Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i Golf Monthly

When it comes to diversity, golf has struggled with its image over the years. Middle-aged or elderly white men dominating the leather armchairs around the fire at the club remains a go-to representation for many outside of the game. But golf is a sport that’s playable for, and should be accessible to, all. It’s suitable for those of all ages and genders and can be enjoyed by participants with disability. Some 18 months ago, I made a commitment to broaden our content in Golf Monthly to reflect the inclusivity golf can offer. I wanted us to feature more women’s golf and to focus on golfers from different backgrounds. This issue demonstrates that we’ve made great strides to showcase and celebrate golfers from a far fuller spect rum of life, and…

The USA came out on top in a fascinating four-day contest at Quail Hollow to beat a gritty International side and win the Presidents Cup for the ninth successive time. The final score read 17.5-12.5 in favour of the hosts, but that falls well short in telling the full story of what was a textbook tale of two halves. Missing a raft of talent due to LIV Golf defections, International captain Trevor Immelman had to call on the reserves in a bid to beat a very strong American line-up. Many feared it would be a total mismatch and it appeared that way early on, as Davis Love III’s side raced into an 10-4 lead before the visitors came roaring back. Led by breakout star Tom Kim on Saturday afternoon, the…

SOUND BITES “HONESTLY, AT THE TIME, I WAS PRETTY P***** OFF” Justin Thomas said he was unhappy when his Presidents Cup singles opponent Si Woo Kim ‘shushed’ the Quail Hollow crowd. “IT’S A SLAP IN THE FACE NOT TO INVITE ME TO DO A PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, OR, AS HAPPENED AT WENTWORTH, NOT TO HAVE ME PLAY THE PRO-AM” Patrick Reed hit out at the DP World Tour for its conduct towards him ahead of the French Open. “LUCKY IDIOT” Thomas Pieters admitted he got fortunate when two referees incorrectly allowed him to replay a shot at the French Open. BRIEFS Hogan claims British Open Speedgolf Championships title Ireland’s Rob Hogan landed this year’s British Open Speedgolf title at The Springs GC, beating off defending champion Luke Willett and America’s…

Yes says Fergus Bisset No says Jeremy Ellwood For a start, I will always believe that I can get better at golf. Yes, I’ll inevitably find that I’m losing distance within the next ten years or so, but that doesn’t mean I can’t improve my overall game. My short game needs considerable work and my accuracy is sometimes questionable owing to poor tempo – that’s something I’m definitely getting better at recognising and rectifying as I get older and slower. One area in which I think most of us improve as we get older is in our strategy out on the course. I feel I’m a far better golfer strategically now than I was in my youth. The other day I even found myself chipping out sideways from thick rough…

By Joel Tadman Mizuno’s JPX iron range has always had broad appeal, but in the new JPX923 line-up, it looks like there truly is something for everyone via differing levels of feel and workability. The new family features five iron models created from three specific metals and developed using Mizuno’s Swing DNA, which records 40 unique data points from over 350,000 real golfers. Running through the five models, the JPX923 Tour is consistently Mizuno’s most-played iron in pro golf and it continues to be a one-piece Grain Flow Forged iron, but with a copper underlay for a softer feel. The topline is narrower and the sole width has a more rounded trailing edge for cleaner turf interaction. The JPX923 Forged is a mid-size cavity iron that benefits from Mizuno’s third…

Sarah Stirk is a Sky Sports presenter and co-host of the Stirkers and Radar podcast: Instagram @ stirkersand radarpod or Twitter @ stirkersradar A few issues back, I wrote about the danger that LIV Golf poses to the future of the Ryder Cup. While that threat hasn’t subsided, and I’m sure there are further twists to come, thankfully things are not looking quite so precarious from a European perspective. I wouldn’t go as far as to suggest Europe will go in as favourites next year, but some of the performances over the last few weeks have given reasons to be optimistic. The Americans will obviously be formidable opponents and the recent Presidents Cup highlighted the depth of talent they have. It feels like the players they’ve lost to LIV –…

A simple sheet of card is the ideal prop in the quest to stop hitting your irons heavy, perhaps laminated. Set it in the ground behind the ball, as here, and focus on keeping the club close to it on your takeaway to encourage a wide, low move away from the ball. You must then miss the sheet at impact. You can vary how far behind the ball you place the sheet as your striking improves. Weight transfer At the top of the backswing, focus on shifting your right knee across towards your left knee. This improves weight transfer and shifts the low point of your swing arc forward.…

GM verdict The TSR range represents the culmination of the Titleist Speed Project, which began three generations ago with the launch of TS and has sought to deliver immediate speed and distance gains to golfers. In TSR, the R stands mostly for ‘refined’, certainly not ‘revolution’. This is because, in our view, it represents a minor evolution in the technology we saw in the impressive TSi drivers. That said, the take-up on tour since it was introduced has been rapid and the success immediate. Gains will certainly be playerdependent, but our testing suggests that TSR2 offers a little more over the model it replaces than TSR3 does. This is, in part, down to the more significant shape change, which is said to improve aerodynamics. Indeed, we saw a notable uptick…

GM verdict The first thing you’ll notice with the Biom G5 is its weight... or lack of it. On our scales in size 10, it came in 18g lighter than the spikeless Biom C4 – no mean feat given the addition of the cleats on the outsole. There are only six cleats versus the eight we saw on the Biom G3 and these are positioned at the very edges of the outsole to provide perimeter stability as well as excellent grip. Our testing suggests that it’s unlikely you will lose your footing when swinging fast or walking down a steep slope, even in wet and muddy conditions. In fact, the Gore-Tex protection and wipe-clean characteristics of the leather upper make this a robust winter shoe choice. The design of the…

Edited by Jeremy Ellwood & Rob Smith The elegance of 27-hole Malone strikes you from the moment you pass through the front gates. A long avenue of majestic trees lines the driveway, leading you to one of the most attractive clubhouses in Ireland. It dates back to 1835, but the building’s beauty should be secondary to the quality of one of Northern Ireland’s top parklands. This is a course with swagger, colour and adventure. It fills your senses constantly and even the briefest of glances at Malone’s famous lake will stimulate an adrenaline rush. You’ll glimpse it on the drive in and as you walk to the clubhouse. It will rest there in the back of your mind, toying with you as you play the championship course’s front nine across…

Do you know your Fulford from your Fulford Heath from your Frilford Heath? Or your Libbaton from your Liberton, St Mellion from St Mellons or Dooks from Dukes? These, along with many others, are examples of UK&I golf clubs with similar-sounding names that could trip up the unsuspecting golfer. But does it really happen? Not often, of course, but someone once told me of a mutual acquaintance who turned up for a golf day at the wrong, similar-sounding club 100 miles away, thus missing out on all the fun. And back in 1937, the great Walter Hagen rolled into town for an exhibition match with Australian Joe Kirkwood on an island off the west coast of Scotland… but it was the wrong island! The course they had been recommended by…

The Dewiz wristband and partnering app were developed by Swedish golf pro Markus Westerberg, alongside a neuroscientist. They use real-time biofeedback to help golfers modify their swings and implement changes quickly. Wearing it on your lead arm, Dewiz will track your movement. A 3D avatar will then be generated that you can view on the excellent app from three different angles. You can scroll back and forward through your swing to see where your hands were at specific points. Dewiz will highlight things like your length of backswing, backswing plane, transition and tempo. The Learning Stimuli function lets you set certain numerical parameters for elements of your swing to encourage a new and improved movement or feel. If you don’t achieve them, a short electronic pulse will let you know.…

How does it give you the edge? The first thing that strikes you is just how small the Mevo is. It’s incredibly small – barely bigger than two golf balls. That said, it still looks and feels premium and well made. Setting the Mevo up is simple – just unfold the stand, turn it on, place it six feet behind the hitting area and pair it with the Mevo smartphone app. This process is easy to do and, once you’ve toggled all the settings on or off, you can hit away. The square in the top-right corner of the app turns green when the Mevo is primed to capture your shot, and there’s an audible ‘ready’ that plays to signify this. It captures eight data parameters, including all the ones…

How does it give you the edge? Stewart Golf has pioneered the art of ‘Follow’ technology and the Q Follow represents one of the most complete electric golf trolleys. The groundbreaking Follow mode is activated with the press of one button, and clipping the remote to your back pocket or belt allows the trolley to safely and easily track your progress down the fairway. The Remote mode then comes in handy when sending your trolley towards the next tee or directing it to meet you after looking for your ball in the rough, saving you time and energy. The new Q Follow is also smoother when going up hills than previous models from this British brand, thanks to a new two-wheel rear stabiliser that also prevents it from tipping over.…

On first inspection, the GForce swing trainer feels like an unmanned hose or something that belongs at a trick-shot display. But this is no gimmick – it can assist with many elements of the swing, including sequencing, rhythm, timing and even getting rid of the slice. Its highly flexible shaft really helps you appreciate the clubhead’s weight and, with practice, you will then understand the release pattern required to square the face at impact. The midsize grip is fantastic and well-timed shots travel a very similar distance to a normal 7-iron. You can use this as the perfect warmup aid, both to ease your body into moving again and to get some very immediate feedback about what works best in your swing that day. This is a brilliantly clever bit…

The StableGrip 2.0 glove is outstanding in terms of durability, which is remarkable given the soft, premium cabretta leather used in its design. It still looks pretty much brand new after two or three rounds and one or two range sessions but beyond that, it’s also machine-washable. Another impressive thing about this glove is the fit – it’s comfortable and adaptable to the nuances of your hand shape. If you’re someone who struggles with sweaty hands or is looking for a standard glove that will hold up well in wet conditions, the StableGrip 2.0 is a great option. For newcomers or mid- to highhandicappers, the thicker feel will likely prove a source of comfort and make easier to grip the club more consistently – an underrated element of playing good…

How does it give you the edge? Motocaddy has made an already excellent product even better by adding embedded GPS to the features on its remote-control electric trolley. The highresolution 3.5in touchscreen display is bright and remains responsive and effective in bright light and even rain. The embedded GPS is featurepacked too, offering you not only accurate yardages to the front, middle and back of greens and hazards, but also the ability to place pins and track your score. Add to this the Dynamic Green View, which shows you the exact shape of the green you are approaching, and it’s a gamechanging piece of kit. Users also get a free 12-month subscription to Motocaddy’s new Performance Plan, which allows access to full-hole mapping on the GPS screen as well as…

The SuperSpeed training system allows golfers of all levels to start a journey to gain more clubhead speed and therefore hit the ball further, all without the drastic body and diet changes we see tour pros undertake. The theory behind overspeed training is that you are training your brain, rather than your muscles, for more speed. Neuromuscular training focuses on exercises that train the muscles to react and communicate differently. The benefits include enhanced body movement mechanics along with increases in muscle strength, speed and agility in the process. You can use them alongside a launch monitor (or similar) to measure your driver clubhead speed using the different-weighted sticks so you can gauge your progress. As long as you warm up properly and remember to work on both sides of…

The latest addition to the Foresight Sports GC family provides the same data accuracy and true-to-life simulation experience as the brand’s flagship GCQuad launch monitor, but at a lower price. The GC3 features a three-camera system that measures ball and club performance data with precision, both outdoors and indoors. A mere 30cm high and weighing just over 2kg, it’s a fully portable unit and can easily be taken out with you to measure shots on the course. The unit produces comprehensive ball data (speed, launch, spin and carry distance) as well as clubhead data (speed, efficiency, club path and angle of attack). Overall, the levels of accuracy are more than comparable to the GCQuad and it’s just as easy to set up and use. It’s available with the FSX 2020…

How does it give you the edge? There’s a strong case to be made for the Shot Scope V3 being one of the most advanced golf GPS watches on the market. It doesn’t have a fancy colour touchscreen with whizzy hole maps, but it does facilitate seamless shot-tracking that opens your eyes to your true, on-course performance. This allows you to analyse your strengths and weaknesses and create a plan for improvement. It does this through tags that screw into the tops of your grips. These, alongside the technology in the watch itself, are clever enough to distinguish between practice swings and shots taken, thus recording the locations and clubs used for every shot you hit during a round. The watch itself still has plenty of features that assist with…

The Bushnell Ion Elite GPS watch is the first of a kind in that it is the first Bushnell watch to feature slope functionality, which provides adjusted yardages depending on the incline or decline of the hole. While you’re playing, a visible blue surround illuminates the display to tell you whether the function is enabled so you don’t get caught out in a competition round. The Ion Elite also provides Dynamic Green Mapping to give precise yardages based on the exact line of play. So no matter how far off line you may have strayed, you can be confident that the numbers displayed are accurate. Couple all of this with full-hole views and the ability to relocate the pin position on the bright and responsive touchscreen and you’ve got a…

Star quality I recently attended the pro-am before the BMW PGA Championship and I have to say I had a thoroughly good time. I’m not usually interested in these sorts of events and a look at the list of ‘celebrities’ left me pretty cold, but once I was there it was a joy to wander the course and see some of the top pros in a relaxed environment. I was particularly struck by watching Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose interact with the crowd while also putting on a great show of golf, and I’m sure this would have been the case all over the course. in association with the website on a near-daily basis but I always wanted more coverage on the LET and LPGA, which fell short compared with…

What’s your dream four-ball? Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and TimTheTatMan (streamer). Best moment in golf? My brother winning the US Open is my best and most memorable. For myself, it would be winning the ACC Championship with my university. Would you rather win The Open at St Andrews or The Masters? The Masters, but The Open is a close second. What would you be doing if you weren’t a golfer? Probably football if I wasn’t so lazy, or playing video games. Which three players would you take on a night out? Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Tyrrell Hatton and Billy Foster if he counts. What’s your lowest ever round? Official tournament round is -10. Favourite app on your phone? Twitter. Any superstitions? Not really, but I’m particular about where things go in my…

Soft hands High-handicappers often tense up in the sand – they just want to get the ball out. Tour pros, meanwhile, are often thinking about holing it – they’re not squeezing tightly. Lowry has wonderfully soft hands – it’s all very natural. Try hitting greenside bunker shots with your grip pressure no more than three or four out of ten. This will help you to feel the weight of the club swinging through. Weight forward Another fault is sitting back on bunker shots, which affects the angle of attack. This is something Lowry has struggled with in the past – in his case we’re talking fractions. You must set your weight forward at address – around three-quarters. Picture post impact, where you have the hips, chest and head rotated towards…

By Jeremy Ellwood Whatever your thoughts on LIV Golf, one course in the Home Counties can forever lay claim to being the venue for the new tour’s first ever tournament. Centurion Club, which is located near St Albans and celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, was named in honour of the area’s rich Roman heritage (all hole names are in Latin). It opened its doors in 2013 after major investment to elevate an existing, unfinished new-build course to a new level under new ownership. The layout starts out in among the pines over a testing opening stretch before emerging into more open terrain, where the holes play across rolling Hertfordshire countryside. The closing stretch has a slightly different feel again, particularly the 18th, where water flanks the green keenly. In…

Words MARK TOWNSEND On the face of it, Ray Nyabola is your traditional golfer with a very typical start in the game. He first played golf in 2004, in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, when he was walking past a driving range and curiosity got the better of him. The pro lent him a 7-iron and he joined a group of beginners for lessons. He’s dipped in and out of the game since – he’s more than capable of breaking 90 on a good day and he now plays off 24. These days he lives in Edinburgh, where he takes advantage of the local council courses, and during the pandemic, golf was a particular saviour for him in terms of getting his family out of the house for a few…

“Put the legends front and centre.” That was how entrepreneur Ryan Howsam summarised his vision for metamorphosing the European Senior Tour into something the sport had never seen. As the 2022 season draws to a close, it is safe to say the plan is already bearing fruit. Since its 2020 rebrand, masterminded by new majority stakeholder Howsam, the Legends Tour has reinvented European senior golf. The Alliance Series is one of the few official tournaments that gives participants the chance to play alongside some of golf’s biggest names. Meanwhile, the popular Celebrity Series draws in crowds to see an eclectic range of stars from the world of sport and entertainment. Unlike most pro-am tournaments, though, the Alliance Series places the focus firmly on the experience. Treated like pros from the…

1When you find your ball up against the lip in the back of a bunker, often your only option is to play out sideways or away from the hole. If you have enough room to pick the club up, however, and you have plenty of green to work with, you can still get it up and down. Stay down When swinging down the slope, stay down and keep your clubhead moving along the angle of the sand. 2More often than not you’ll have a downhill lie, so first get your body positioned to effectively recreate a flat lie. In the bottom photo, I have 90 to 95 per cent of my weight on my front foot to set my body perpendicular to the slope. Having your weight forward also generates…

Looks Both over the ball and just sitting in the bag, the shape and aged copper finish is a feast for the eyes. It will blend in well with the raw face as it rusts over time. GM verdict Joining the brand’s extensive line-up, which includes the bladestyle Milled Grind 3, is the third generation of the Hi-Toe design. Our testing has shown that it really moves the user experience to another level. The first thing to say is that this wedge looks incredible, especially the aged copper finish. It performs, too, especially in terms of spin. We’re convinced this is due to the raised micro-ribs between the grooves that add a coarse texture to the face’s surface. We were able to hit those showstopping low, spinny chips, even with…

ASK OUR EXPERT Why do I hit my 5-wood further than my 3-wood? Dave Pickering, via email This is probably because you don’t have the swing speed to maximise carry distance in the lowerlofted 3-wood. The slower your swing speed, the more loft you need to achieve the optimal ball flight. Think about a water hose: if you turn the pressure down, you need to point it more upwards to get the water to travel further. This theory applies when looking at how the optimum loft of a club is swing-speed dependent. With winter approaching, what changes should I make to my gear? Tom Benson, via email One change I would certainly look to make if you can is switching to a chipping wedge that has more bounce and/or a slightly…

We have seen an explosion in the number of options within the non-tourplayed, urethane-covered golf ball category. Over time, they can represent a healthy cost saving versus premium balls, so to determine which models offer the best value, we hit 15 of them on the Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor with different clubs and then put them in play on the golf course. Looks This might seem somewhat trivial but some of these balls really stand out for how they look, specifically those that look very much like a tourplayed, premium ball. Most notable here are the TaylorMade Tour Response and Vice Golf Pro Plus, which also features a thick sidestamp for easy alignment. Some balls, like the Titleist Tour Speed and Mizuno Tour X, have more of a glossy…

The National course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club is not only a visual feast, but also an excellent test of golf. It was used to stage the seasonopening HSBC Championship on what has now become the DP World Tour every year from 2006 through to 2021. The club is situated just on the landward side of the sandy islands that line the coast of the UAE, about 80 miles south-west of Dubai. This top-quality oasis in the desert also has a second course, The Garden, a floodlit nine-holer. As with the National, it is the work of architect Peter Harradine, who has been involved in the design of more than 160 courses worldwide. His philosophy – “I try to design courses so they are easy to play but difficult to…

Preston The club at Preston was formed in 1892 and immediately engaged George Lowe, the professional at Royal Lytham and St Annes, to design its course. Subsequent and regular changes were then made by Sandy Herd and James Braid, among others, and the par-71 course now stretches to just under 6,300 yards. Opening with the first of four short holes, it is kept in fine shape, particularly the greens. Trees now line many of the holes, and the delightful but dangerous Savick Brook comes into play at various times. GF: £50 Sun-Fri An aerial view of the closing stretch, showing the brook that comes into play on the 15th, 16th and particularly the 17th. Seascale This engaging and quite different course occupies a relatively small plot of crisp, links turf…

Clubs Callaway Apex UW Evnroll Zero putter MacGregor V-Foil Wide Sole lob wedge Ping ChipR wedge Sik Pro C Armlock putter Vega Alcor Tour wedge Game tracking Arccos Caddie bundle Shot Scope V3 GPS/rangefinder Bushnell Ion Elite GPS watch Bushnell Tour V5 Shift rangefinder Garmin Approach S62 GPS watch Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized rangefinder Shot Scope Pro LX+ SkyCaddie SX550 GPS Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition watch Voice Caddie SL2 Active hybrid Trolleys BagBoy Nitron push Kaddey Switch push-pull Motocaddy M7 GPS electric PowaKaddy CT8 GPS electric PowaKaddy Micra push Stewart Golf Q Follow electric Shoes Ecco Biom C4 FootJoy Tour Alpha Double Boa Under Armour Hovr Tour SL Fitness/wellness Therabody Theragun Mini Whoop 4.0 Grips Evnroll Midlock Golf Pride CPX Accessories Henrik Stenson Torque 3.0 sunglasses…

How does it give you the edge? This is an impressive piece of kit that offers limitless possibilities for improving your putting. To set it up, just roll out the mat, attach it to an HDMI port and position the high-speed camera on top of the TV or on the free-standing tripod. Once you’ve created an account, you will most likely head to the Classic option and Practice category. This allows you to hit putts from any distance, with uphill or sidehill breaks, and at whatever speed you want. You can adjust the hole size if you’re looking to get your kids into hitting a few putts, or just fancy cutting yourself a bit of slack! The overall feedback on any putt is off the charts. You place two stickers…

The Golf Pride CPX (Comfort Performance Extreme) is the brand’s softest golf club grip yet. On very first inspection, they perhaps seem almost too soft, but once you start hitting a few balls, you’ll love them. They’re so soft that there is the suspicion they’re going to feel like javelins in the wet, but even after soaking the grips in water there was no hint of slipping and even a perhaps surprising slight increase in ball speed with the driver but with no noticeable loss of control. More interesting than the grip’s softness is its mix of textures. While the entire grip is soft, the quilted segments are particularly cushioned and create a nice contrast. Many golfers go years between regripping their clubs, which seems ridiculous given how they can…

The bold look of the Stripe design might not be for everyone but it’s a striking, and also useful, alternative from TaylorMade. If you struggle with your alignment or rolling the ball properly on the greens, then the Stripe is designed to help. It also provides a very clear alignment aid off the tee. In terms of price, the Tour Response franchise sits just below the tourplayed TP5 models but you aren’t sacrificing much at all should you choose to tee this ball up. The urethane cover means it offers excellent spin control around the green and it provides above-average ball speed and distance with the driver and on iron shots. Off the putterface it feels soft, but not spongy or unresponsive, and the Stripe pattern is durable enough for…

These excellent sunglasses from the 2016 Open Champion strike the perfect balance of performing on the course while looking trendy off it. The fit is snug yet comfortable thanks to the adjustable soft-touch rubber nose pads. The lenses provide great coverage plus excellent protection and contrast, which is really noticeable on bright, sunny days. When lining up putts, you can see the subtle breaks in great detail and with exceptional clarity, which genuinely helps your putting when the sun is at its highest. The lenses are especially hard-wearing and the carry case included is firm for ample protection. They even come with an extra nose pad for those who prefer a smaller fit. All in all, these sunglasses are hard to fault. Stylish, versatile, robust and performance-enhancing, the Ice Man…

If your hands shake even a little while using a rangefinder, it can make things very difficult. Nikon has mastered the antidote with its proprietary stabilisation technology, borrowed from its cameras and lenses. Even if you tremble a little while trying to find the pin, the view through the eyepiece holds steady the entire time. And once it finds the flag, it locks onto it within 0.3 seconds and gives you visual and audible confirmation. Distance numbers and mode icons pop up in a bright, high-visibility orangey-red colour. Activating the incline/decline technology with the push of a button displays the slopeadjusted distance for an uphill or downhill shot. This can certainly save you shots (in casual games) to the extent that we would even contemplate calling it a game-improvement device.…

The Blast Golf swing analyser uses a sensor that attaches to the grip of any club to gather data about your swing. Working alongside the free app, it captures an incredible amount of information about your technique and quickly feeds that data back so you can focus on the parts of your swing that require the most attention. The breadth and depth of information that it can provide is seriously impressive, including elements like angle of attack, swing tempo ratio and peak hand speed. It’s a fast, data-driven way of improving your swing instead of aimlessly hitting golf balls at the range. Alongside all this data, there is a plethora of instructional videos and explainers, led by putting guru Brad Faxon, to guide you on how best to use the…

Lowry targets Rome after Wentworth win Winning is always an emotional experience, but was this one even more special? I think so, yeah. I made no secrets as to how I felt about the whole thing at the start of the week. I wanted to go out and win this tournament for myself, first and foremost, but also for this tour, everyone that’s stayed loyal to this tour and everyone that’s done everything for this tour. I feel like this is one for the good guys. And helpful for the Ryder Cup? This is a great start. Obviously I want to make the team and I want to make it easy for Luke. I feel like I can be a good addition to the team and we can go to…

By Joel Tadman Whatever your preference in looks or feel, Ping claims that there will be a model for you within its new 2023 range of putters. There are ten models in total, each individually designed using Ping’s proven technologies to achieve the proper balance of feel and forgiveness specific to the head shape and size. Golfers can choose from high-MOI, multimaterial blades, midmallets and mallets. Traditional blades include the Anser and the Kushin 4 – both originally designed by Ping founder Karsten Solheim – and the new Anser 2D, which was inspired by staff player Tony Finau. They all have tungsten weighting in the heel and toe to increase the forgiveness on offer. The new Mundy design, a multi-material traditionally shaped mallet, is named in honour of Ping’s first…

A former member of the European Tour and two-time winner, Wayne is part of the Sky Sports golf team. He writes exclusively for Golf Monthly “Turning the Presidents Cup into a mixed event just makes perfect sense” Well, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the Presidents Cup. Before the event started, it looked like it was going to be a complete drubbing and halfway through it seemed like it was going to be even worse than that! But the Internationals put in a spirited comeback and a lot of credit should go to the players and captain Trevor Immelman for getting in a position where there was a chance, albeit a small one, for the Cup to leave the USA for the first time since 1998 during…

Words FERGUS BISSET Heading into the 150th Open at St Andrews, Will Zalatoris had finished as runner-up in the previous two Majors. He’d lost to Justin Thomas in a play-off for the PGA Championship at Southern Hills and been pipped by a shot – that shot being Matt Fitzpatrick’s ‘wonder from the bunker’ – in the US Open at Brookline. Zalatoris was one of the real form players and a clear Major specialist going into St Andrews. But pre-tournament, he was able to walk around town and not be swamped by fans and photographers as other big-name players would have been. He went to the Dunvegan pub, for dinner at Little Italy and played casual practice rounds accompanied by dog-walking locals. In his early-week press conference, only a relative handful…

When he was walking down the first fairway at St Andrews, chatting with Tom Watson, Paul Lawrie and Stewart Cink as the crowds applauded from the grandstands, Kipp Popert could have been forgiven for thinking back to all those summer holidays that he spent in hospital having operations on his legs and feet, or at home convalescing in bed. But Kipp is simply not that type of person. Born with a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia that means the muscles in his legs and feet are contracted, Kipp has come through numerous surgeries and enforced absences from the game to become one of the world’s best golfers with a disability. In 2021, he rose to number one in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) after winning…

Playing fairway woods from the deck is different to hitting them off a tee peg, where you tilt your spine away a little and hit on the up to sweep it away. This may work from fluffier lies (as here), but from tighter fairway lies, you have to strike the ball on the way down, not up. Set the ball just forward of centre and remember to shift weight onto your lead side through impact, so you stay over the ball and compress it. Ball position Ball position is important. Too far forward and you’ll probably catch the ground first; too far back and you’ll deloft the club, dig in too much or struggle to flight it.…

Words: Chris Wallace Penalty area relief Cameron Smith found himself in an unusual and quite costly Rules situation in the FedEx St Jude Championship, as Chris Wallace, Rules manager at The R&A, explains. Two strokes off the lead after three rounds, Smith dropped to four back following a meeting with the chief referee, having been assessed a two-stroke penalty for playing from a wrong place (Rule 14.7) as a result of an improper drop early in his third round. The incident in question happened at the par-3 4th on Saturday after his tee shot found the water. Having opted to take lateral relief (two club-lengths) under Rule 17, Smith was required to drop a ball in a very narrow strip of ground due to the geometry of where the hole…

Looks At address, the M.Craft Omoi 03 head is quite compact for a mallet and is shorter heel-to-toe than the blade models in the range. The blue ion finish we tested is very smart. GM verdict The Mizuno M.Craft Omoi 03 putter is the only mallet shape in the Omoi range. You may think the name comes from MOI with a little poetic licence (MOI traditionally standing for moment of inertia), but in fact Omoi is a Japanese adjective for ‘heavy’. With the Mizuno M.Craft Omoi 03 putterhead coming in at 383g, the weight really has gone to Mizuno’s head. It is made from forged 1025 carbon steel and the 3° face is milled to give it not only a premium look but also a very good feel. The head…

Cobra King LTDx fairway wood £249 Loft: 15° Shaft: Project X Hzrdus Smoke Green iM10 60 stiff Mizuno ST-Z fairway wood £279 Loft: 15° Shaft: Fujikura motore F3 7 stiff Looks The LTDx head is simple, uncomplicated and classy – arefined and confidence-inspiring shape. The graphics are understated and it uses the same carbon-weave effect as the Mizuno, but in a more muted way. It also frames the ball more cleanly. 9 ~ 9 Feel The ST-Z crown stands out, because half is a deep black while the remainder has a cutting-edge grey/ black carbon-weave effect. The Mizuno running bird logo sits plumb over the sweetspot and the leading edge gives a simple, classy aesthetic. The feel off the forged face is the most enjoyable of any new fairway we’ve…

As with lots of categories in the golf market, the trolley world is flush with exciting innovations that aim to make your golf easier and more enjoyable. This year has been no different, and the options available should mean everyone looking to invest in a new trolley can find a model to suit both their budget and needs. From basic models that are fuss-free and reliable to trolleys that can be controlled using a Bluetooth remote, manufacturers have become even more creative in their quest to make transporting golf clubs around the course a fun and more passive user experience. Some of the new GPS models from Motocaddy and PowaKaddy have particularly impressed, and the Performance Plan available on selected Motocaddy models has taken embedded trolley GPS to a new…

Stoneham Stoneham Golf Club was founded in 1908 and is peacefully situated in the leafy suburbs on the northern outskirts of Southampton. Its constantly improving course was designed by Willie Park Junior. In recent times, some terrific work has paid dividends – it entered Golf Monthly’s Next 100 Courses of the UK&I just last year. The front nine runs in an anti-clockwise loop around the back nine, and variety is very much the name of the game here with five short holes and five par 5s. The club has strong links with golfer Richard Bland, who last year won the British Masters at the tender age of 48. Since then, the club has opened an excellent new halfway house that bears his name, as well as a first-class, state-of-the-art academy…

Okay, it’s not a profound question, but actually, it encourages rather a profound answer. The question is: what is golf really good for? If you’re fortunate enough to be a successful professional, be it on the LIV circuit/circus or elsewhere, then you’ll probably point to your bank account. If you’re one of us, an enthusiastic player but one who celebrates the occasional par and buys everyone a drink when the annual birdie is achieved, then it means something else, always a challenge and certainly an eternal conundrum. But fun. Most of all, I suspect for the majority of us it is a pleasant excuse to get together with people we give a damn about, to share the occasional triumph and laugh at the all-but-inevitable disaster. A few weeks ago, this…

How does it give you the edge? While we are now familiar with embedded GPS systems in electric trolleys, the CT8 GPS is arguably one of the very best, featuring a 3.5in full-colour display that is the largest ever on a PowaKaddy trolley. It’s also bright and responsive, which makes it incredibly fun and easy to use. The in-built GPS system is quick to update, providing yardages to different portions of the green, and you can even relocate the pin position if you’re feeling particularly confident in attacking the flag. Further features, like automatic hole detection and a digital scorecard, help this model to truly stand out in the electric trolley market. Another appealing compact-folding, easy-to- assemble frame that weighs in at under 10kg. This would certainly be considered lightweight…

One of the most technology-packed spikeless golf shoes we’ve tested this year, the Ecco Biom C4 seriously impresses with its overall comfort, grip, style and breathability. A standout feature is Ecco’s Exhaust Grid technology, which not only creates a stylish, modern look but also helps to prevent your feet from getting sweaty and uncomfortable while you’re playing. This feature, combined with the Gore-Tex surround and Ortholite insole, makes the Biom C4 one of the most breathable golf shoes we’ve ever worn. Another excellent touch from Ecco is the fact that the insole is removable to allow for more width in the shoe. This will make the Biom C4 suitable for those with wider feet, and there is still a similar amount of comfort and cushioning on offer with the first…

The Powakaddy Micra is one of the most lightweight and compact push trolleys around. By simply pushing the two ends together, it folds down into a convenient shape that can the tightest of spaces. The soft-touch ergonomic handle adjusts to almost any height and is easy to tweak during your round if required. Pushing along fairways, rough or paths feels effortless. The Micra is clearly robust and well made, which gives you the confidence to tackle the steepest of slopes – assisted by a foot-operated parking brake for when you’re taking your shots. Well positioned behind the left wheel, the brake sports a bright yellow paint job so it’s impossible to miss. It even makes a ‘click’ sound when you engage it. It’s the attention to detail this that makes…

In practice, all the elements of the Shot Scope Pro LX+ work well together for the gadget-loving golfer looking to improve their play. Using tags screwed into the tops of your grips, shot locations can be manually logged by tapping them on the screen of the H4 GPS, which can be magnetically attached to the laser rangefinder, clipped on to your belt or simply placed in your pocket. Despite its very modest size, it offers a wealth of information – like distances reach and carry bunkers, hazards and lay-ups as well as the usual distances to the front, middle and back of the green. The Pro LX rangefinder itself has many plus points – notably its ergonomic shape, Slope mode and the option of a red or black display depending…

Do you struggle with consistency on the greens? Perhaps you have tried the armlock method and yet you’re still struggling for consistency. According to Evnroll, this is often because there is too much shaft lean. To engage the forearm and eliminate wrist movement, the shaft angle, says Evnroll, can be as radical as 10˚, which encourages a pulled stroke. Putter guru Guerin Rife, founder of premium putter maker Evnroll, has adapted the armlock style to what it is calling Midlock. Its unique grip pushes the shaft away from the forearm, reducing shaft lean by 5˚, which is similar to a gentle forward press. The wide top section engages the forearm to eliminate wrist movement for a one-piece shoulder swing. This means there is no need for any special shafts or…

Bushnell continues to dominate on tour and at amateur level and it’s easy to see why with products like the Tour V5 Shift, which has been slimmed down to make it more compact in your hand. Its Fast Focus system returns yardages quickly, with the new flashing red ring in the display providing an extra dose of assurance that you’ve successfully locked on to the flag. It couldn’t be easier to use – just point and shoot and the flag is picked out quickly from the background. The view in the display is crystal-clear, further aided by the adjustable focus toggle. The buttons on the side mean there is now no cause for confusion over how to switch from metres to yards or turn the Slope feature on and off.…

On the greens and the practice chipping area, this bright, eye-catching golf ball could help you to better understand roll and spin. It’s obviously a striking, standout product that you won’t struggle to identify out on the course. The colours are bold, but not overly dazzling because the finish is matte and not painted on as usual. Instead, the entire thermoplastic urethane cover is infused with bright pigments, so the colours won’t scratch or tear. This two-tone ball can act as both an alignment aid and a guide to how well you’re rolling the ball on the greens. Line it up with the seam vertical and if you putt the ball on a perfectly straight path, the two colours will stay divided down the middle. If you don’t, they will…

Oakley Half Jacket 2.0 XL Prizm sunglasses from £126 A good pair of sunglasses is a vital piece of equipment to protect your eyes and help you see better when you’re on the golf course or practising. These are arguably the best around – light, comfortable and with lenses that are effective from bright sunlight to milkier conditions. You still maintain a sense of depth perspective and the sporty styling works just as well away from the golf course. MacGregor V Foil Wide Sole lob wedge £54.99 This unique design is aimed at those for whom chipping is a weakness. The super-wide sole is designed to reduce mishits by making it hard for the club to dig in, helping to reduce the likelihood of fat or thin contact by instead…