Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 465 i Today's Golfer

Rory McIlroy started playing golf when he was about seven. He started working with coach Michael Bannon when he was eight, and by nine he’d won the Doral Junior Under-10 World Championship. On April 13, we all watched as McIlroy finally won the Masters, cementing his place as one of the best golfers ever to play the game. But that talent wouldn’t have been fulfilled unless his parents, Gerry and Rosie, along with everyone closest to him – teachers, the members at Holywood GC, various PGA pros – hadn’t nurtured, developed and supported his passion for the game from such a young age. Now, a British Golf Industry Association is funding its biggest ever investment in growing the game, supporting a new Golf Foundation project aimed at getting more school…

Most of us will remember TaylorMade’s R7 well – the first adjustable driver, launched in 2004. Its Movable Weight Technology paved the way for adjustability, making the R7 (and the R7 SuperQuad) one of the most popular drivers in TaylorMade’s history. Now, the R7 Quad is back as a 305cc mini driver, incorporating the same movable weight technology to let you fine-tune spin, distance, trajectory and shot shape through precise CG (centre of gravity) placement. The set-up includes two 13g and two 4g weights, alongside two ports at the back of the clubhead, and one each on the toe and heel. You can also purchase additional weights for a greater range of adjustability, if you feel so inclined. As for the looks, they’ve taken the best bit of the Qi10…

Restore confidence to your long and short putting by copying these drills These are two examples of drills I use to work on my holing out and lag putting. I make sure I do them most weeks, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I can measure my scores to monitor progress and ensure I keep improving. This also builds consequence into practice, so I’m used to feeling and dealing with pressure when I’m in a competitive round. And secondly, doing this at the start of a tournament week gets me tuned to the greens at a venue that I’m not likely to have played before. DRILL 1 HOLING OUT: THE CLOCK FACE This is fantastic for increasing your understanding of how slope affects the break around the hole. Find a…

BUTCH HARMON “This is going to change Rory. He is going to take off and win Major after Major after Major.” JACK NICKLAUS “He’s as talented a player as there is out there, and he’s got a lot more Majors in him.” PADRAIG HARRINGTON “He asked in his press conference, ‘What are we going to talk about next year?’ Well, we are going to talk about whether he can beat Nick Faldo at six Majors, or whether he can get to 10 Majors. We’re going to talk about whether he can get to 15 Majors and whether he can get to 18 Majors. The beauty for Rory is his game is futureproof. He’s not a guy who gets injured. It doesn’t matter that all these kids coming out of college…

The leaderboard after the third round of the 1973 US Open read like a who’s who of golfing greats. Hometown hero Arnold Palmer was tied for the lead on three under par. Tom Weiskopf sat a shot further back in fifth. Reigning Open champion Lee Trevino was tied sixth, with Gary Player and defending champion Jack Nicklaus rounding out the top 10. Those present that final day in Pennsylvania felt like something special was brewing, but the thought of anyone from the chasing pack shooting a record-breaking 63 on Sunday never seemed feasible at a course like Oakmont. Least of all a player sitting in a four-way tie for 13th place. Johnny Miller made it look easy, becoming the first man in Major Championship history to shoot a 63 to…

Watch hundreds of video tips at todays-golfer.com PRESENTED BY QUICK TIP TREASURE CHEST Just as with the full swing, your putting stroke’s foundation will ideally be your torso, with the chest turning back and through. For starters, this sets up a solid and repeatable pivot for your stroke; but also, when your core drives your motion, your hands and wrists will naturally quieten… paving the way for a more consistent and stable delivery of the blade. To train this motion, place an alignment stick on the back of your putter and use your chest to hold it in position. Swing back and through. The only way to hold the stick in position is to ensure your chest turns back and through with the swinging blade. If your putter won’t allow…

That’s right – according to performance tracking specialists Shot Scope (shotscope.com), your typical 20-handicapper hits through the green just once every 25 attempts from around the 150-yard mark. More damning still is the fact that 50% of these shots – 12 or 13 out of 25 – don’t reach the green. And before you 15-handicappers get too smug about these figures, you are not a whole lot better; at this skill level, just 5% go long and 43% come up short. So until you find time to hone your ball-striking, this data offers one very clear prescription: shift your target! Take a yardage to the back of the green – not the middle or the pin – and play there. It’ll help drag your typical approach-shot outcomes 10 or 15…

As a strength and conditioning coach specialising in golf, one thing that hits home to me on a daily basis is just how many golfers are swinging in pain. For all its reputation as a walk in pleasant surroundings, golf is without question a physically demanding game, as many of you will know to your cost. So in this series, I want to uncover the most common swing moves I see causing trouble, and give you an exercise you can do at home that will help. We start with a trait that’s been keeping chiropractors in business for decades: the dreaded reverse C finish. But remember always to consult a qualified physician before starting any new fitness regimen. YOUR COACH BEHIND THE CURVE In the reverse C finish, the golfer’s…

Cobra’s new collaboration with HP marks the next milestone in golf club design, showcasing cutting-edge technology and advanced 3D printing techniques. Building on the success of the brand’s 3D printed irons, the LIMIT3D putters feature a revolutionary one-piece 3D printed construction. The design – impossible to create via traditional casting or forging – eliminates the need for drilled pockets or lightweight soleplates, which can compromise sound and feel. Each is 3D printed from 316L stainless steel, incorporating intricate lattice structures to optimise weight distribution and enhance performance. The result is superior sound and feel, higher MOI, and increased stability on off-centre hits. “The performance gains of the LIMIT3D irons made it an easy decision to apply the same tech to putters,” say Cobra. “We’re excited to introduce these new models…

BETTINARDI HLX 6.0 £209 Bettinardi are noted for their putters, so we were keen to see if their wedges could keep up with that standard, especially after the stellar display from the CB24 in the Player’s Cavity iron test. With a tight, teardrop shape to the address profile and a stronger curve to the leading edge that helps keep the face low while opening or closing it, they’re designed to perform in a variety of conditions. CALLAWAY OPUS £179 Opus wedges represent a change in thinking for Callaway. It was seen on tour 18 months before the series launched at the end of last year. And while it performed well on half-swings, full approach shots struggled against other clubs. A pretty straight leading edge with just a subtle curve gives…

Costa Navarino is a wonderful resort, with four great golf courses and amazing hotels. All four courses are fantastic, but aesthetically the Bay just has something special. It’s not the hardest course you’ll ever play, but it is just an absolute pleasure every time you play it and I love going back there. It is absolutely stunning from so many holes and has some of the best views in golf that I’ve ever seen from all my years travelling around the world with this game. Right from the moment you walk on to the 1st tee and look down that fairway, it is absolutely sensational. I took a trip out there last year with 16 guys and they all absolutely loved it. They were blown away by it, in fact,…

GET IN TOUCH As well as email (editorial@todaysgolfer.co.uk) and post (Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA), you can contact us using any of these social platforms… @Thetodaysgolfer @TodaysGolferBauer @Todaysgolfer @Todaysgolfer THE GREATEST OF ALL LETTER OF THE MONTH I was as delighted as anyone to see Rory finally join the Career Grand Slam Club. It seems strange, however, that the media keeps telling us that Rory has expanded the membership of the Grand Slam Club from five to six. There’s one man missing. In 1930, Bobby Jones set himself a goal to win, in a calendar year, what was then Golf’s Grand Slam – the Open, the US Open Championship and the Amateur and US Amateur Championships. Such was the enormity of his achievement in winning these four that…

This fairway bunker shot changed my life – and led to a brilliant piece of advice from a former Ryder Cup captain Three years on, people still talk to me about the bunker shot I hit on 18 at Brookline and ask me how I did it. It’s by far the best shot I’ve ever hit and the truth is I was really struggling with my fairway bunker play in 2022. It’s never been a shot I’m completely comfortable with and I’d be lying if I said I expected it to come out that well and to finish that close to the hole. I actually spoke with Paul Azinger about it afterwards and he was trying to educate me about how, when you’re in the sand, the heel digs and…

Nick Dougherty was still a fledgling tour pro when he fired a two-under-par 68 in the first round of the 2007 US Open at Oakmont to hold the outright lead. You’d have thought he would have been thrilled, full of confidence after becoming just the second man to break par all day. Instead, he headed straight to the range, unsure how he’d managed to shoot such a number. “My short game got me out of a lot of trouble,” he admits. “I took just 11 putts on the back nine.” Dougherty spent three hours beating balls that Thursday evening, leaving only when he felt his swing was where it needed to be to maintain his position at top of the leaderboard. He woke Friday morning feeling confident and, sure enough,…

No.1 Par 4 | 289 Yards 2016 STROKE AVR: 4.45 (1) Nothing says ‘Welcome to Oakmont’ quite like this brutal opener, which is responsible for five of the seven highest 1st hole scoring averages in US Opens since 1970. The fairway stretches just 24 yards across and is flanked by deep bunkers, five to the left, two to the right. At 330 yards from the tee, the driving zone drops down towards a terrifyingly slick green that slopes severely from front to back, right to left. The front hole locations are so diabolical that members have been known to use their putter from 50 yards out. As for the pros, more doubles were made here than birdies in 2016. No.9 Par 4 | 472 Yards 2016 STROKE AVR: 4.43 (2)…

Corey Pavin has just grabbed a notepad from his daughter’s bedroom and wants to know how to spell Bedlingtonshire Golf Club. This isn’t usually how interviews go, but his interest is piqued as I question him about his Wikipedia page and whether he really does have a (Corey) paving slab named after him on the 7th hole in Northumberland. “Is that near Wales?” he asks, struggling with his geography. “I’m pretty sure I’ve never played there.” His own research proves futile – and it takes the golf club manager to confirm that there is no such thing. The fact there isn’t one, though, feels like a missed opportunity, particularly at any one of the 25 courses where he has tasted success over the last five decades. The US Open win…

PRESENTED BY In theory, your short irons – 9-iron, pitch and gap wedges – should be among the easier clubs in your bag to hit. Their high lofts mean getting the ball up should not prove to be a problem, and that any excessive spin does not curve the ball too far off line. But against this, we can balance the increasingly specific tasks these clubs are being asked to perform. Length or line alone is no good; short irons need both if they are to be effective, and that means our control of power and accuracy must shift up a notch. Focusing on strike quality, harnessing power and face aim control, this article gives you three avenues of exploration for three different levels of golfer. By all means read…

PRESENTED BY WEAKEST LINK Performance tracking can analyse your play at your home course to rank how well you play each hole, from 1-18. There are around a million golf club members in the UK, and if you’re one of them, I suspect you believe you know your home course pretty well. But thanks to the latest performance-tracking and data collection tech, we are now able to develop a deeper understanding of tracks we know well and how we tackle them… leading to insights that can bring measurable scoring improvements. With the help of performance-tracking experts Shot Scope (shotscope.com), we’ll look at four areas you may not have considered before, and see how they can guide you to lower scores. 1 Club selection off the tee If you are a club…

PRESENTED BY Trackman Master Gary Nicol continues his series on how the leading launch monitor can help your game by addressing one of its least technical attributes: its ability to help us picture great golf shots by tracing the ball’s journey through the air. If you’ve watched any PGA Tour golf on TV over the past couple of years, you will have noticed that almost every shot struck by a player is accompanied by an arcing graphic, tracing the ball’s journey. Generated by the Tour’s official ball-tracking and tracing partner Trackman, these arcs give us an instant and vivid understanding of the quality of the shot. Occasionally, we see those arcs veer off dramatically as the ball curves its way into trouble; but far more common is the sight of…

MUCH MORE ONLINE! For more clubs, more data, more verdicts and videos, visit todays-golfer.com, or scan the QR code below If you’re looking at new wedges in 2025, how can you narrow down which models will suit your game? We’ve tested every major wedge to compare both data and first-person accounts of greenside performance to provide the most comprehensive guide on the current wedge line-up. HOW WE TEST Testing the best wedges in 2025 took place in two stages. Firstly, we saw Neil Wain, at Keele Golf Centre in Staffs, to gather data. Neil has been involved in testing with TG for years now, and as an elite-level player, PGA professional and club fitter, he is well-placed to be able to compare clubs. Using TaylorMade TP5x balls and a Foresight…

BEST APPROACH NUMBERS Cleveland CBX4 The CBX bagged the top spot in the full swing category, thanks to its incredible consistency (much like the traits a game improver iron is designed to boast) and added forgiveness. BEST PITCHING NUMBERS Cobra King When it comes to those half-swing pitches, the data reveals the Cobra comes out on top, by virtue of a combination of its high spin numbers and steep descent angles. MOST STOPPING POWER Mizuno Pro T-3 The Pro T-3 produced the highest spin from our full swing data as well as excellent partial swing performance, securing it a third-best overall position in the test. THE EXPERTS’ CHOICE Titleist Vokey SM10 Vokey earned our Experts’ Choice award for the sheer range of options when it comes to finishes, grinds and…

Tell us what Arrow Global is and about its relationship with Details? Arrow Global is a European investment company which focuses on managing credit and real estate assets. The relationship started when Arrow expanded into tourism in Portugal. In 2022, Arrow acquired Details Hotels & Resorts, a company that managed small hotels in the Algarve. This purchase allowed for the quick integration and expansion of new assets – including hotels and golf courses – into Arrow’s portfolio. Today, Details manages 19 hotels and nine golf courses and has big expansion plans, especially in Portugal. What is Details’ main focus? To have a dynamic management company that brings expertise to each asset and helps turn them into the best versions of themselves. To improve operations, focus on marketing, analyse financial performance,…

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Spa has been attracting visitors for its mineral spring waters since it was established as the world’s first health resort four centuries ago. Royal fans of its recuperative waters included England’s King Henry VIII, who visited while occupying Tournai, and Charles II, as well as Russia’s Peter the Great. The elegant town, situated in the forested Ardennes, was a favourite with the British in the 19th century – the names of streets, hotels and a spring bear testament to that – and still welcomes tourists from far and wide today. Besides its thermal baths and the springs dotted around the town, some housed in elaborate buildings, Spa has other attractions to enjoy, including its opulent Casino, the world’s first casino that was originally founded…

The diminutive Ardennes city of Durbuy has two 18-hole golf courses right on its doorstep, both part of Durbuy Golf Resorts. Golf de Durbuy in Barvaux, just 10 minutes east, was designed by Fred Hawtree and opened in 1991. Laid out on hills studded with trees over 100 years old, it begins with a stunning, 485-metre par-5 hole that invites a long drive as it plunges 30 metres from the tee box down to the green. While wildlife such as deer, squirrels and hares can be seen on many Wallonia courses, Golf de Durbuy has beavers. Several of the protected mammals are resident in ponds around holes 6,7 and 8 and trees on the course have to be sprayed with a special liquid to deter them from gnawing at the…

At the US Open three years ago, Matt Fitzpatrick produced a masterclass in ball-striking to win his first Major championship. That week he ranked first in the field for scrambling, hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation during the final round and made more than 80ft of putts over the final nine holes to get the better of Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris. Afterwards, he described it as one of his best ever approach rounds, having hit seven shots inside 20ft on greens that called for absolute precision. So when we were invited to a playing lesson with him during a day with Skechers at Hertfordshire’s Centurion Club, we leapt at the chance with the hope that some of his tips might rub off on us. The afternoon gave us…

Solid basics, set distances and special grinds are my secrets to becoming pitch perfect 1. Narrow your stance to gain more feel When I’m hitting a pitch shot, I set up with a slightly narrower stance than with my full swing because I’m looking for more feel and a less robotic action. Obviously, you’ve still got your positions, but you’re feeling the flight you want to hit. Flaring your front foot out a little can help you turn through better, but ensure your heels stay square to the target line. 2. Minimise wrist hinge for more consistency I try not to use as much wrist action because it can make the way you deliver the clubhead – and therefore your flight and spin – quite inconsistent. It’s easier to get…

PGA Championship Quail Hollow | May 15-18 No one owns Quail Hollow like Rory. And no course suits Rory better than Quail Hollow. In 11 starts at the Wells Fargo Championship, Rory has won four times – 2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024 – making him the only player with more than two wins at Quail Hollow. And if that wasn’t enough positivity, Rory’s 2010 triumph was also his first-ever PGA Tour title, sealed with a then course record 62 in the final round. Who broke that record? Quail conqueror Rory, of course – blazing a 61 in 2015, a number that still hasn’t been matched. He also won here last year, shooting 67-68-67-65 to cruise to a five-shot win over Scottie Scheffler. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise McIlroy…

“One of the real challenges about the golf course, especially after they’ve taken so many trees away, is it’s a big, wide open space now, and you’re hitting into these tight fairways, and there’s not really a whole lot of definition out there. So you have to be so zoned in to where you want your targets to be. You could go a whole round without hitting it at any pin. I’d much rather have a 30-foot putt up the hill on these greens than even an 8-footer down the hill.” Rory McIlroy “There’s no reprieve off the tee, there’s no reprieve into the greens, and there’s certainly no reprieve on the greens. The greens are way more difficult to putt on than Augusta’s because of where the hole locations are,…

A battle between two tours. A bunker shot for the ages. A brutal course set-up that heavily penalised any miscues. Just eight players finishing under par. A winner in the midst of a reinvention of himself. A heartbreaking collapse from the leader… The golfing gods couldn’t have scripted the 2024 US Open any better, pitching the best of the PGA Tour against LIV’s finest in what would become a battle for the ages. After an enthralling ding-dong battle with Rory McIlroy on Sunday, Bryson DeChambeau emerged victorious to the delight of the home supporters, executing the shot of his life on the 18th hole to seal the win by a single stroke. The American raised the trophy under the dying embers of the Pinehurst sunset, paying tribute to one of…

As long as there has been golf tuition, coaches have used swing drills or exercises to help train desirable movement patterns. Drills work because they allow the student to set the success of the shot to one side for a while, and instead focus solely on the new swing move or feel they are trying to develop. Though some of the drills here involve hitting shots, it’s important to remember that as long as you are employing a drill, the result of the shot is irrelevant. Unless you are prepared to accept that, your execution of the exercise will be compromised and its effectiveness will suffer. The best drills are, of course, both effective and easy to execute – two attributes you’ll find in every swing drill here, personally selected…

PRESENTED BY Despite our best intentions, missing the green on the same side the pin is cut is a part of golf. We call this short-siding ourselves; and with little green to work with, our chances of an up-and-down take a hit. But while factoring in a sensible margin for error should always remain part of the tough shot to come, there is no need to abandon all hope of a sensational recovery. When you employ a technique that supplies quick height and a soft landing – while keeping risk to a minimum – you can still leave yourself a makeable putt. Let these three pointers drive your action… but above all, make sure the Key Concept opposite underpins everything you do on this awkward assignment. Good luck! YOUR COACH…

PRESENTED BY I am often asked by golfers why I became a performance coach, and not a ‘regular’ technical swing coach. It’s a simple answer: I have always believed that the golf swing is only part of the puzzle of becoming a better golfer. Three decades later, after working with golfers from beginners to Open Champions, that belief has only intensified. At the heart of this belief is my experience of watching golfers out on the golf course, in the heat of battle. Only there can you see what is causing the scores a golfer is posting, what is getting in the way of them delivering their best stuff. Time and again, I will witness that the parts of the game causing all the problems and poor scoring hardly ever…

TAYLORMADE MILLED GRIND 4 £159 Lofts: 50-60° in 2° increments WHAT WE SAY: Our best wedge of the year, as used by the latest winner of the Grand Slam, the MG4 offers incredible spin and flight control. As with its Hi-Toe sister, TaylorMade refined this model in key areas, such as the Spin Tread technology that allows for more spin in wet conditions, as well as being offered in a raw face. They also applied a new finish to the MG4 to reduce glare and blend in with that raw face. Around the greens and in the bunkers, the MG4 was also a stand-out club. WHAT OUR TESTER SAYS: TaylorMade are just getting better and better with their wedge design. I like the classic look of the Milled Grind slightly more…

What gives a course the ‘X Factor’? Whereas with the rest of our rankings the emphasis is on good design, this month we sought courses with the wow factor for less nuanced reasons. Setting is the key one. Tournament-hosting pedigree is probably second in terms of importance, followed by the number of dramatic holes. And finally, we were looking for courses conditioned to out-of-the-ordinary levels. In summary… thrilling courses, spectacular locations, Ryder/Solheim/tour hosts and immaculate presentation. While design connoisseurs will probably want to look away at this point, I know this is a ranking that will appeal to an awful lot of golfers. For many, many golfers who like to travel, this will be their ultimate wish list. With that kind of golfer firmly in mind, it made compiling this…

What was your first job? I worked on my dad’s farm. Aged 12 to 16, I was carrying bales and heavy stuff like that – lifting hay bales gave me my strength. I went to Hill Valley, aged 16, and worked in the pro shop. Then I worked behind the bar, then I worked on the golf course as a bit of a handyman. That allowed me to work in the morning and play golf in the afternoon. Aside from property, what’s been your most extravagant purchase? I had an aeroplane from 1992 to 2000. What’s the most you have gambled on the course? Anything from £1 to £1,000. Yeah, a bit of fun with the lads. Most treasured possession? My children. My wife. All my family, in fact. After…

The Battle of Waterloo, which took place on June 18, 1815, was fought between 300,000 soldiers from seven countries and is where Napoleon was defeated by Wellington and Prussia’s Field Marshall von Blucher. There is plenty for history buffs to see in the area. The battlefield is still largely as it was then and a good overview can be had by climbing the 226 steps of the Lion’s Mound memorial, built soon after the battle with a bronze lion perched on top. Beside it, the underground Memorial 1815 museum vividly portrays events before, during and after the battle. Enjoy a refreshing beer, coffee and local cuisine at the foot of the mound in The Wellington restaurant, brasserie and tea room. Other key sites are the Wellington Museum in the centre…

There are several golf courses close to the enchanting cities of Namur and Dinant. Golf de Falnuée lies at the confluence of the Orneau and Ligne rivers 20 minutes west of Namur and is where history and natural beauty also combine to provide an unforgettable golfing experience. Designed by Jean Jottrand in 1987, the golf course stretches over an area rich in biodiversity, slaloming between rivers and mature trees in three loops that start and finish by the clubhouse. More than 12 acres of the course lie in a Natura 2000 zone, a Europe-wide network of protected areas covering some of its most valuable and threatened species and habitats. A chalk grassland embankment below the 14th fairway harbours flora more typically found in the Alps or the south of France…

SANGLIERS DES ARDENNES This five-star Durbuy Golf Resorts hotel in the centre of Durbuy has welcomed guests since 1952. There are 96 rooms and suites, with the original building and a new wing connected by underground tunnel. Guests can enjoy spa, relaxation and beauty areas in the hotel, and wine tasting in its cellars. info@sanglier-durbuy.be SAINT-AMOUR Again located within Durbuy and part of Durbuy Golf Resorts, the four-star Saint Amour is a cosy retreat with 14 rooms and suites, and incorporates the Limoni E Tartufi Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Golf packages together with the Five Nations and Golf de Durbuy courses are also available for guests. info@saintamour.be FIVE NATIONS HOTEL The former Château Ferme du Grand Scley, originally built in 1745, was recently converted into a 35-room hotel on site…