Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i Golf Monthly

Photography Tom Miles This issue of GM is about as close as I think we'll ever get to a 'celebrity' special. First up, we have an exclusive interview with legendary putter designer, Scotty Cameron. It's no exaggeration to say that Cameron enjoys a cult status and GM was privileged to spend a day with him last year. No other golf magazine has ever had the sort of access we were afforded and our time with Cameron – at his studio, custom shop and gallery – was just mindblowing. Our feature seeks to give an insight into the world of Scotty. It's a place where golf, design and art collide, where ideas and inspirations burst into life, where form meets function, where detail matters and where nothing takes too long or…

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“I WAS DETERMINED TO GET DOWN TO SCRATCH AND I DIDN’T COME UP FOR AIR UNTIL I’D GOT THERE!” IONA STEPHEN ON GARY PLAYER... I caddied for him a couple of years ago in the Gary Player Invitational at Wentworth. I take a lot of inspiration from him – his passion for the game. He’s so energetic and that’s something that’s stuck with me. It’s driven me to work harder and push myself. Have you always been a gifted sportswoman? Growing up, I played a lot of sport. I have two big brothers, and I used to love to compete with them at everything. I played squash, lacrosse, hockey and athletics at junior international level, but it wasn't until later on that I had the chance to try…

Photography Kevin Murray “There simply isn’t a better feeling than winning early in the season. The rest of the year will now be stress and pressure free” At the start of every year, the first goal for some of the lesser lights in our game is to keep their cards. The licence to play on the European Tour is a must. After all, it's their chosen livelihood. At the end of the season, Graeme Storm finished one spot and a handful of change (in relative terms!) away from retaining his playing privileges for 2017. Feeling like a bag of horse manure, “what now?” Stormy says to himself. Back to Q-School? Challenge Tour? His year was over and he hadn't played well enough to keep his card – it's as simple…

Augusta National is completely unique, so I find it hard to compare to other Major Championships. It's so different for a number of reasons, but perhaps the most significant one for photographers is the fact we're not allowed inside the ropes. That said, it provides the most incredible clean backgrounds all the time, which is one of the great attractions. That's what makes it stand out – there's never the clutter of an Open Championship or a US Open in the background. There are no bunker rakers or anything like that, and only two cameramen are allowed with each group, and they are only ever on the fairways and never around the greens. Augusta is pristine. There used to be a couple of special towers for photographers, but they have…

PACE OF PLAY It's far too slow, isn't it? This obsession with finishing the hole when you've reached the green in nine, and looking for balls… you can be stuck behind a four-ball where three have lost a ball and spend ten minutes looking! Even in tournaments, that's one Rule I'd change – the five-minute search. They are looking to bring it down to three minutes, but I'd give them 60 seconds! DRESS CODES I would stop telling kids that the dress code is so strict. I love wearing good gear for golf, because fashion is important. You can see how important it is for people who make brilliant gear like Galvin Green. But when you're saying, “You can't wear those socks”, or, “Why haven't you got a collar?” that…

PETER DAWSON TOP 25 COACH PGA Master Professional, Hedge End Golf Centre, Southampton, Hampshire 1 The sternum dictates Bad putting often stems from bad posture. At address with the driver, your spine angle and sternum should dictate your movement. It's the same on the putting green, as these photos with the alignment stick show. To drive well, you turn back and through; with a 5-iron, you're bent over a little bit more at address because of the shorter shaft, but it's still the same – the sternum dictates. When you're bent over even more with the putter, it should still be the sternum that dictates the stroke. The movement should all come from the top half of the body, so make sure there is no movement other than a slight…

Photography Tom Miles PAUL FOSTON TOP 25 COACH Paul Foston Golf Academy, Smarden, Kent This refers to how the flowing motion of the arms works with the rotation of the body. A well-connected swing creates power and will deliver the club back square more consistently. It all starts at address. Standing over the ball there should be a perfect ‘v' between your hands and arms. If your hands are ahead or behind your sternum, you'll break the ‘v' and find it difficult to make a connected swing. As you take the club back you should aim to maintain that shape. When you hinge your wrists halfway through the backswing, your hands should still be pointing at your sternum – a useful checkpoint. From this position, continue to let your arm…

Photography Getty Images The par-3 7th Surrey is blessed with an embarrassment of golfing riches, and the three Ws – West Hill, Woking and Worplesdon – are extremely close neighbours in the northwest of the county. Each offers sublime, old-fashioned heathland golf and together they feature in friendly and inconclusive debates about which is the best. West Hill is actually the youngest of the three, although the course was designed well over a century ago by its professional, Cuthbert Butchart. A native of Carnoustie, he had formerly worked as a club-maker and professional in North Berwick. In recent times, great efforts have been made towards subtle improvements and perfecting the conditioning, especially in relation to the bunkers. What remains is largely the original design, and although it may not appear…

Photography Tom Miles “For every working-class hero like Ian Poulter there must be hundreds, perhaps thousands, who are forced to drop out of the long march towards pro golf” There is often a big problem when it comes to being young, ambitious and talented at playing golf. Dreaming of being a pro is one thing, funding that dream is another. Few sports demand as much of the folding stuff as the old game. Anything to do with horses beats it, as does any level of car racing, but golf still requires not just huge commitment from family members willing to drive youngsters long distances plus occasional hotels on top of pricey equipment, it also requires many of these families to dig too deep into wallets and purses. Unless a kid…

Photography Getty Images Rotation needed We are constantly told golf has declining participation worldwide, so it's frustrating to see the PGA and the European Tour chucking vast amounts of money at the pampered few. If Keith Pelley believes the Rolex Series is the answer to challenge the squillions offered in America, he is deluded. Unfortunately, the PGA Tour is pursuing the same agenda in the hope that all non-American golfers of note will eventually move to their gated communities and cut down on the carbon footprint. The fact is since 1930, 'rest of world' Major winners have eclipsed their European colleagues by 52 to 43, yet we are no nearer to having a Major outside of the US or Europe. Fantastic golfers such as Player, Thompson, Els, Singh and Norman…

Golf Monthly is searching for amateur golfers with great stories to tell. In 2017, we will be producing a series of features telling the incredible golfing feats of our readers. Did you realise a long-held dream by winning the club championship in 2016? Do you know someone who did and whose story is worth telling? Likewise, we are on the lookout for successful foursomes and four-ball pairings, club players who are demons with the flat-stick, anyone who has managed to shoot lower than their age and club captains who are deserving of special recognition. If you fall into any of these categories (or know anyone who does) and would like to be featured, we want to hear from you. Send us an email titled ‘Reader Stories’ with a short summary…

1 ASKERNISH The official opening of this re-imagined classic took place in 2008. Following Old Tom Morris' Open Championship successes, he became one of the founding fathers of golf course design whose legacy includes Carnoustie and Muirfield. He created Askernish in 1891, but over the years it changed beyond recognition. Martin Ebert and Gordon Irvine enlisted the help of local volunteers to restore it as closely as possible to its origins, and the result is a magical links in the Outer Hebrides. Stats: Par 72, 6,259 yards W: askernishgolfclub.com 2 CASTLETOWN The Isle of Man is home to a number of attractive courses, the finest of which is this very individual peninsula links, which dates back to Old Tom Morris. Post-war changes by Philip MacKenzie Ross, the inaugural president of…

“WITH GOOD POSTURE, I GUARANTEE YOUR CHIPPING WILL IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY” PETER DAWSON TOP 25 COACH PGA Master Professional, Hedge End Golf Centre, Southampton, Hampshire 1 No slouching Good posture is critical when chipping. Stand tall; don't let your chin drop down into your chest; flex your knees a little and bend forward from the waist. 2 Legs stay still You don't need power when chipping, so the legs stay very passive throughout. Make sure they don't move laterally, either, as your striking will instantly suffer then. Photography Tom Miles 3 In a cylinder With bad posture, your body, shoulders and arms will move about all over the place as you swing. With good posture, you simply turn back and through as if in a cylinder. A lot of…

Cruden Bay Great images, updates from greenkeepers and pro shop plus relevant links across different channels to keep all interested in the club informed St Enodoc Competition results, enticing photography, humour and great interaction with members and visitors Hoylake A great blend of competitions, history, course updates and relevant golfing information Southport & Ainsdale Strong across all channels with a blend of on- and off-course offers, details on opens, course updates, photography, reviews, match information and more Hadley Wood Club and course information plus general golfing interest news and videos. Excellent photos of the course and just a bit of fun overall…

Photography Paul Severn “There will be a significantly reduced pull for players like Thomas Pieters, Tyrrell Hatton and Chris Wood to base themselves in the States” New initiatives on tour this year like the Rolex Series are really exciting for everyone involved. Since Keith Pelley came on board, the tour has operated in a much more business-like and structured fashion, and it's paying dividends. I think the benefits of the Rolex Series will trickle down to everybody on the European and Challenge Tours eventually, but this is just the starting point. Any time we can play for more money and put on bigger and better events on the European Tour, it's good for the whole tour, not just the top few. For the majority of this year's Rolex Series to…

Of course, you're unlikely to get a huge price going with a man in form, but you'd sooner back a potential winner, right? Bubba Watson for Green Jacket number three (20/1) is in that bracket. He's performed consistently well in the early part of the season in the years he's won. If early-season form is anything to go by this year, then Jordan Spieth (8/1) would seem to be the pick of the three joint-favourites. It's then a question of whether you fancy sticking with the players in the best form of all, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (12/1) and America's Justin Thomas (25/1). The pair have combined for eight professional victories since October, with the latter recording back-to-back wins in Hawaii in January.…

Encinitas is a small but trendy town the Pacific coast of California, an hour's drive north of San Diego Mixed between the eateries and bars are a succession of shabby-chic surf shops that create a relaxed, holiday vibe. This is not somewhere you would expect to find a golfer, let alone a golf shop, but on the main drag is a stand-alone brick building with a subtle piece of signage outside that simply says 'Scotty Cameron Golf Gallery'. The man himself has offered to show us around town. We started the day in his studio near the Titleist golf club headquarters in Carlsbad, and after a tour of the building, we jumped into his 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle, a convertible blue American muscle car born to chew up this coastal highway,…

Photography Tom Miles RICK SHIELS & PETER FINCH TOP 25 COACHES Rick Shiels and Peter Finch are both Golf Monthly Top 25 Coaches based at Prairie Sports Village, Burnley When it comes to the golf swing, the better you understand it, the easier it is to make the correct sequence of moves. From rotating your body to releasing your power through impact, knowing exactly what you should be doing is the first step in resolving the inevitable issues that arise from time to time. This is golf, after all! To help improve your knowledge of the swing, we enlisted the help of Rick Shiels and Peter Finch. Having taught hundreds of amateur golfers, they understand the key moves and, more importantly, how you can create them. In this exclusive feature,…

PETER DAWSON TOP 25 COACH PGA Master Professional, Hedge End Golf Centre, Southampton, Hampshire 1 Take your pick The punch is a great shot to have in your locker when you're looking for more control or a lower flight, perhaps when playing into a strong wind. There are two trains of thought here. One is that you put the ball back in your stance. The other is that you leave everything as normal at address, grip down the club two or three centimetres, put 60-65 per cent of your weight on your front foot and swing as normal, leaving the weight there during the swing. I prefer the latter, but will talk you through both. 2 Club up Whichever option you go for, you must hit more club than you…

SRIXON Z-STAR & Z-STAR XV BALLS KEY TECH New dimple pattern improves trajectory, new core construction softens the feel AIMED AT Golfers seeking more distance, spin control and better performance in the wind HOW MUCH £44.99 a dozen or special 15-ball packs raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK Srixon has upgraded its premium ball range for 2017 with new Z-Star and Z-Star XV models offering even more distance and spin, plus greater consistency in windy conditions. Both feature a new 338 Speed Dimple pattern, which uses five different dimple sizes. This generates a more powerful trajectory by reducing air resistance just after launch, allowing it to maintain speed and flight for longer. New core constructions are fundamental to enhanced performance. On the Z-Star, the new ‘super-soft’ EGG (Energetic Gradient Growth)…

KEY TECHNOLOGY Precision-milled grooves vary in design depending on the loft. From 54° to 60° the grooves feature a shallower side wall, a sharper edge radius and two additional grooves compared to the 50° and 52° models. A hydropearl chrome finish helps repel water for more consistent spin from different lies. It comes in four sole designs: thin sole, standard sole, wide sole and eye sole. GM REVIEW Looks The finish on the Glide 2.0 wedge matches the iBlade and i200 irons perfectly, creating better visual continuity in your set. Minor design changes include extra grooves on the higher-lofted wedges, no signature Ping notch in the hosel, the numbering moving from the sole to the toe and the bounce number being included. Performance While the shape or versatility doesn't appear…

Photography Paul Severn “I’m not there to play ‘hit and giggle’. I’m there to win. I can’t play any other way, even if the first prize is only £150. I still love it when I win” My relationship with the North-East Alliance began 30 years ago when I was assistant professional at the Banchory Club near my home city of Aberdeen. The weekly get-togethers of amateurs and local pros were a great chance to get out of the shop on an otherwise quiet winter day and get some much-needed competitive golf. I loved playing and couldn't wait for each Wednesday to come round. I have some great memories of that time. Quite apart from the opportunity to test myself with a card and pencil in hand, I got to play…

Photography Getty Images…

A picture taken just after the conclusion of the 1989 Masters displays how the fortunes of British golf had changed through that decade. A kilted Sandy Lyle helps a beaming Nick Faldo into a Green Jacket. After 53 years without a Masters Champion, Britain had produced two in consecutive years. Masters wins by Ballesteros and Langer earlier in the 1980s, and the European Ryder Cup success at Muirfield Village in 1987, had given top players on this side of the pond confidence they were capable of beating the Americans on their own turf. This was their time to prove it. These early British successes, however, were far more important than just the name on the trophy (or the man in the jacket); they transformed The Masters and added folklore to…

“I WAS HOOKED ON GOLF FROM AN EARLY AGE” Dan Walker is one of our most popular and likable sports presenters. The 39-year-old from Crawley – son of a church minister and Welsh mother who once played tennis for her country – has come a very long way since his MA in Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield in 1999. After starting out in radio, his move into television came when someone simply suggested he “should try doing some telly.” Walker followed that advice, and got himself a six-month contract at Granada TV. When his boss uprooted for the BBC in 2006, Walker went with her. Since then, his rise has been meteoric, progressing from news to sport and covering the Six Nations, golf, horse-racing, Wimbledon and football. Since…

Grind refers to the shaping and contours that are ground into the sole of the club. This affects the bounce, the way the club sits on the ground and the versatility. Manufacturers will grind the bottom of the club by hand using a machine to create the desired shape. In irons, grinding the sole in a certain way can change the way the club feels and interacts with the turf through impact. Sole grinds on wedges allow for more shot-making creativity around the green. For example, a wedge with heel relief, or an area ground from the heel, will allow the clubface to be opened without the leading edge rising. Different sole geometries will suit certain styles of wedge play. Mizuno currently has two craftsmen who have achieved the level…

BARNEY PUTTICK TOP 25 COACH Head professional, Mid-Herts Golf Club Photography Paul Severn One thing you can't tell from this sequence is the brisk rhythm to Matthew Fitzpatrick's swing. Smaller, slimmer golfers tend to have a faster tempo, but while it is quicker than, say, Ernie Els, his body and club still move perfectly in time. Fitzpatrick has already achieved so much by the age of 22 and has time to get stronger, but don't let that fool you into thinking he lacks power. He is a regular member of the 300-yard club. Put down the textbook Like all great players, Matthew has terrific impact factors that lead to his impressive ball striking. From a solid set-up he moves the club away on a wide plane. Note how the clubhead…

“AFTER A CUSTOM FITTING, BOTH THE EPIC DRIVERS WILL DELIVER BEST-IN-CLASS PERFORMANCE IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR ABILITY” Photography Kim Porritt 1 TECHNOLOGY A new innovation called Jailbreak comprises two metal bars behind the face that connect and stiffen the sole and crown, allowing the clubface to take more of the load at impact to assist ball speed. Triaxial carbon features around a titanium Exo-Cage, allowing weight to be positioned in more desirable areas for better feel and forgiveness. 2 LOOKS At address, the GBB Epic strikes the perfect balance between cutting-edge features and cosmetic details without being distracting. The Speed Step frames the ball centrally, while the pleats of the triaxial carbon provide an almost futuristic aesthetic. 3 HEAD DESIGN The aerospace-grade titanium Exo-Cage head now features Callaway's lightest-ever triaxial…

“KILLING ZOMBIES WITH PUNCH SHOTS MAKES PRACTICE MORE FUN” Every year, the golf industry descends on Orlando, Florida, for a humongous get together of handshakes, pleasantries and outlining of plans for the next 12 months. It is considered a roughly accurate gauge as to the state of the industry that year, based on the number of people in attendance and the general vibe. While watching the Golf Channel one morning in our oversized Floridian apartment, presenter Gary Williams hilariously managed to notice that the show's attendees were “walking with real purpose”. Whether that's because golf is flourishing or the people he saw were desperate for the toilet, no-one will ever know. But, in his defence, this year's show did seem to have an especially positive and productive atmosphere. Demo day…

Photography © Crown copyright (2017) Visit Wales The magical Royal Porthcawl There was genuine excitement back in 2014 when Major Championship golf came to Wales for the first time with the visit of The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex. It was an entirely fitting honour for the country, for although it had long been acknowledged that Royal Porthcawl offered up some of the very finest links golf in the UK, Major Championship action had somehow eluded it. It proved a hugely successful event, with a near-record 43,000 spectators passing through the gates to watch evergreen German, Bernhard Langer, turn in a masterclass performance and leave everyone trailing in his wake. Thankfully, wisdom has prevailed, and Wales will not have to wait over a century for its next Major Championship.…

The Golf par 72, 6,579 yards The parkland course, where the bunkers were upgraded last year, plays over land set below, then around, the hotel. The 2nd is an interesting short par 4 where you drive between two conifers towards the Abbey, with the hole dipping down and up to a green you can ill afford to miss long or left. The 5th and 10th are both lovely downhill par 3s, the former playing over water to a tiny well-bunkered green, the latter guarded by a centuries-old tree as you make your way down to a slightly more open-feeling back nine. That said, you'll find some more seriously mature trees flanking the fairway on the tough par-4 13th 70 yards short right of the green. Also play… the glorious hilltop…