Innehållsförteckning för January 2026 från Golf Monthly

“I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY WEREN’T AT ALL WHAT KEEGAN HAD ASKED FOR”Justin Thomas told the No Laying Up podcast that Team USA ‘argued with’ Bethpage staff over Ryder Cup green speeds “AFTER 450 DP WORLD TOUR EVENTS, I’VE DECIDED IT’S TIME TO STOP CHASING AND START EXPLORING NEW OPPORTUNITIES”Two-time DP World Tour winner Oliver Wilson announced he’s calling time on his professional career “MAN, I WISH SOMETHING MAJOR WOULD HAPPEN, BUT I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO”Bryson DeChambeau says he can’t see golf’s great divide being healed any time soon “THE FACT TWO OF OUR BEST TOURNAMENTS OF THE SEASON ARE ON THE SAME WEEK IS JUST MIND BLOWING”Richard Mansell questioned the decision to have the Australian Open and Nedbank Golf Challenge on at the same time…

Over my 20+ years working in golf, I’ve been able to interview the last three chief executives of The R&A. One thing I can unquestionably say is that they are getting younger. That, combined with the fact I am getting older, means that my encounters with these men of high standing within our sport have had quite different dynamics. I interviewed Peter Dawson in Japan. A composed and measured man, he said exactly what needed to be said, nothing more. I likened it to being summoned for a sensible talk with my school headmaster, who was also quite a cool customer. Martin Slumbers and I sat down for three or four conversations during his tenure. Those meetings were more like relaxed discussions with my tutors at uni – they were…

Shot on location at Infinitum Resort 1 Not striking fairway woods effectively is a common fault, with many issues stemming from a feeling of intimidation when standing over the ball and looking down on what appears to be very little loft. This can cause players to lean back and almost feel like they’re helping the ball up into the air, but that’s not conducive to good ball-striking. Imagine the clubhead is a plane landing on a runway. You want the ‘wheels’ to just touch down as the club moves through impact with the ball. 2 Stabilising your swing is important as many club golfers also sway with their legs. This makes consistent contact very tricky due to the bottom of the arc moving around in their swing. Try this at…

There are specific Rules relating to the clubs we carry and use when playing. Some Rules relating to clubs, most will be aware of – the 14-club limit, for example. But there are also some lesser-known Rules governing these vital pieces of equipment. One such Rule relates to what a player is permitted to do when a club becomes damaged during the round. First, clubs do wear over time via normal use – wear marks on the face or scuffs to the sole, for instance. These are not deemed damage under this Rule. But when a club is damaged, as when Bryson DeChambeau’s driver shaft snapped in the 2020 US PGA, the Rules relating to the use, repair or replacement of the club apply. If a conforming club (such as…

The Tour Edge Exotics line has earned an excellent reputation for being a great-value choice, competing with the best drivers without the corresponding flagship price. The Tour Edge Exotics Max excels at correcting poorly struck drives and offers excellent acoustics and an 18g sliding weight at the rear of the head that provides genuine, tangible customisation. It is aimed squarely at golfers seeking maximum forgiveness and playability, with this model replacing the well-regarded E725 and promising enhanced stability and a powerful corrective bias. In terms of looks, I have to say the aesthetics are somewhat of a disappointment compared to the E725, which was a lot sleeker and more sophisticated. The new alignment logo doesn’t suit my eye but that is purely subjective. The impact sound is a definite improvement…

With its roots dating back to 1907 and a rudimentary nine-hole course close to what is now the town centre, Basingstoke Golf Club has enjoyed a long evolution before settling in to its exciting new home less than two years ago. It is now situated on a gently undulating and perhaps surprisingly peaceful parcel of downland just south of the M3 in Hampshire. And while the club’s new course is just a well-struck drive from its previous 15th green, in virtually every other respect it is really a million miles away. A happy coincidence During the Great War, the original course was used as a training airfield, which led to the need for a new home in the 1920s. The great James Braid, winner of five Open Championships, was enlisted…

When I heard about Royal Dornoch’s extensive (and expensive) plans for a new clubhouse two years ago, I wasn’t surprised, as the existing one, though homely in a way, had exceeded its sell-by date for a club whose stock has risen markedly over the last half century. Influential visitors like Ben Crenshaw and Tom Watson helped spread the word far and wide, particularly in America, about just how good this Highland links masterpiece in the home town of revered course designer, Donald Ross, really was. But as the project neared completion in late 2025, you would have thought that would have been it for Royal Dornoch for the foreseeable future, especially as it came with a price tag just shy of £14 million. But nothing, it seems, could be further…

An ode to the game we love I stand there just like Seve, with my golf club in my hands,I wiggle everything I have, then settle in my stance,I stare straight down the fairway, then at my golf ball on the tee,Then I swing and hit the thing… and hear it hit a tree. It sort of shoots out sideways then I find it in the rough,I look at where the golf ball lies; this could be quite tough,I take a club I think is right and swing it good and hard,I hit the ball and off it goes, about 47 yards. At least it’s on the fairway now, I might just have a chance,So, I stand and wiggle once again, with an iron in my hands,This time the ball…

Seven years ago, and perhaps as proof of a misspent adulthood, I reached the landmark figure of having played 1,000 golf courses around the world. And to quote editor Neil Tappin, “but none of them properly!” He has a point, and while I then thought this could well be my final significant golfing milestone, I more recently realised I might also be lucky enough to make it to 1,000 courses, not in total, but far closer to home… within the British Isles. As you can imagine, playing somewhere for the first time generally requires longer journeys away from my home in Kent, but I am pleased to say that on November 13, 2025, I played my 1,000th such course. While I have also been lucky enough to play getting on…

How do I hit a draw with a driver? By Top 50 Coach Ged Walters You need to understand three important factors that affect shot shape. The white alignment stick pointing straight down the fairway is my ball-to-target line, which is where you would aim off the tee. The white stick to the right of that (pointing at the trees) indicates the face angle at impact and the red stick the ideal club path. Essentially, the face needs to point right of the ball-to-target line but left of the path to hit a draw, so use this simple set-up next time you practise. What’s the best way to maximise my distance when driving downwind? By Top 50 Coach John Jacobs It’s all about launch, so you’ve got to tee the…

The Pro Plus is Vice’s flagship ball in a comprehensive line-up. It is a four-piece, tour-calibre model that is engineered specifically for high swing speeds. The Tracer pattern is hard to ignore when taking these balls out of the packet for the first time. The multi-line design is similar to that of the popular TaylorMade TP5 Stripe, and you can see how this ball could help those who struggle with alignment from the tee and in hitting their start lines on the putting green. It was immediately clear this ball is aimed at those who naturally produce a decent amount of speed. Golfers who swing in excess of 110mph will reap the full rewards of this ball’s performance characteristics, and it will also appeal to those seeking a firmer feel…

In October, I was lucky enough to visit two of the finest resorts in arguably Europe’s best golf destination of The Algarve – Palmares Ocean Living and Golf and Monte Rei Golf and Country Club. I was excited to see these two powerhouses, and having spent time at both, it’s easy to see why they’re so highly regarded. Palmares, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, is home to three contrasting and equally spectacular loops of nine. It’s a decent-sized resort with a range of modern apartments and a highly rated five-star boutique hotel, as well as a driving range, Michelin-starred restaurant and impressive clubhouse, voted Europe’s best at the 2024 World Golf Awards. You certainly won’t find many better outlooks from a clubhouse, with the ocean in full view…

Moor Allerton GF: 18 holes: £50wd, £65we It would take a great deal for a club with the design pedigree of Alister MacKenzie to move home, but such was the demand for golf and better facilities at the time that this is exactly what Moor Allerton in Yorkshire decided to do in the mid-1960s. Leading architect Robert Trent Jones Snr was engaged to design what would be his first course in England, an expansive 27-hole layout at Blackmoor Farm, three miles east. There are three loops of nine, each surprisingly different from its Top 100 close neighbours at Alwoodley and Moortown. The architect’s trademark bold statements are present throughout, with dramatic bunkering, large undulating greens and plenty of water. Kirkby Lonsdale GF: 18 holes: £50wd, £60we Founded in 1906 and…

Kristoffer, congratulations on winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge. How does it feel? It’s really hard to sum up how I feel. I had a lot of nerves out there during the final round, but to get it over the line in the end is a better feeling that I can describe! I’m trying my best to deal with nervousness and fear and it’s really, really difficult. I’ve managed to do that really well ever since mid-season last year. It keeps getting increasingly difficult, but I’m glad to have dealt with it in a good way to win the Nedbank. It means so much to me - I’m so pleased. At what point did the nerves kick in during the final round? I hadn’t been in this situation before in my…

Portugal GF: from €200 Stats: par 72, 6,790 yards Just a mile inland from the unspoilt beach at Comporta to the south-east of Lisbon, the Torre course at Terras da Comporta is the region’s newest gem and a perfect complement and foil to David McLay-Kidd’s very highly rated Dunas course. Situated just a few minutes to the north of its slightly older sibling, this is the first signature design from the pen of 2017 Masters champion Sergio García, and it opened for play just last summer. This new course is part of a real estate development that will include upwards of 200 high-end homes as well as two luxury hotels, and it has already been awarded the accolade of ‘World’s Best New Course’ at the World Golf Awards 2025. The…

50 RECORDS GALORE, 1997-2025 Where do you begin? PGA and PGA Tour Player of the Year a record 11 times? Or maybe PGA Tour money leader a record ten times? Is it the Vardon Trophy winner a record nine times? Or the Byron Nelson Award that he has taken a record nine times, too? Then there’s the World Golf Hall of Fame, the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Exemption (created just for him), countless sportsman or athlete of the year awards – the list goes on and on. He even got the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019. 49 THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD, 1987 On November 28, 1987, Tiger Woods – aged 11 years and 11 months – and his father, Earl, played a round of golf…

Shot on location at La Cala Resort, Spain 1 Attach two alignment sticks together with elastic bands approximately 3ins from the ends of the rods, placing the other ends under your armpits as here. At first, just practise the feel and momentum of the stroke without a putter in your hands. The aim is for the shoulders to move in a connected, uninhibited putting motion. Then, strike some putts letting the putter rest where the elastic bands are, with your hands underneath the sticks and your forearms resting on them. This drill prevents too much independent wrist action and promotes a feeling of the forearms remaining level. Try it for both short and long putts. 2 This is a super drill to improve your strike. Place a tightly rolled towel…

This is Scotty Cameron’s first low-torque offering along with the Studio Style Fastback OC option. The Phantom 11R OC putter blends the stability of a low-torque design with the responsive, chain-link face-milling that has proved so popular. So, if you’re looking for stability without sacrificing feel, this might be the putter you’ve been waiting for. At address, the Phantom 11R OC is a sleek, high-MOI mallet that boasts an exceptionally clean aesthetic. The single, short sightline offers good alignment, and helped match the putter face up square to my target, especially when using a line on the ball. The minimal 1˚ of shaft lean is something I love about this putter. This helps promote a natural hand position and a clear, unimpeded view of the topline. I’ve found other zero-torque…

My latest Northern Ireland jaunt was a new experience in that I travelled on the overnight Stena Line ferry from Liverpool to Belfast, with a cabin to while away the eight-hour crossing in the land of nod. Hitting Belfast docks at 6.30am meant a dawn arrival as first out at Malone Golf Club, more of which in a future issue. But this article starts with my afternoon game at Scrabo east of Belfast, which had been brought to my attention by Irish golf journalist Kevin Markham’s photos of the eye-catching tower that forms the backdrop to the difficult opening hole. Scrabo Tower came on my radar when I was still eight miles away but the tee on the par-3 2nd is then right at the foot of it, with the…

Tiger Woods? I’ve never doubted he’s the most significant golfer of my lifetime and yours. And your dad’s and grandad’s. Indeed, he is the most significant sportsman since Muhammad Ali strutted across the world stage. Both men of colour broke through barriers and blew up misconceptions. Each changed so much for others while so loudly blowing their own trumpets. Woods’ 1997 Masters win was the most memorable, most significant, most emotional and most thrilling Major victory I’ve ever witnessed. At 21 years of age in Augusta, Georgia – a location central to all preceding thoughts – he changed the face of golf, both literally and metaphorically. And, of course, his own life. I’ve been privileged to enjoy a grandstand seat at almost all his great wins and although I was…