Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Golf World

When you look back over the years and think about the exciting major championships that have lodged themselves in the memory banks, it’s incredible how many times your mind drifts towards Augusta National. Who can forget Jack Nicklaus’ sensational back nine in 1986 when he charged past a stuttering Greg Norman and a shell-shocked Seve Ballesteros to become the oldest winner of the Masters at 46 years of age? A year later, there was Larry Mize’s miracle chip on 11 to defeat Norman again in a sudden-death play-off. That was followed by Sandy Lyle’s 7-iron from the fairway bunker on 18 that set up his winning birdie in ’88 and Woosie’s monster drive over the very same trap in ’91. Nor can you forget Fred Couples’ gravity-defying escape on the…

“At present we are blessed by a younger generation of American golfers, including Fowler, Spieth and Reed, who have watched the way Rory McIlroy has made a global schedule work and see no reason why they can’t do the same,” says BBC Radio 5 Live’s Iain Carter. “Obviously, the main incentive for them to travel abroad are the enormous appearance fees being offered, but these young players also realise there are some big golfing benefits to playing outside of America. They understand that the more they play overseas, the more rounded golfers they will become. And the more they experience the social aspects of the European Tour, the more they will be able to take this sense of unity back to the PGA Tour. The second of these points could…

1 Work on scrambling “Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros are the best two matchplayers I’ve seen. They were wonderful chippers and putters,” says Jacklin. “Time and time again they would get up-and-down to win or save a half and it demoralises opponents.” 2 Expect the unexpected “You never know how a hole will unfold in matchplay. You could hit it close and be in the ascendancy, but if someone holes a 20-footer the situation changes. It’s tough to take, but you need mental strength as it is all part of the ebb and flow of matchplay.” 3 Be positive against everyone “I put Manuel Pinero out first in 1985 Ryder Cup singles and when he found out he was playing Lanny Wadkins he jumped four feet in the air with…

Five major championships The ANA Inspiration begins in Rancho Mirage, California on March 31, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is in Sammamish, Washington from June 9, the US Women’s Open takes place in San Martin, California from July 7, the Ricoh Women’s British Open is at Woburn from July 28, and the Evian Championship unfolds in Evian-les-Bains, France from September 15. 60 Olympic spots After a gap of 112 years, golf is back in the Olympics. Strangely, some of the world’s top male golfers seem to view it as a scheduling nuisance. Happily, the world’s elite female golfers are displaying an extremely different attitude. “I’m super-excited to play,” says World No.1 Lydia Ko, while America’s Michelle Wie reveals she has dreamed about competing in the Olympics “since I was a…

Beaming at the BMW, 2006 “This was after I’d won the BMW Championship at Wentworth. It’s a very happy but sad shot as my mum’s no longer with us. What’s really happy for me was that my mum and dad had separated many years before that and that was one of the few photos I had and have of us all as a family. Great memories and they were both very proud of me. A prouder moment I haven’t had.” Tiger Talk at the HSBC Champions – 2005 “That was pretty much the peak of my career to date, I think, taking on the world number one in the final round was a massive challenge. I had a one-shot lead and shot 68 to end up winning by three. Not…

FORE WARNED I read Nick Tomlinson’s letter in the March 2016 issue with interest. I agree with everything Nick says. The idea that a professional golfer feels a spectator is expendable to the extent he is not willing to shout ‘fore’ is unacceptable. It is compounded by the fact that, in general, professional golfers seem to think that a signed golf ball will appease the injured spectator. The solution, however, is already available to the authorities. The Rules of Golf are clear. In Section 1 Etiquette it states: ‘If a player plays a ball in a direction where there is a danger of hitting someone he should immediately shout a warning. The only argument I would have with this is that I would replace ‘should’ with ‘must’ and make it…

‘I used to put 50p pieces into the TV for a glimpse of the Masters... appearing in my first one is a memory I’ll take to the grave ’ The Masters is the only major that has pretty much always been held at the same time of year. Apart from a couple that took place in March, including the first in 1934, early April is the time we all look forward to. It’s no coincidence that this time of year is also when the course is looking at its best. This is when spring hits the Deep South, when the azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom, and when Bobby Jones rightly thought this former nursery would amaze the world with its beauty. And, although the golf season started in…

John Fields remembers the first time he saw Jordan Spieth play. “He was 13, had shot a 62 a few months before, and was making a lot of noise in Texas junior golf,” says the head coach of the men’s golf team at the University of Texas (UT). “I was immediately impressed with his ability to score. He had an incredible knack for avoiding bogeys. And, of course, he was extremely competitive.” Spieth, who had begun life with a conventional putting grip but swapped to left hand below right when he was 14, began playing for Fields at UT in the autumn of 2011, four months after having contended at the PGA Tour’s HP Byron Nelson Classic, two months after winning his second USGA Junior Amateur Championship, and just days…

When, in early 2008, a 20-year-old Jason Day first mentioned that he wanted to take the world number one spot from Tiger Woods, the golf world gave a little chuckle. It stopped short of actually laughing out loud, however, because it knew this Aussie kid could definitely play a bit. The son of an Australian father (who died when Day was 12) and Filipino mother, Day was the Queensland Amateur champion at 16. At 19, he made five cuts in seven tournaments on the PGA Tour playing on sponsors’ invites, and, in 2007, he earned his passage to the Big Leagues by finishing fifth on the Nationwide Tour (now the Web.com Tour) money list. Impressive results aside, Day’s launch monitor numbers were little short of astounding. His 5-iron swing speed…

‘I just said to him, ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t know what to say.’ Then as I gave him a hug, I thought about the media. ‘Don’t let the bastards get you down,’ I told him.’ Of all the competitive rounds I’ve played during my career, the one people want to talk to me about the most is the 67 I shot on the final day of the 1996 Masters with Greg Norman. I’ve lost count of the number of times, people have come up to me and commented on how calm and confident I looked that day. If only they knew the real truth! In all honesty, I was fighting inner battles with my swing and my mind the whole week. Throughout the entire final round, I was constantly…

Chris Wood stands out on any golf course. Not because of anything controversial – the 28-year old is one of the most mild-mannered members of the European Tour – but because of his height. At 6’ 6”, the two-time tour winner is a big lad. Of his fellow pros, only Robert Karlsson and Thomas Pieters can look him directly in the eye. This year though, Wood is looking to scale some golfing heights of his own. For the first time since his debut in 2010, he’s heading to Augusta National for the Masters. Last time ended in a missed cut, but some great memories. This time, his goal is to play four good rounds. Now established in the world’s top 50, Wood is a man on the rise and well…

THOMAS PIETERS World ranking: 58 Scoring: 70.66 (45th) Driving distance: 304.1 yards (14th) Greens in regulation: 68.1% (89th) Putts per round: 28.6 (9th) 1 Build speed in the downswing for longer drives Driving is all about tempo for me because I’m a tall guy and I know I can hit it a long way. But we can all be guilty of getting a bit quick sometimes, especially under pressure. If I go through a rough patch with my driver I just go back to hitting it smooth. I try and make it smooth from the top and gradually build speed in the downswing so the clubhead is moving at its fastest when it hits the ball. I see a lot of handicap golfers make really aggressive moves in the transition…

1 ZONE IN ON A SMALL TARGET Pick out a specific target, where you want the ball to land. Experiment to see how hard you need to hit the ball to produce a variety of distances. Once you have a sound technique, that’s all you should be thinking about over the ball. 2 WHY THE LEFT ARM IS CRUCIAL Left arm straight – but not stiff – and no more than horizontal on the backswing. More than that and you are tempting deceleration; less than that and smooth acceleration through impact is more difficult. 3 STEADY HEAD FOR CONSISTENCY Maintain your height. In other words, keep your head still. If your head doesn’t move up or down, the rest of your body won’t either, which will make solid, consistent contact…

Ping’s new fairway woods have a lower leading edge that sits closer to the ground than the G30 model they’re replacing, which raises the impact position on the face so you can get the ball in the air more easily. The variable thickness Carpenter 455 steel face and a new cascading sole design – different tiers of internal thickness – increases flex across the entire clubface at impact, which generates faster ball speeds. Like the driver, a thinner crown means discretionary weight has been used to move the CG lower and further back, and turbulators increase clubhead speed and help frame the ball at address. The standard head is available in 14.5°, 17.5° and 20.5° and an SF Tec model – which has the CG more towards the heel to…

‘In some cases a stronger loft is acceptable but when a 6-iron has a 4-iron loft I ask questions’ The golf equipment club market is a tricky and complicated place. Five or six big brands dominate the landscape and it can be incredibly hard for even the biggest global equipment brands to get a foothold and gain some traction. Combine this with some of the established order struggling to make ends meet and the odd ‘For Sale’ sign emerging and it’s difficult to see any room left at an already jam-packed party for new names. Quite a few big general sports brands have tried to smash their way into golf – and most often with limited success. It seems strange that global and instantly-recognisable brands seem to struggle to gain…

Three-woods are getting longer every year, while drivers aren’t. That’s a fact – kind of. Fairway woods aren’t restricted by the governing bodies, while the smaller distance gains that drivers claim to produce each year are a result of greater forgiveness and better customisation, because they’re already at the legal limit for ball speeds out of the sweetspot. But what happens when a three-wood’s distance becomes so close to a driver that it messes up gapping? This is exactly what happened to Jason Day with TaylorMade’s new M2 fairway. His carry increased to 280 yards and total was nearly 300 yards too close to his 310-yard average drives. The solution was to shorten the shaft by half-an-inch and increase loft by 1° to 15.25° to achieve carry and total distances…

When did you first play St Enodoc and what were your first impressions? A holiday game ages ago. I’m not sure I have ever played it with a card in my hand. Like a lot of people you sit in the clubhouse, look at the 6,200 yards and think ‘mid 60s at worst’. But it is a different animal in reality. For its length I can’t think of a more difficult course. That was my memory – you think you should be able to eat it up but you can’t. I think the course record is something like 65 still – remarkable for a [now] 6,500-yard course today, considering the number of high-quality golfers it hosts. Do you have a previous link with the club? I know a lot of…

1 Al Zorah It is a brand-new course in Ajman, 25 minutes to the north-east of Dubai. A Nicklaus Design, the tidal scenario changes how several holes play depending if they’re played in morning or afternoon. 2 Tower Links In the chilled-out Ras Al Khaimah area, it sits in a marshland of reeds and mangrove. It is a good test – but less championship golf more charm – with a lot of humps and hollows, doglegs and slopes. 3 Al Hamra Also in Ras Al Khaimah, an hour from Dubai, there is also great charm to it. Surrounded by waterways, the last is one of the best holes in the emirates, with water all the way up the right-hand side. 4 Sharjah A nine-hole, fully floodlit course by Peter Harradine…

It’s sometimes suggested deciding on a destination and then planning the actual trip is more enjoyable than the golf break itself. While I relish planning every itinerary (usually by working out how I can cram in as many rounds as possible, and sometimes a few that aren’t), something has gone wrong if the reconnaissance work ends up being more memorable than the reality. There really ought not to be any nasty surprises in golf travel these days, for there are few destinations about which you can find nothing – and in most cases you will be knee-deep in information. We hope this supplement plays a part in making your deliberations as informed as they can possibly be. We wouldn’t try to pretend we have all the answers, but we do…

I first visited what is now Trump International Golf Links in November 2010, when it was still Menie House Estate. It was a chilly November day, but from first sight of the landscape, I was excited at the prospect of a golf course nestled amongst the sand dunes. They looked as if they had always been waiting for a course to be created around them – as well as woven through the wonderful landscape that they overlooked. Recruiting Dr Martin Hawtree to bring golf to life on this site was a stroke of genius, and he created 18 wonderful holes on the untouched and wild land. The sites for greens and tees were natural and as we walked around what would become the course I could clearly see in my…

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‘Rickie has a tremendous understanding of how to control the trajectory of his ball’ Picture the shot and the trajectory “Rickie possesses a tremendous understanding of how to control the trajectory of his ball. Whether he’s hitting a bump and run or a flop shot, he goes through the same extremely thought out process. He sees the shot, he sees the trajectory that shot is calling for and then he hits into that trajectory.” Set shoulders square to target “Rickie’s lead foot might be slightly behind his back foot, but his shoulders are always parallel to the target. This is an important element of good wedge play. People who open up their shoulders often move their hands and arms away from them and end up shoving the ball out to…

Why do you perform so well at Bay Hill? If I knew, I’d do it every week. Bay Hill is only an hour from where I grew up, so it’s like a home fixture. But I definitely don’t feel as comfortable there as at some courses. You have to hit a lot of driving irons to keep it in the fairway, perhaps that helps as my driving has been terrible and I’m a good iron player. Were you shocked by the two wins? I was playing the best golf of my life and felt confident that I could win if I putted well in 2014. Last year, I was struggling big time and went in thinking I had no chance. But I got more comfortable as the week went on…

There was widespread – and correct – criticism when Golf Magazine published its annual Sexiest Women in Golf list at the end of last year, but they aren’t the only ones leveraging the aesthetic attributes of female golfers, rather than their playing abilities, to gain exposure and headlines. The Ladies European Tour invited online sensation Paige Spiranac to play in the Dubai Ladies Masters in December. While the 22-year-old has attracted 615,000 Instagram followers and 75,000 Twitter followers, her amateur golf career was less impressive. She won a handful of college events but never cracked the World Amateur Golf Ranking’s top 500. Dubai was her first pro event and rounds of 77 and 79 saw her miss the cut by eight shots. Clearly her social media popularity got her into…

Tee Off Times Fancy trying a new course, but not sure which one has a tee time? Enter your postcode, set the distance you are willing to travel and this app will reveal all. Free to download PGA Tour This fantastic app enables you to read the latest news, discover event information, follow leaderboards and watch the best shots from America’s leading professional golf circuit. Free to download The Open Prior to The Open this app provides the latest qualification news. During the event, it offers live scoring, video highlights and an interactive course guide. Free to download Rules of Golf This isn’t the most exciting app in the world, but it does come in very handy when you need to solve a mid-round rules query. Free to download Golfmetrics…

BREAKING NEWS? Your Who Invented Golf feature (April issue) was interesting – but did it really take seven pages and what seemed like 50,000 words to reveal that actually, it originated in Scotland. Didn’t we already know that?! K Chambers, Email WHAT ROT! What was Gary Neve’s letter last issue all about? If Gary has enough time to get all hot and bothered about Rickie Fowler’s attire, I’d suggest he has way too much time on his hands. Are a man’s trousers really that important? W Bern, Email…

‘Is there anything on the PGA Tour less palatable than watching ‘celebrities’ hacking their way round the course?’ It is a fortnight during which the PGA Tour showcases professional golf’s future and its past. First up is the (not) attractively titled Waste Management Phoenix Open, closely followed by the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am, what followers of a certain age still like to refer to as ‘The Crosby.’ In Phoenix – a mundane tour event with a slightly better than average field – the so-called ‘highlight’ of the week is the par-3 16th. Totally enclosed by grandstands housing thousands of drunken Neanderthals masquerading as fans, this otherwise routine hole has gained cult status in recent years. Encouraged to be loud and obnoxious, the spectators meet the brief by screaming inanities at…

‘What will go through Rory’s head if he stands on the 10th tee with a one shot lead and Jordan Spieth and Jason Day breathing down his neck?’ You could probably count the golfers whose games were better-suited to Augusta National than that of Rory McIlroy on the fingers of one hand... well, one and a bit. The first name would of course be Jack Nicklaus, whose length off the tee, high faded irons, exceptional putting, meticulous preparation, and shrewd strategy made him very hard to beat from 1961 to 1981, during which time he won five of his six Green Jackets, had five other top-three finishes, and recorded an incredible 17 top-10s. Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods each won four times and among those with three or two victories…

I have never been to Jack Nicklaus’ house, but I’m willing to bet there’s a lot of crystal around the place. Augusta National give crystal to players who achieve the extraordinary, and no one in the history of the game has achieved more extraordinary things at Augusta National than Jack William Nicklaus. Shoot the lowest score on any given day, you get a crystal vase. Nicklaus got enough of those to open a florists. Make an eagle at any hole you get a pair of crystal goblets. Nicklaus had 24 eagles. Even last year, despite the fact that he was three quarters of a century old, he was at it again, making a hole-in-one on the 4th hole of the Par-3 Contest. The records speak for themselves. Nicklaus has won…

“I witnessed at close hand a big transition in the game when I played with Tiger in the first round at Augusta in 1997. Tigermania was just getting going and I was as interested as anybody to see him play. We both went out in 40 – four-over par – and I remember thinking, ‘What’s all the fuss about? He’s playing as badly as me!’ Then he came back in 30, and from then on we didn’t see him for dust! Tiger was similar to Jack [Nicklaus] in that he could make things happen. If a shot had to be pulled off a little bit better he could do that – at the right time. He had that amazing striking strength to hit the ball crisper and with more spin.…

Irons are precision clubs. Unlike the driver, where you want to hit the ball a long way, iron play is all about hitting it as close as possible to a specific target. You can always go up a club if you want to hit it further so iron play must be built around control and consistency to achieve the best results. There are three elements to good iron play – ball striking, flight control and distance control. A quality strike enables you to produce consistent and repeatable launch conditions. From this solid basis, you can tweak your flight and carry distance to tailor each shot to the situation you face. Here, I will explain how you can improve each of these three areas to hit your irons closer to the…

TaylorMade’s new irons are designed to help you hit the ball further and stop it quicker on the greens by increasing your ball speed, launch angle and the peak trajectory height. A redesigned Speed Pocket and a thin face with Inverted Cone Technology allows greater and more consistent flex at impact, which transfers more energy into the ball and launches it higher, while adding forgiveness for shots struck low on the face. The fluted hosel allows mass to be moved lower and further back in the clubhead and the 360° undercut lowers the centre of gravity. A 3D badge in the cavity and multi-material V-shaped struts dampen vibrations to make them sound and feel more like a better player iron. There is also an M2 Tour version that is a…

PING G SERIES While we have got used to the idea of the clubface adding speed by flexing like a trampoline, the face of Ping’s G series flexes more like a diving board. COR-Eye technology actually stiffens up the centre of the face, encouraging it to flex back as a whole at impact, the sole staying solid while the length of top edge softens. OUR TEST SAID… Launch monitor data appears to confirm the effect of COR-Eye. A consistently highest average smash factor reading of 1.36 across the team suggests even flexing across the face, while that diving-board action was surely contributing to impressively easy launch and ball speed. It must be added, however, that the club’s low, deep CG location, a thinner face and improved perimeter weighting would all…

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard of XXIO – pronounced zek-see-oh – but the manufacturer has been the number one for woods and irons sales in Japan for the last 14 years. They’ve sold 2.4 million woods and 1 million sets of irons in that time, and now they’re coming to the UK. The thing that sets them apart from other brands on the market is that their clubs are designed specifically for mid and slow swing speeds (80mph and less with driver) – and not fast-swinging tour pros, who XXIO say have different requirements from their clubs than the majority of amateur golfers. More than 300 golfers aged over 50 took part in extensive testing to reveal their tendencies and how golf clubs could be designed to…

ARTIFICIAL GRASS We’re revamping the mats in our fitting bay so we’re looking at a variety of weaves, depths, densities and blade widths of artificial grass to find what offers the closest performance to real grass. We may use different strips to replicate different lie conditions. It’s going to be the best mat in the world! FUJIKURA SPEEDER 665 EVOLUTION II TS Any time a manufacturer releases a new shaft we have to work out where it fits in with their other products and what clubheads it matches with best. Fujikura shafts tend to be softer in the tip so you might have to decrease the loft of your driver to achieve optimum spin. CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT 2016 BALL I love this ball. It’s a significant step forward on feel…

THREE-WOOD TaylorMade Burner “Again, this club is not exactly new. It’s been hit quite a few times because it’s my ‘go-to’ club. It’s 13° with an 80g Diamana Mitsubishi Rayon X-Flex shaft, which is still popular on tour.” PUTTER Scotty Cameron Tour X7M “This is a new putter for me. I like all the weight in the back of the head and it’s very easy to align. It has 3° of loft and the shaft is a little more upright than standard because I’m tall.” DRIVER TaylorMade R15 “I’m giving up a little ball speed because it’s not one of the newest drivers on the market, but I’m just so confident with this club and I know where my misses go. I’m going to stay with it as long as…

Dubai is technically an ‘emirate’, but you should think of it as an extraordinary city. There is so much to see and do here that we strongly advise you let Golf Dubai Plus use their expertise to put together your itinerary for you. Start with the shopping malls, which make ours look like afterthoughts; if there is someone in your party who likes to shop, they will be happy for hours... These are very shiny affairs, but if you like more traditional experiences, there are also lots of small-but-neat ‘souks’, where bargains can be had without the craziness usually associated with them. Make a trip up the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. The view is sensational – it is so tall it wobbles slightly in the wind! For a…

St Mellion International Resort is a unique blend of contemporary style, exceptional facilities, golfing heritage and wonderful Cornish hospitality. The resort boasts a stunning AA four-star 80-bedroom hotel and a Health Club & Spa as well as a variety of dining experiences – from the simple to the elegant in an award-winning restaurant. St Mellion is renowned as one of England’s finest golf venues, being a regular in GB&I Top 100 Course rankings and having hosted 12 European Tour events. The Nicklaus Signature Course celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2013 and was the first European course personally designed by Jack Nicklaus. “I knew it was going to be good, but not this good... it’s everything I hoped for and more,” said the legendary American of the finished course. At 6,300…

Jumeirah Golf Estates Location: Dubai, UAE Courses: Earth and Fire Experience: Home to The European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, the two Greg Norman-designed courses blend effortlessly into their natural desert landscape and, alongside the Middle East’s first European Tour Performance Institute, help deliver a tournament experience for professionals and amateurs alike. Website: www.jumeirahgolfestates.com Black Mountain Golf Club Location: Hua Hin, Thailand Course: Championship Course Experience: Thailand’s only course to feature in Golf Digest’s Best 100 Courses outside the USand host of the True Thailand Classic, the course features interconnected waterways and undulating fairways, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Burmese mountains. Website: www.blackmountainhuahin.com Le Golf National Location: Paris, France Courses: L’Albatros, L’Aigle and L’Oiselet Experience: Venue of The 2018 Ryder Cup, L’Albatros Course is a globally recognised…

Open Golf Club originates from a strong family tradition in tourism and high-end leisure sports over more than 50 years. With a presence in five countries – France, Benelux, Spain, Portugal and Morocco – the Open Golf Club group offers a choice of 40 top-quality golf courses including several which are recognised internationally. Many are classed among the Top 100 in Europe such as Le Touquet, Hardelot, Biarritz le Phare, Opion Valbonne, Pont Royal, Les Yvelines and Ormesson in France as well as Golf National, venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup. Open Golf Club’s portfolio is a bit like a group in Britain being able to say they had Alwoodley, West Sussex and Prestwick under their umbrella. Further well-renowned courses include Bercuit and Cleydael (a Challenge Tour 2014 venue) in…

The French Basque Country, the Landes and Bearn, is a special golfing area that offers courses of great quality, diversity and beauty. In addition to the high concentration and variety of courses, the Biarritz area’s mild climate, its history and heritage, as well as a laid-back way of life make it attractive for travelling golfers. Two of the courses are the oldest in Continental Europe, and enjoy classic design features. For lovers of course architecture and the history of golf, these courses from the 1850s are a ‘must play’. There are 16 courses – including four ranked in Europe’s Top 100 – surrounding Biarritz to enjoy: Biarritz le Phare, (1888), Pau (1856), Ilbarritz International Training Center, Arcangues, Makila (Bassussarry Bayonne), Chiberta, Chantaco, La Nivelle, Idron, Pau Artiguelouve, Salies de Bearn,…

1966 Penina Championship by Sir Henry Cotton (now 18+9+9) opens! 1969 Oceânico Old in Vilamoura, by Frank Pennick, is unveiled, as is Vale do Lobo’s Ocean course by Cotton (which was then called Orange & Yellow nines) 1971 Vale do Lobo’s spectacular Ocean course hosts the Algarve Open 1972 Vale do Lobo adds to its portfolio with the opening of the Green nine 1973 The Portugal Open is hosted at Penina, won by Jaime Benito of Spain. It is the first of 10 Portugal Opens to be hosted by the first course in the Algarve 1974 Quinta do Lago reveals 27 holes, by William Mitchell. Eighteen become the South and nine are added to by Joe Lee in 1989 to become the North 1976 Oceânico Pinhal opens, by Frank Pennink…

It is easy to understand why golf in Spain is often thought of as ‘Andalucia’. The most southerly area of Spain has more world-class courses than exist in the whole of most countries. They include some of the best-known courses in Europe – Valderrama, San Roque and Sotogrande – in addition to more recent additions such as Finca Cortesin and La Reserva. But while it remains one of the leading areas for a golf break in Europe, it is far from the only destination in Spain worthy of your attention. To narrow down your choices – there are over 300 courses in Spain and its islands – we showcase the strengths of five different options. The Canaries - Year-round sunshine We are big fans of the Canaries – and not…

Never judge a golfer by his outlandish wardrobe. “I remember Rickie Fowler walking onto the 1st tee to play with Rory McIlroy in the third round of the 2011 Open at Royal St George’s,” says BBC Radio 5 Live’s Iain Carter. “The conditions were typical Open conditions at their worst and Fowler was wearing a very garish white waterproof suit. I walked all 18 holes that day and Fowler’s 68 was one of the finest rounds I’ve ever seen. He beat Rory by six shots and it made me realise what an immensely talented golfer he is.” Carter is right. Fowler is, and always, has been immensely talented. But a measly one PGA Tour victory in his first five seasons as a professional meant people began to cast doubts over…

Oliver Wilson Since ending a four-year slump with a fairytale success at the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the 35-year-old Englishman has missed 22 European Tour cuts and recorded a best finish of T34th. Derek Ernst In the 82 PGA Tour events he has played since the beginning of 2013, 25-year-old American Ernst has missed 49 cuts and finished in the top 10 just once. Remarkably, this high point came when he won the 2013 Wells Fargo Championship. Jin Jeong Prior to winning the ISPS Handa Perth International in October 2013, the 26-year-old South Korean had missed eight cuts in 11 European Tour events. Since his victory, he’s missed the cut in 32 of 40 European Tour events he’s played in.…

Two of the top 10-ranked inland courses in Britain and Ireland will undergo refurbs to ensure they reflect their heritage. They are the latest welcome developments in a period of renaissance in design, with course architecture strongly leaning on the ‘Golden Era’ principles of Colt, Braid and Mackenzie. The work on Woodhall Spa’s Hotchkin (18th in our 2014 list) and Gleneagles’ King’s (45th) will take different routes. While the former has appointed arguably the world’s most famous architect in Tom Doak to oversee the work, Gleneagles’ will be in-house. American Doak visited Woodhall as a student and was so impressed with the challenge and heathland character of the Hotchkin he selected its 18th hole in his book ‘The Anatomy of a Golf Course’. Harry Vardon, JH Taylor, Harry Colt and…

The Masters is always the most eagerly anticipated major of the season, but the emergence of the new ‘Big Three’ has made this years Tournament among the dogwoods and azaleas an even more tantalising proposition than normal. Jordan Spieth will defend the title he won in record-breaking fashion a year ago, Rory McIlroy has his sights set on completing a career Grand Slam, while Jason Day is arguably the most complete golfer of the three. Each player is armed with a unique but equally potent arsenal of skills for breaching Augusta National s robust defences – and you can make an irrefutable case for each of them adding to their major tally in April – but only one man can win. Tony Dear investigates who it will be.…

Jordan Spieth WHERE HE’S HOT Jordan’s obvious strength is his mental resilience. He has this amazing ability to score – on any type of course. Plus, when I watch him play, I’m always amazed by how many of his iron shots finish pin-high. That’s a sign of great ball-striking. WHERE HE’S NOT It’s no great secret that Jordan’s swing is not technically perfect. He has a tendency to get his driving and iron play out of whack a little. That’s why he’ll occasionally have poor tournaments. But he seems to get it right when it matters – another sign of greatness. Rory McIlroy WHERE HE’S HOT Rory is one of the best drivers we’ve ever seen. Up there alongside Greg Norman, in my opinion. And he probably doesn’t get the…

“I think one major victory, relative to par, would have to be considered over par for me. I felt like I had three or four in me. I just didn’t have it in me, though. I’ve never putted that well on seaside greens, for example. If I’d been more consistent on the greens I would have won a lot more. But I never putted well enough. Actually that’s not quite true. When I did putt well, I nearly always won. But I do have regrets. I can’t tell you how often I missed four-foot putts in an Open, then lost by only a few shots. I’ll always be linked with the extra club in my bag in the 2001 Open, and that pisses me off. There was a guy at…

1963 The Young Buck 74–66–74–72 – 286 (-2) (By one shot from Tony Lema) Aged 23 and in only his second Masters as a pro, Nicklaus battled through hurricane winds and torrential rain. He always threw his ball into the crowd in celebration, but the announcer asked him, as he approached the 18th, to give his ball to Bobby Jones, so he threw his cap instead. “I will never forget the look in Bob’s eyes.” 1965 The Record Breaker 61-71-64-69 – 271 (-17) By nine from Arnold Palmer & Gary Player Level with Palmer and Player at halfway, Nicklaus blasted clear with a course-record 64 on Saturday. He was playing “a game with which I’m not familiar,” marvelled Bobby Jones. Ben Hogan’s 72-hole aggregate record went, and his winning margin…

2011 Masters, T2nd Scott shot a final round of 67 but Charl Schwartzel birdied the final four holes to edge him by two strokes. 2012 Open, 2nd He had a four-shot lead heading into the final round, but he bogeyed the final four holes to open the door for Ernie Els. 2012 US PGA, T11th Scott was one off the lead heading into Sunday, with nine holes of his third round to complete. He played the back nine in +2. 2013 Open, T3rd Scott battled into a one-shot lead by the 13th, but four successive bogeys ended his charge at Muirfield. 2015 Open, T10th Began the final round three shots off the lead but his closing 71 was the highest of anyone who finished in the top 10.…

NEXT MONTH… A WINNER’S GUIDE TO THE MASTERS Four former champions reveal the secrets to winning a Green Jacket THE UK COURSE THAT INSPIRED AUGUSTA We visit Cavendish GC – Alister MacKenzie’s Augusta replica in Derbyshire BRYSON DECHAMBEAU Meet the quirky US Amateur champ who turns pro after the event PLUS: SHANE LOWRY’S SHORT GAME MASTERCLASS > NEW DISTANCE DRIVERS > MARC WARREN INTERVIEW…

JAMIE DONALDSON Greens in Regulation: 72% (30th) Putts per GIR: 29.7 (101st) Stroke average: 70.73 (51st) ‘To me, the left arm should never go past horizontal on the backswing – more than that is a full shot’ Feel what’s happening in the shoulders “I try to keep a relationship between my arms and my chest. I want to feel a connection all the way from address to impact. It is the movement of the torso that is the biggest factor in the creation of momentum.” Do some experimenting “You need to know how far you can hit the ball with all lengths of backswing, which should be the same length as the followthrough.” Choose your clubs for your game “Use the shots you tend to hit to tell you how…

The latest six models from Titleist’s revered putter craftsman feature multi-material construction and an innovative face inlay to produce a soft yet solid feel and responsive feedback. The Select Newport, Newport 2 and Newport 2.5 are modern heel-toe weighted blades designed to support flowing strokes. Each model features a sole-to-topline stainless steel inlay that is bonded to the stainless steel body using high-tech vibration dampening material. The Select Newport 2 Notchback is a slightly larger, angular modern blade with a notched flange. It has a lightweight sole-to-topline 6061 aircraft grade aluminium inlay bonded to the stainless steel body with vibration dampening material. This enhances sound and feel, and moves more weight to the perimeter for improved MOI and stability. The Select Newport M1 and Newport M2 mid-mallets combine a 6061…

Ping G Series Competitive for speed, height and forgiveness, there are few grounds for complaint in any of the areas important to the game improver. Improved cosmetics broaden the G’s appeal, while the best forgiveness will see the club extend further up the handicap range than the others. Strike was not the most exciting – a small criticism in the light of everything. What we liked: Good ball speeds, easy launch, plentiful forgiveness. What we didn’t: Overly chunky look to the longer irons, feel solid though not as crisp as some. www.ping.com Mizuno JPX-EZ Forged Our feeling was of a club that falls between two stools. JPX-EZ Forged offered neither the forgiveness and power of the best game-improver irons, nor the looks, feel and performance of a true Mizuno forging.…

Men’s woods Dual Speed Technology helps maximise head speed thanks to the lighter shaft and heavier head and increases ball speed with a new Wing Cup Face, which increases the sweetspot by 10%. The fairway and utility has a Power Wave Structure in the sole that creates a lower and deeper CG. Price: £499.99 for driver; £399.99 for fairway wood; £219.99 for utility Men’s irons Dual Speed Technology helps maintain wrist cock and accelerate the club in the second half of the downswing. The head has a unique five-piece construction in the 4 to 7-irons; a cast steel chassis, Titanium face, and high-density tungsten-nickel weights in the heel, toe and sole. This lowers CG to get the ball airborne and improve the carry distances. Price: £996 for eight clubs (carbon…

How important is custom fitting? Really important. You can have the highest quality equipment but if the specs and set-up aren’t correct then it’s not going to work as well. So we view it as a big part of how we launch products and it’s integral to what we do. Almost two-thirds of our irons and a third of metals are custom-fitted. What makes a good fitting experience? A fitter who cares about helping you play better, who takes time to find out what your goals and needs are. You have to have a good assortment of fitting tools, a launch monitor – especially with drivers – and we prefer not to hit off mats if possible because turf interaction is so important for hybrids, irons and wedges. Should it…

Ah! Seaweed smells from sandy caves And thyme and mist in whiffs, In-coming tide, Atlantic waves Slapping the sunny cliffs, Lark song and sea sounds in the air And splendour, splendour everywhere. A degree in English Literature is not required in order to appreciate the closing stanza of Sir John Betjeman’s ‘Seaside Golf’. All that is necessary to enjoy the late Poet Laureate’s tribute to the 13th hole at St Enodoc is an affection for links golf. That he captures so eloquently the joy of playing on the linksland of St Enodoc is hardly surprising given his literary status and the fact he adored this seaside course of heroic holes. Betjeman was a Londoner, but later in life retreated to the Cornish village of Trebetherick that sits next to St…

Seeing pictures of the climax to the ‘Desert Swing’ on the European Tour last month may well have given you a taste for a golf holiday in glamourous and intriguing Dubai. You might then have reflected that organising a golf holiday here would be at best an exciting step into the unknown, but very possibly fairly intimidating. The skyscrapers of Dubai have been on the Tour scene for 25 years but it is still not a path especially well-trodden by golfers and a lack of knowledge about what a golf break here is really like might be one reason. We know it is flashy, warm and built on sand, but what are the courses really like? And is the prospect of a tourist navigating their way from one course to…

Where to stay There are lots of play-and-stay options and of those we were the most impressed with Jebel Ali; a great option if you want to stay out of the hustle and bustle. However, we stayed at The Address Dubai Marina, and it was a predictably opulent and stylish venue. It is well located for shops, the marina and nightlife, and the hotel itself boasts good restaurants, a sports bar where every possible worldwide match seems to be shown, a large spa and gym, and chic rooms with cool touches like an iPad to control the TV, lights, sound system, alarm etc. It sits over the other side of the Sheikh Zayed highway (that cuts through Dubai) from Emirates GC, so players stay here for the DDC. Getting there…

It’s textbook strategy – a dog-leg left with negative cambers so it rolls away from the corner. You’ve got to hit a really good drive to get it on the inside of the dog-leg to be able to attack the green, which is protected on the right with good bunkering. The green is in such a beautiful setting. It tests your shotmaking ability because the ideal way to play it is to hit a draw off the tee and a fade for your second shot. It’s quite a fast, sloping green. For an average player it’s a very wide fairway and you can bail right off the tee, bail left on the approach, chip it on, two putt, and make five for the rest of your life without any problems.…

For decades, the beautiful Italian region of Tuscany has been a popular destination among holidaymakers who enjoy history, culture, art and beautiful landscapes. However, over the past few years, it has also started to establish itself as a favourite destination for golfers too. That is down, in no small part, to the spectacular Argentario Golf Resort and Spa. It is located in the heart of the Maremma – a beautiful and still-unexplored part of Southern Tuscany, only 90 minutes away from Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport. It comprises 73 designer bedrooms and an independent golf villa, all featuring a private terrace with views of either the stunning, lush Monte Argentario landscape, or the resort’s 18-hole championship golf course. Golf under the Tuscan sun The Argentario course was designed by former European…

Château des Vigiers is the perfect place for those seeking intimacy and a feeling of total relaxation. From the moment you sweep down the grand driveway and first set eyes on the magnificent 16th century château and its lake, you enjoy the feeling of time slowing down and nature awakening your senses. The tranquillity and contentment begins now, and is continued in gastronomy, wines, golf and well-being – all enjoyed in authentic surroundings. A visit to Chateau des Vigiers is a wonderful feast for the senses. The region At the heart of authentic France, this is a region full of history and tradition. Situated at the gateway of the Dordogne Valley, in the heart of ‘Purple Périgord’, it is perfectly located for visiting the region’s châteaux, grottoes and gardens. Discover…

‘If you listed the ingredients required to attract lots of golfers, Morocco ticks the boxes’ In this annual travel supplement we always like to delve deeply into a destination that we think could make a really significant mark on the golf travel scene. Sometimes it is somewhere especially obscure, other times it is an area or country that has a toehold in golf travel but would rather like to get more of a grip. In the past those featured have included Argentina, Slovenia, Malaysia, Slovakia, and back in the day, Belek. In 2016, our ‘One to Watch’ is in Africa, and it would fall into the category of ‘trying to get more of a grip’. Morocco already caters for thousands of travelling golfers every year – but would like to…