Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Golf World

If you’re a frequent reader of Golf World , you’ll know that we take our course rankings very seriously. And judging by the tone and volume of the comments – both positive and negative – I receive whenever we publish an update to one of our biannual Top 100 Courses listings, it seems you do, too. Passionate and discerning golfers like yourselves clearly have a huge appetite for playing the world’s finest golf courses and learning more about the inspiration and the stories behind their creation. However, although there are plenty of golfers who have made it their lifetime mission to play as many of our Top 100 as possible, it’s time for a quick reality check. In this day and age, who really has the time, the financial resources…

1 THE TEAM This is not the 1981 US team which boasted nine major champions with 37 majors between them, but the 2016 version will be pretty strong. At the time of writing, eight players have locked up their spot, and five are major champions – four have at least two majors. Plus, there are no rookies in the top eight. 2 TASK FORCE Everyone ridiculed Team USA’s task force when it was announced in October 2014, but we shouldn’t forget that it contains real experience. One of its key objectives has been to make the players feel part of the process – thus far, it seems to be working. 3 DAVIS LOVE The 1997 US PGA champion and 21-time PGA Tour winner is greatly respected, and was many leading…

1979 Born James William Walker on January 16 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The young Jimmy Walker learns the game from his scratch golfer father. 2001 Via a spell at Baylor University in Texas, Walker turns pro at the age of 22. The same year he makes his major debut, finishing T52 in the US Open at Southern Hills, which features a second-round 66. 2004 Meets future wife Erin at a Nationwide Tour event, where she’s volunteering. “The rest is history,” he says. They now have two sons. 2005 Walker earns his 2015 PGA Card after two Nationwide Tour wins in 2004. Injury limits his debut season to just nine PGA Tour events. He plays 21 in 2006 but ends 202nd on the money list, losing his playing rights. 2007 Comes…

“It was the third round of the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews. I was seven-under and leading the field when I came to the par-4 17th, the Road Hole. After a decent drive I got greedy with my approach and found the Road Bunker. Walking to the green, my week was in the balance. “The ball was hard against the face in a position where I could only go forwards – no bargain given how quickly I would have to get the ball up in order to make the green. Standing over the ball I wasn’t that confident. The lie and stance were difficult, so it was very much ‘hit and hope’. I got the little bit of luck you need now and then. The ball rose quickly, nicked…

‘A record winning score and multiple rounds of 63 will represent complete anathema to the USGA.’ The set-up of what has become a traditional US Open course has forever been something of a mystery. Seemingly obsessed with difficulty over interest, penal over strategic and long grass over short, the United States Golf Association attempts to manipulate a winning score of even par in America’s national championship. Displaying breathtaking arrogance born no doubt of their invariably pampered and privileged backgrounds, this blue-blooded collection of Roman numerals and middle names preceded by initials – as in ‘B. Wally Hamburger IV’ – presumes to impose its twisted version of golf on the game’s leading protagonists. If its misguided philosophy were not so screwed up it would be funny. For masochists, anyway. With the…

1 Use the shaft to pick a spot Once you’ve decided exactly where you want your tee shot to finish you can stand behind the ball and use the club shaft to pick a spot just in front of the ball that’s exactly on that line. Remember to take any shot shape into account. For instance, you’ll want to start the ball just left of your target if you play with a fade. 2 Align accurately and swing with freedom Over the ball, my only thought is to align my feet parallel to the target line. Again, that is a lot easier when my focus is on the mark just ahead of the ball. Once I’m happy, I can go ahead and make a full, confident swing, which is a…

Leave the best angle for the pin position You want to be playing from the opposite side of the fairway to where the flag is positioned on the green. So if the pin is on the right try to hit your tee shot down the left half and vice versa. You don’t have to chase the pin too much as you’ll never have too long a putt from the middle of a small green like this no matter where the flag is. Give yourself a full shot to the green A lot of amateurs don’t hit the ball very solid or pure, so you don’t spin the ball enough with your wedges. This is a hole where you need maximum spin coming into the green so leave a full shot…

New research from America has discovered the specific movements that create a good golf swing. The SwingTRU Motion Study by GolfTEC uses motion measurements from 13,440 golfers of all abilities to quantify the differences in how tour players and handicap golfers use their bodies. Then they’ve identified the specific swing moves that correlate to better golfers – and those that could hold you back. Here, coach Stuart Dowsett reveals the six most significant moves and helps improve your technique. AT THE TOP HIP SWAY The lateral movement of the hips away from or towards the target. The lower the handicap the more the hips move toward the target and get closer to the tour pro average of 3.9 inches toward the target at the top of the swing. Not doing…

CHRIS BERTRAM GW Courses & Travel Editor Utrecht de Pan, Holland If you can’t get on what I believe to be the Continent’s undisputed No.1 – the very private Morfontaine – this Dutch heathland track is a very fine alternative. Cruit Island Nine barely-known holes that take a lot of effort to get to. However, once you finally arrive at this scenic Donegal outpost, you will categorically not be disappointed. Kilspindie Just around the corner from Muirfield, you can confidently leave the driver in the car boot and enjoy a links that requires deft touch to master. Shiskine Another nineholer, this time on Arran. Bags of character and some wonderful golf holes, plus a bit of madness and incredible views. Brora James Braid converts will tell you that this Highland…

Friuli Venezia Giulia Trieste boasts wonderful architecture, art nouveau, eclectic and Baroque buildings standing cheek-by-jowl with Roman remains. But the real melting pot in the ‘Mitteleuropa’ area is Gorizia, a favourite with the Habsburg bourgeoisie. Udine has a medieval core and a chilled vibe while Pordenone is a smart town. Veneto Explore Veneto through its vineyards, its art in history; by enjoying breakfast on the boat in front of Piazza San Marco in Venice, by ending the day sipping Prosecco on board a fluvial yacht (the Houseboat) along the Sile and the Brenta as you cruise by the elegant Palladian villas. That is just the start... Emilia Romagna The region has more than 100km of beaches filled with hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, cinemas and theatres, it is the Italian Riviera and,…

1 WHAT’S THE TECH? Forgiveness increases while maintaining feel and playability by using heavier tungsten weights in the toe (weighing an average 23g). The face is 0.068” thick – half of the S55s – enabling it to flex more for faster ball speeds and higher launch angles so the long irons fly up to six yards longer without sacrificing a high trajectory. 2 WHAT DOES IT REPLACE? It’s replacing Ping’s popular S55 model, which came out in 2013 and featured more of a cavity. As you would expect, there are a lot of similarities but three years of development have seen them enhanced. The S55s had tungsten toe weights, a vertical stabilising bar to improve distance control and a Custom Tuning Port. 3 WILL IT WORK FOR ME? All modern…

January 2006 The second version, with an improved core and new cover for more spin, is UK’s no.1 two-piece ball by July. September 2007 A new core enables the ball to use impact energy more efficiently for increased distance and straighter flight. August 2009 Soft elastomer cover thinned and cover size increased for higher ball speeds while making it feel softer. August 2011 Improved core for firmer outer and softer centre, reducing air resistance for a more penetrating flight. August 2013 344-dimple pattern improves flight, firmer compression increases ball speeds and Spin Skin increases control. June 2014 333-dimples reduce air resistance for a longer, more penetrative flight, soft elastomer cover boosts spin. August 2015 Firmer compression, Spin Skin improved, new 324-dimple pattern boosts distances and short game performance.…

Srixon’s new utility iron (£165 for steel, £175 for graphite) has a slim profile with a hollow head, which moves weight lower for a higher launch than traditional long irons. It provides versatility for distance, control and a penetrating flight off the tee and on long approach shots. The head is the same heat-treated and ultra-soft carbon steel and high-strength face insert construction as the Z565 irons. It’s available in 18°, 20° and 23°. The ZH65 hybrid (£190) is designed for a higher launch, maximum distance and more forgiveness than a long iron. The new Arc Support Channel on the crown gets progressively deeper by loft to promote a higher launch and optimal spin from impacts across the whole face. The lower lofts also have a lower CG to help…

Hole More Putts is a durable Tablet that uses infrared technology to measure and give you instant feedback on the five key elements of the putting stroke – face angle, impact point, path, angle of attack and speed. It’s only slightly larger than a piece of A4 paper and can be used indoors or outdoors. But it doesn’t just stop at measuring your stroke. The app and website actually recommend tailored practice regimes and drills aimed specifically at fixing your faults and improving your stroke. Dave Kearney, head pro at Grange GC in Dublin, has been heavily involved in its development. “Without feedback, players don’t know if they’re practising a good habit or repeating a bad one,” he says. “Without solutions and drills, they won’t know what to practise to…

Motocaddy S3 Pro Price: £379.99 (lead acid), £479.99 (lithium), £529.99 (extended lithium) Key features: QuikFold mechanism; nine speed settings; distance adjustment up to 60 yards Folded size (cm)/weight: 85(l) x 35.5(h) x 59.5(d); 9kg Warranty: two years Big Max Coaster Quad Price: £799 (lithium) Key features: Four wheels; electric brake; downhill speed control Folded size (cm)/weight: 70(l) x 32(h) x 55(d); 13kg Warranty: two years PowaKaddy Touch Price: £399.99 (lead acid), £549.99 (lithium), £599.99 (extended lithium) Key features: speed set by walking pace; plug ‘n’ play battery; USB port Folded size (cm)/weight: 86(l) x 38.5(h) x 57(d); 9.4kg Warranty: two years ‘When it comes to powered trolleys, style is not to be sniffed at. It has played a key role in ridding the product of its image as an old…

Big Max Coaster Quad Coaster’s fourth wheel is designed to keep the trolley stable across all terrains and slopes, while the mountain brake stops it running away on downhills. A 230-watt motor offers more power, though orange buttons and lots of plastic limit visual appeal. Motocaddy S3 Pro S3 Pro has an aluminium frame and 200w motor, designed to keep the trolley powerful and nimble. The 2016 model features a more streamlined battery tray while dabs of blue around the chassis and wheels suggest a youthful yet classy look. PowaKaddy Touch Touch’s performance is all about the Touch ’n’ Go handle, which speeds the trolley as it’s pushed forwards and slows it as it’s pulled back. Sporty styling includes yellow flashes on the tyres and chassis. PowaKaddy say the battery…

DESIGN Typically clever Colt routing makes most of site. 20.74 OUT OF 25 SETTING Delightful woodland-heathland feel to the property. 16.09 OUT OF 20 CONDITIONING Consistently good despite receiving plenty of traffic. 15.70 OUT OF 20 PLAYABILITY Acceptably wide playing corridors give everyone a chance. 12.87 OUT OF 15 MEMORABILITY Some cool par 4s mix with tough ones, plus lovely short holes. 7.70 OUT OF 10 CONSISTENCY Not sure there is a weak hole? Everything fits nicely. 7.92 OUT OF 10 TOTAL SCORE Deserves to be among the best in Europe. Top 30 is full of quality, but would fit in seamlessly. 81.02 OUT OF 100…

Chris Bertram While the area, patently, is home to plenty of superstar links, it’s always been my view that the real strength of south-west Scotland is its strength in depth. Beneath the GB&I Top 100 venues are nine further courses good enough to have featured in all three of the Scottish Top 100 lists Golf World has produced. So while anyone visiting the area will want to tick off one, two or three of the ‘bucket list’ courses – personally, I’d make Prestwick the banker and take it from there – I would strongly urge you to consider the following relatively lower-profile tracks too. The green fees and pace of play will likely be more favourable (although Southerness scores well in both categories too) yet the quality will remain exceptionally…

There’s nothing more frustrating than doing what seems like the hard work of getting the ball close to the hole, only to miss a short putt. Unlike errant shots in the long game – where you can always make up for it and recover if the next one is a cracker – a missed short putt is a shot gone that simply can’t be recovered. Knowing you’re struggling to hole-out can put extra pressure on the rest of your game too. These soul-destroying misses are often caused by an inability to commit to the pace and line you need to hole out with, especially when there’s some break in the putt. I’m going to show you a drill that will help you read shot putts more accurately and build your…

This helps you see and feel exactly what ‘square to your target’ is and enables you to swing with freedom and confidence. You can analyse your swing too, because you know any errant shots are definitely the result of a fault in your swing technique. When practising, place a cane or club just behind the ball, aiming at the target. Put another parallel to it, just inside the toe line. Line up feet, knees, hips and shoulders with the inside cane and the clubface perpendicular to the target line cane. Takeaway on plane This drill has the dual purpose of helping you groove an on-plane takeaway. Your club will stay pointing at the target line as you move it away from the ball when it’s on a neutral plane and…

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The biggest winners and losers in the world of golf this month. UP Aaron Baddeley The almost forgotten Baddeley ended a five-year winless drought on the PGA Tour at the Barbasol Championship. “It’s been a long time between drinks,” he reflected. Stephan Jaeger The Web.com Tour’s Jaeger fired an opening 58 at the Ellie Mae Classic, then added rounds of 65, 64 and 63 for a mildly preposterous 250. Paul Broadhurst Broadhurst’s decision not to quit golf in 2013 is vindicated with a two-shot victory in the Senior Open. “I’ve got to sit down now and reassess my life,” he smiled. The European Tour “Every golf course being built needs to be six holes, six holes, six holes.” European Tour chief Keith Pelley unveils proposed game-changers. DOWN Phil Mickelson Missed…

This year’s US PGA Championship came down to the last hole. Jimmy Walker thought his birdie on 17 for a three-shot lead would give him a comfortable cushion going up the final hole, but the world number one lived up to his billing with an incredible eagle on the 18th in the group in front of him. He stuck to his strategy of hitting long iron off the tee and it left him the same club again from 254 yards for this second shot. He flushed it straight at the flag and holed the 15-foot putt to cut the deficit to a single shot as Walker waited to play his second from the fairway. The American made a good par for victory but Day’s stunning long iron (a hybrid for…

@NEAL_G Brilliant! Sky gave it the time, attention & funds the Open deserved. Coverage should be from the first shot to the very last. @SHIVBROSNAN Very good, loved the practice range coverage, not too much Monty commentary, missed Ken and Peter Alliss though. @BRIANPADISTAFF Sky coverage was innovative, thorough and excellent. BBC never gave FULL coverage and came on air late last year. @STUART16978 There were too many breaks, no Peter Alliss and too much David Livingstone. Poor. @FAKESTEVEWORLEY Fantastic – it will take time for people to accept change though. Could be a bumpy couple of years for Sky. From GW Twitter page: @golfworld1…

My flop shot looks great and can be very effective but it’s a high risk shot so make sure you practise and can do it before taking it to the course. I want the club to go underneath the ball. The bounce kicks it into the ball and that’s how I get it to pop up. So I open the face almost flat to increase loft and engage the bounce at address. If it’s a tight lie, I put my weight forward to help me drive the club into the ground. I have to make sure the arm and club are accelerating together through impact because the leading edge will come up and you’ll blade it if the wrists flip and the clubhead overtakes the hands. If it’s a fluffy…

 When Rickie Fowler left the slip road of amateur golf to merge into the heavy traffic at the top of the professional game it was as a highly decorated 21-year-old who was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini the colour of a traffic cone. Doing 30mph. In the middle lane. Or so a great many of his critics would have had you believe. A daring character with a high-octane game, if Fowler had a little trouble applying the accelerator at first, he’s inarguably picking up speed now. ‘A daring character with a high-octane game, if he had trouble applying the accelerator at first, he’s inarguably picking up speed now’ Scorecards and babies are both born naked but in the age of Instagram gratification, with his once-upon-a-time long hair, his good…

Ross McMurray (European Golf Design) Responsible for The Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor Resort and The Marquess’ Course at Woburn. Plays at Royal Ascot GC. Tim Lobb (Thomson Perrett & Lobb) Responsible for Carlton House in Ireland and courses in more than 10 countries worldwide. Plays anywhere and everywhere. Tom Mackenzie (Mackenzie & Ebert) Responsible for a portfolio that includes 60 courses in 16 countries, including Skibo Castle. Plays at West Sussex GC. Jonathan Gaunt (Gaunt Golf Design) Responsible for more than 30 new courses designed and built, plus over 80 reconstruction/restoration projects. Plays at Cavendish. What’s the single most important requirement when designing a golf course in 2016? Ross McMurray The first requirement is to hit the brief, and that brief varies depending on whether you’re creating from…

Friuli Venezia Giulia To Trieste from Stansted (Ryanair) daily. To Treviso from Bristol (Ryanair) three flights per week, from East Midlands (Ryanair) four flights a week, from Leeds-Bradford (Ryanair) twice a week. Emilia Romagna Scheduled and low-cost flights from Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Dublin, Bristol and Manchester operate into Bologna and Parma, the two international airports of the region. A wider variety of flights are available from several UK airports into Milan and Pisa / Florence, which are within a one-hour drive from Emilia Romagna. Veneto There are myriad options to Venice Marco Polo and Treviso from London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Newcastle. Verona is accessed via Gatwick, Stansted, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester & Edinburgh.…

Yonex’s new rescue club has a distinctive look, with a large crown channel and a revolutionary new face groove design (see box below). The channel lowers the centre of gravity and affects the toe to heel balance of the clubhead. This shifts the CG closer to the centre of the face – it’s usually a little towards the toe – so more of your hits will occur closer to the CG, meaning more efficient energy transfer, less spin and ultimately longer and straighter shots, especially on mishits. The channel’s position has the added benefit of helping you align the club and address the ball in the centre of the face. It’s available in long (20°), mid (23.5°) and short (27°) options, with regular or stiff SL Yonex WFS 300 graphite…

Ecco Cage Evo The distinctive polyurethane webbing on the upper is part of a unique one-piece stability cage that wraps from the heel through the midsole and across the toe. The anatomical outsole aligns and moves with the foot’s essential ligaments and muscles and Ecco Freedom Fit combines a snug heel that holds the foot in place with a roomier forefoot area. These technologies increase stability, flexibility and cushioning. They are exceptionally water-repellent and feature Champ Slim-Lok Cleats. £160; golf.ecco.com Puma TitanTour Ignite Disc A laceless closure system offers unrivalled comfort and fit with steel wires. Ignite foam responsive cushioning and a PWRFRAME TPU outsole encases the midsole for lightweight strength and durability, increased flexibility and superior traction. £150; cobragolf.co.uk/pumagolf Skechers Go Golf Drive II On-course performance in a fashionable…

Big Max Coaster Quad Though it comes in 4kg heavier than its rivals, Coaster folds up smaller than both of them. The folding mechanism is a simple concertina affair locked by a central clip with one short cable connecting the battery. Also offers an adjustable handle. Motocaddy S3 Pro Marginally the lightest of the three trolleys. QuikFold puts the trolley up in two easy clicks. Its size when folded is similar to the Touch but bigger than Coaster Quad. Its bar-shaped handle puts your hand in a good, natural position to adjust the controls. PowaKaddy Touch The three-fold mechanism almost finds its own way up, though two springs must be released to fold down. Touch folds reasonably compact, while the cassette-style battery system means nothing to plug in at all.…

BIG MAX COASTER QUAD WHAT WE LIKED: Solid feel, very manoeuvrable, downhill braking, innovation WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: Too much plastic, weight, price, lack of a USB port MOTOCADDY S3 PRO WHAT WE LIKED: Strong range of functions, understated style, handlebar control WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: Lack of a surprise feature, motor slightly louder than the quietest on test POWAKADDY TOUCH WHAT WE LIKED: Sporty styling, Touch ‘n’ Go system (once used to it), bringing something different WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: Touch ‘n’ Go system (before used to it), no distance-measuring features Whether less is more is a subject for debate, but after this test our team was left with the impression that two of these trolleys may be trying too hard. Big Max Coaster Quad’s four-wheel design performed well,…

Where to stay We stayed at Dorset Golf & Country Club, which has 12 luxury log homes (with free golf included) as well as a Dormy Golf Hotel comprising 16 en-suite twin rooms. The log homes are spacious affairs that perfectly cater for large golf groups. They are equipped with a kitchen and dining area, but you have your breakfast at the hotel/clubhouse. It sits within 40 minutes of all the courses in the trip. When to go Its southerly location gives it a warmer, drier climate but of course it’s in Britain so you pack your waterproofs and take your chances. However April is traditionally a warmer and especially drier month, with less rainfall than every month of the year save for July and the temperature nudging up to…

Turnberry (Ailsa) There surely aren’t many golfers who don’t know that the Ailsa has been overhauled under new ownership. The results of Martin Ebert’s work are very astute, not only improving the strategic challenge of the course but also making more of its exceptional setting. The spectacular par-3 9th might be the most photographed of the new holes, but the 11th might be even better. There is also now a much stronger finish to this iconic Open venue. Western Gailes Rugged, challenging, consistently excellent – Western Gailes is a links for which it is difficult not to have deep respect, especially if you’ve played the back nine in a hurting breeze. Romantics might not immediately take to it, as it lacks the quirkiness of Prestwick and the scenery of the…

Greens become firmer and slicker in the summer, so getting up-and-down becomes a tough assignment any time you leave yourself above the hole. However, you can increase your chances of a successful downhill chip with the right strategy. Take your most lofted club to generate height and backspin from a firmer action than a straighter-faced club. Visualise your target three or four feet closer to you than the actual hole and focus on landing the ball in an area that allows for the inevitable run out. This might even be in the fringe. Your practice stroke should be an exact replica of what you want to do for the shot. Finally, remember the ball will launch a little higher from an upslope and a little lower from a downslope.…

The omens for Hazeltine, it has to be said, do not look great. Study the stats and we see that in the 40 Ryder Cup matches that have been played since its inception in 1927, the away side has triumphed on just 13 occasions. Add that fact to an American line-up containing 12 of the world’s top 22 golfers and a European team featuring up to half-a-dozen rookies and the only possible conclusion is a red, white and blue walkover, right? Wrong. Golf World has assessed the teams, considered recent history, consulted the experts and discovered five very solid reasons to believe that Team Europe can confound expectations and win yet again. 1. Inexperience is an advantage The fact that Captain Clarke will have to field five or maybe six…

Life changed forever last April for Andrew Johnston. Victory in the Open de España saw the 27-year-old Londoner celebrate by “getting hammered” dressed as a piñata. With that the legend of ‘Beef’ was born and has spread fast to all corners of the globe. GW: Since your win in Spain, the world has gone Beef crazy. What do you put it down to? AJ: Oh man, I honestly don’t know. I think it’s just that people want something a little bit different and I’m obviously ticking that box right now, y’know. But it’s cool. I’m cool with it. It seems you can’t walk five yards without someone wanting to talk to you or get something signed. Is that starting to grate? No, it’s amazing. There was this guy yesterday, I…

Having watched Henrik Stenson slay Phil Mickelson at Troon last month, the big brains at The Economist started wondering: did we just witness the greatest major performance ever? Being very clever, they formulated a formula to answer their question. “We downloaded the scorecard of every player who made the cut in every men’s major since 1860,” explains data editor Dan Rosenheck. This factored in such details as the year it occurred, the number of entrants and whether it deployed a cut rule. “We were able to compare any performance against the range of scores they would normally expect from a tournament with those characteristics, and then rank them.” They ranked like so... 1 “Woods and Stenson both beat the average by around 24 strokes or eight per cent in modern,…

1 Ball forward Focus on the relationship between the ball and your shirt buttons. Make sure your buttons – which represent the swing’s low point – are behind the ball. This promotes the sweeping angle of attack through impact that will help the ball rise. 2 Light grip You need a free release of the hands to launch the ball high for maximum carry distance and a soft landing. A gentle grip will encourage this. Using a scale of 1-10, with 10 being as tight as possible, you want to grip the club at about a three. 3 Flat wrist The angle in the back of your right wrist should flatten through impact. This shows a full and free release of the club through – a key to sending the…

‘Dominance is one-dimensional in sports. Fascinating in the short term, dull in the long run’ It’s always good for a sport to be at the cutting edge of perfection. The most watchable athletes are the ones who appear to be taking talent, timing, power and precision to levels that have either never been achieved or at least very rarely seen. No one on the world stage at present is as good as Tiger Woods was. Few sportsmen have been as dominant as he was, let alone in an arena such as golf where even the best lose more than they win. And it is a legacy. Tiger is injured and struggling with his back, but that is not his greatest problem. His mental edge has gone, never to be seen…

Generate more spin There are three ways to get more spin: add loft to the club, increase the clubhead speed at impact and take less sand. I advise amateurs to focus on the latter because poor bunker players often dig and take much too much sand. Hinge your wrists Making a three-quarter backswing and hinging your wrists helps you generate more clubhead speed when you release the lag in the downswing. Keep the club low You can see how shallow my attack angle is by how low the clubhead has stayed to the sand after impact. There isn’t a huge cloud of sand but you should feel like you’re throwing the sand forward onto the green. Seve Ballesteros was the greatest exponent of bunker play I ever saw. I still…

Keep your head down Simple distance control depends on a solid and consistent strike. Keep your head down until the ball is gone to encourage your body to stay still and increase your chances of making good contact. Start the ball on line This is vital on short putts. Make a gate with two tees just wider than the ball two feet in front of you. Try and roll the ball through the gate and keep the putter face looking at the gap for as long as possible. Long putting is so important yet most handicap players spend what little time they’re on the putting green practising from inside 20 feet. Good distance control can save you three or four shots a round. Even if you miss-read a putt by…

Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, 8th While Stenson and Mickelson drew gasps of admiration, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston drew smiles. En route to eighth place and a cheque for £170,000, the 27-year-old Englishman put on a disarming combination of shotmaking and toothy smiles that saw the crowd cheer his every swing no matter the result. “I’m just different,” said the Spanish Open champion. “I’m always looking forward, never back. As long as I can affect people in a positive way, I’m happy. That’s the most important thing.” 1. Single-figure handicap father started him on golf aged four. 2. 2016 Spanish Open title was first over-par winning total in 20 years on the European Tour. 3. Chest-bumped a friend in the crowd to celebrate ace at the 2015 BMW PGA. Matthew Southgate, T-12th Already…

 You and Henrik have been together since 2001, but what had you been focusing on recently? ‘Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke used to call Henrik ‘Night Fever’ because he had to signal right and left so much after shots – like John Travolta dancing!’ The same things we’ve been working on for the last 15 years (laughs). My strategy with Henrik is that I say the same thing to him 10 different ways – and he thinks it’s 10 different things. But we decided recently to stick to one thing at a time. That’s what he likes. You won’t believe this, but we were working on technique 20 minutes before he teed off in the final round. I know him so well that I know we can do that so…

PETER MASTERS Golf World Travel Writer Royal West Norfolk A course that stays with you long after your visit. Why is it that everyone with a soul for golf prefers it to the very good Hunstanton? One word: atmosphere. Formby Cracking and underrated golf course. Like Noordwijske in Holland, it changes character as you go round and intrigues you with surprises. Leven Links, Fife If you like nostalgia and the thought of stepping back in time, then this works. You just know that golf has been played on this moonscape on the edge of town for hundreds of years. Doonbeg, West Ireland The best opening hole in golf and a links experience that makes having fun high on the agenda. Carne, West Ireland No-one plays here without staring in awe…

Charl Schwartzel unexpectedly switched to Parsons Xtreme Golf at the start of Open week. He’d only started testing the clubs a week or so earlier and immediately put nine clubs into play – the 0811X Prototype driver, 0311 3 and 5-irons, 0311T 6-PW and an 0311T 54° wedge. The number of PXG clubs in his bag will increase as he does more testing. Cobra has created a set of single-length irons for Bryson DeChambeau. The young American has tried a number of different versions before putting a set he’s happy with in play at the RBC Canadian Open. There are strong rumours Cobra could release them later in the year. Luke Donald is using Mizuno’s new T7 wedges. He’s replaced his S5s with the 54° and 60° models in a…

Q What do you think about having irons all the same length like Bryson DeChambeau? ARTHUR PETERS, KENT Single length clubs are nothing new and have been tried and tested before. The single plane swing required to make these clubs work is not the best solution for every golfer. Bryson loves the way this set-up works and it makes perfect sense with the way he plays. In order to build a set like this, you need specially weighted heads and a set of matched weight and flex shafts. It can be effective but it’s certainly not for everyone. Q How important is the right shaft and what does it do? STEVE COLLINGWOOD, LONDON The right shaft is critical to getting the best from you and the club. It either controls…

Big Max Coaster Quad Coaster offers distance settings of 5-60 yards while the digital display can show walk/drive distance, battery status and speed. There is also an electronic brake while a differential gearbox regulates downhill speeds. Below the display is a GPS holder. Motocaddy S3 Pro S3 Pro has nine speed settings, adjustable distance control up to 60 yards, drive/round/life distance measurements and lost-ball timer – all clearly visible on an LCD digital display. There is also a USB charging port and competition mode. PowaKaddy Touch With power controlled through the Touch mechanism there is no option for punching in set distances; and with no digital display there is no way of measuring time or distance. Apart from the Touch ’n’ Go handle itself, the only ‘gadget’ is a USB…

Why has this all happened so fast? The Gammon family wanted to build up momentum rapidly to show the vision for the course. It’s so refreshing to start work so quickly and by the end of the winter, players should notice a huge difference to the 2nd, 9th and 13th holes. Our goal is to make it even better and to build on its obvious strengths and Harry Colt provenance. So what are the main changes you’ve made? Adopting consistent bunkering, developing rough-edged bunkers that have long been a feature of this links. Plus a number of new greens and extensive reshaping of more than half the green surrounds, the inspiration for this work being the best of the original greens, such as those on 7 and 10. What is…

1 You can extend your trip with a super fourth day by heading just over an hour west to Yeovil. Here you’ll find the James Braid-designed Sherborne as well as the tidy parkland of Yeovil GC. 2 Bournemouth is home to the course widely regarded as the finest municipal in Britain, Queen’s Park. It has a storied past, opening in 1905 and hosting the likes of Seve in the 1970s. 3 There is little driving in this break, but when you are, you very rarely pass through a Dorset village without spying an idyllic gastro pub in which to refuel and discuss the day’s play. 4 As well as having the New Forest on your doorstep, families can be entertained on the sandy beach, the pier-to-shore zip line, Splashdown waterpark…

FACT 1: Golf is thought to have been played on the Southern Gailes estate, on which Dundonald sits, as long ago as the 18th Century. It will host the Scottish Open next year. FACT 2: Philip Mackenzie Ross, once assistant to the great Tom Simpson, laid out Southerness and, soon after, rebuilt Turnberry after WWII. FACT 3: In 2007 Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were on the Ireland team that won the European Amateur Team title at Western Gailes. FACT 4: The huge bunker set into a dune ridge on the 10th at Troon is Alister MacKenzie’s only input into an Open hole.…

FIRST-CLASS FACILITIES The better the practice area, the higher the quality of your practice will be. Find a base that has a flat and well-kept grass range, a smooth putting green with flat and sloping putts and a short-game area that enables you to play to a number of different flags from a variety of lies, including a well-maintained bunker. It’s a big bonus if you have access to a good PGA professional at the same facility as well. Three keys to effective practice 1 CHALLENGE YOURSELF You must move outside your comfort zone to get better. You won’t learn anything hitting shots you are already good at. But, don’t try something too hard or you’ll get frustrated. The key to lasting improvement is steady, achievable progress. 2 A ROUTINE…

What is your most annoying habit? I regularly get frustrated about the fact I pop my knuckles. It’s a kind of nervous thing I picked up when I was in college. I’m not one of those people who does it really loudly, but it’s a habit I’d definitely rather not have. When was the last time you cried? It would have been at my grandfather’s funeral earlier this year. What is your biggest regret? I wish my college team had won a national championship, but I don’t know whether I can call that a full-blown regret, because it was not a decision I could control. I was at Georgia Tech and we had a really great team, but unfortunately we lost out in a play-off during my senior year. Who…