as I can. The paradoxical thing about this golfing haven is that there are so many options in terms of golf, accommodation and off-course pursuits, yet the quality of most resorts is so high you don’t really need to venture beyond their boundaries. That’s certainly the case with Quinta do Lago, which has been celebrating its 50th birthday in 2022. There are three stunning courses on the estate – the Laranjal, North and South – and numerous hotels lie close to this triumvirate of golfing excellence. But you’ll struggle to find a better option than…

I havenow been lucky enough to play golf in almost 50 countries, and as my age increases, hastily pursued by my handicap index, I am more and more taken by courses where the setting is a primary feature. Design, strategy and conditioning are obviously still important – we are still playing golf after all – but a trip to Switzerland gave me the chance to play half a dozen courses whose sublime settings alone were enough to keep me very happy. The flight from London to Zurich is less than two hours, which means it’s accessible not only for a full holiday but even for a short stay of just a couple of nights. And although the airport lies to the north of the city and all of the courses…

F romdesign and difficulty to hazards and holes, a great course demands quality ingredients… but it’s the one thing we cannot build that makes a golf course truly special: the views. Set 1,000 feet above sea level, Apes Hill Barbados is laid out on an enviable and enriching site, surrounded by virgin tropical forest, ancient coral rock formations, streams and gullies. It is the perfect spot to enjoy the panorama across the island’s rugged and natural landscapes with views of both the rollers of the Atlantic in the east and the azure laziness of the Caribbean to the west. It’s hard to imagine a finer backdrop for a round of golf. But natural beauty does not always make a great golf course. Enter Glenn Chamandy, a Canadian entrepreneur with a…