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TODAY’S GOLFER JANUARY 2024 (NOVEMBER 23-DECEMBER 20) 446
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 THE MOST INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE IN GOLF
There are 29 new
names in our annual
100 Most Influential
People in Golf list
this year, illustrating
what a tumultuous
12 months it’s been
for the game.
Those new names
include tour stars
such as Rose Zhang and Viktor Hovland,
who’ve both had breakout years on the
LPGA and PGA Tours, Chad Mumm,
who brought golf to Netflix, and David
McLay Kidd, who has designed the best
new course in Europe. They also include
Jimmy Dunne, who brokered the LIV
deal with the PGA Tour, and Mohammed
Bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime
Minister of Saudi Arabia, whose bottomless
pockets are financing the biggest change
the professional game has ever seen.
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There are, of course, some familiar
names on there too: Tiger, Rory, Annika,
Jack, Jay Monahan, Martin Slumbers,
Paige Spiranac and our cover star, Rick
Shiels, who is making his debut on the
front of Britain’s biggest golf magazine
(with more on our website).
We spent the day with the game’s most
popular YouTuber, and he couldn’t have
been more generous with his time or his
insight. Read what he has to say on his
journey so far – and what’s coming next
– on page 44. And on page 59, he shares
six of his favourite tips.
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Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, Iona Stephen, Rick Shiels, Gareth Johnston,
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FEATURES
10 Front 9
What’s coming up in the world of golf
this month? We’ve got it all covered.
27 The Influencers 2023
Ranking the 100 people who most
significantly shaped golf in 2023.
37 Danny Maude
The lessons learned by the YouTube
coach with 1.4 million subscribers.
38 Me And My Golf
The online coaching kings offer you
two tips to transform your game.
45 Rick Shiels
The irresistible rise of one of the
world’s most successful golf gurus.
52 Martin Slumbers
An exclusive, no-holds-barred
interview with the R&A CEO.
8 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
JANUARY 2024
27 GOLF’S 100 MOST
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
Meet the people shaping
Planet Golf in 2023.
PLAY BETTER SUBSCRIBE EQUIPMENT
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72 Better Chipping AND GET 13 86 Big Launches
Whatever your level, we can get you ISSUES Unveiling Odyssey’s Ai-One putters
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 12
ON OUR RADAR
A new mixed team event,
LIV Golf Q-School, and our
incredible Christmas giveaway.

14
LOCKER ROOM CHAT
In memory of Ivor Robson, we
look back on his greatest tales
from the first tee.

16
THE NUMBERS GAME
You won’t believe how much
LIV’s biggest (and lesser known)
stars earned this season.

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10 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

THE SECRET’S OUT
La Reserve Golf Links is the newest name
for your bucket list, as Chris Bertram explains
The players who
compete in the AfrAsia
Bank Mauritius Open
in December will be treated to
the best setting for a DP World
Tour event in 2023.
That’s our verdict after a
pre-opening first play of La
Reserve, a new course designed
by Louis Oosthuizen that will
host the co-sanctioned event
between the European circuit
and the Sunshine Tour.
Abu Dhabi’s Yas Links, St
Francis Links in South Africa and
especially Crans-sur-Sierre in
Switzerland will have their
supporters, but we don’t think
any of them top La Reserve.
It is set down on hills and valleys
a mile inland, but Insta-worthy
views of the Indian Ocean are a
virtually constant companion on
a course which is characterised by
elevated tees and infinity greens.
Former Open champion
Oosthuizen, who will play in the
Mauritius Open, said: “La Reserve
is everything I dreamed it would
be – a dramatic, challenging golf
course in an extraordinary setting
overlooking the Indian Ocean.
“The landscape and the
environment are second to none
and we’ve worked so hard to
create a course that captures the
spirit of links golf, the purest form
of golf, while using native grasses
and sensitive design to ensure it
remains authentic to the land
around us.”
La Reserve will be part of
Heritage Golf Club, which is
attached to the Awali and Le
Telfair hotels that sit side-by-side
on a white-sand beach on the
edge of the ocean.
For more details, visit
heritageresorts.mu or
heritagegolfclub.mu
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 11
F R ON T NINE
PGA TOUR STARS
HANDED EURO LIFELINE
SEE IT
GRANT THORNTON INVITATIONAL
Stars from the LPGA and PGA Tour will team up
next month as part of a new mixed-team event
which will feature a different format each day
and an equal purse of $4 million. The inaugural
Grant Thornton Invitational will bring together
16 pairings over three rounds, comprising 18
holes of Texas Scramble, foursomes and a twist
on the traditional fourball format, where both
players tee off and then switch balls for their
second shots. Standout pairings include Jason
Day/Lydia Ko, Tony Finau/Nelly Korda, Justin
Rose/Charley Hull and Rickie Fowler/Lexi
Thompson. You can watch the action live from
Tiburon GC in Florida on Sky Sports, from
December 8-10.
12 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
ON OUR RADAR
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The doors on the Today’s Golfer Advent Calendar
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of pounds’ worth of golf prizes up for grabs! It’s
our highest-value advent calendar ever, with
Christmas coming early for one lucky entrant
every day. A fresh prize draw will open each
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with a host of amazing
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enter every day!
The DP World Tour could be set
for an American invasion next year
after announcing new playing
opportunities that will allow 75 PGA Tour
members to switch tours next season.
Players who finish in positions 126 to
200 on the FedEx Cup Fall Points List
will now be granted full membership of the
DP World Tour under a newly created
exemption category.
There is a caveat that only five players in
this category will be able to play each
week, but it still offers a potential lifeline
to a raft of stars who were facing relegation
to the Korn Ferry Tour or a limited
schedule on the PGA Tour.
Notable names currently outside the cut
line who’d benefit include Russell Knox
and former US Open champ Jimmy Walker.
The revised terms of the Strategic
Alliance won’t impact the decision to offer
10 PGA Tour cards to the top 10 members
(not otherwise exempt) on the Race to
Dubai, but any PGA Tour member who
plays in a sanctioned event on the DP
World Tour next season will be offered an
affiliate membership. These players can
then potentially qualify for the new
season-ending play-offs – with its $6
million bonus pool – if they play four or
more events outside the Majors.
“Our 10 cards initiative will give the
opportunity for DP World Tour members
to excel on the PGA Tour next season and
this new membership opportunity will
give PGA Tour members the chance to do
exactly the same on our tour,” said Keith
Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World
Tour. “I am excited by the possibilities.”
STREAM IT
LIV GOLF’S UPS AND DOWNS
LIV Golf has launched its version of Q-School,
which will be free to watch on LIV’s YouTube
channel from December 8-10. Dubbed ‘LIV
Golf Promotions’, the event takes place over
three days and 72 holes of strokeplay at Abu
Dhabi GC. On day one, the top 20 and ties
advance past the first round. On day two, the
scores will be reset and the field will be joined by
a category of exempt players for the second
round, including relegated players from the
2023 LIV season. The field will then be reduced
to 20 players for a 36-hole shoot-out on the
final day, where the scores will be reset (again!)
and the top-three finishers will be drafted into
one of the LIV teams for 2024.
F R ON T NINE

LOCKER ROOM CHAT

‘I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO BE INVITED

TO THE CHAMPIONS DINNER WHO
WASN’T A PAST CHAMPION’
In tribute to Ivor Robson, we look back on some of his greatest
memories and stories as the ‘Voice of Golf’ IVO
ROBSR ON
1940-20
23

14 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

Main image: Ivor I was a club professional
Robson, pictured in when I joined Accles &
his role as starter at Pollock, the golf shaft
the 2015 Open company who also supplied the
Championship. official starter for The Open.
I started in July 1975 and my first
job was to be on the first tee at
Carnoustie that year. I was actually
announcing players I had played
with a couple of months earlier.
Keith Mackenzie was the Secretary
of The R&A then and he sent a
letter to my boss, asking if he
could retain my services for the
foreseeable future. That was how
it all started.
I had a strict routine because it
was always a one-tee start. I had
to condition myself so I didn’t eat or
drink anything. I went without a
toilet break all day. There was never
anywhere to ‘go’ and I didn’t have
time anyway. My belief was if you
don’t have any input, you shouldn’t
have any output.
I was once told that with the
more difficult names you should
take one stab at it and try to
sound convincing. I used to do it
phonetically. I would cross the
name out and write the right sounds
above it. There was a player at the
Dunhill Cup at St Andrews and
the guys in the press room were
taking bets that I would get it
wrong. It was Peter Akakasiaka.
So I asked him how to pronounce
his name and he said, “It’s dead
easy, Ak-Aker-see-aker”. He then
told me that he was in Ireland the
previous week and the starter
there had said, “On the tee, Peter
Ak… ”. He then played his shot
and was walking off the tee when
the starter looked up, bewildered,
and said “aker”.
I was the official timekeeper for
Rolex at tournaments all over
the world. I covered about 30 in a
year. Sometimes I was on the road
for seven weeks in a row. There
were Ryder Cups too. They were
always totally different. When I
announced the first group in The
Open, there were only ever a few
fans in the stands and then it
would gradually build up as the
day wore on.
But when I started the Ryder
Cup, there were always thousands
of people around the first tee
from the very start. You
are walking into an
arena. It was quite
frightening actually,
lots of chanting.
It’s just rowdiness
I suppose. It
was not my
favourite event.
I’ve seen tops and all sorts off the
first tee. There was one at Royal St
George’s. Tom Lehman duffed it off
the tee but still holed the putt for a
four. He said to me once or twice,
“I remember what I did last time
I was here…”
At Fulford one year, there was a ROSS FISHER
chap who was so nervous that he The one-time Ryder Cup star kept
hit the ball with his practice swing his DP World Tour card by the
and it went 150 yards up the middle. narrowest of margins, finishing
on the cut line (116th) in the Race
He looked up, rather sheepishly, to Dubai standings. The likes of
and said, “I’ll take that.” Alex Levy and Soren Kjeldsen were
not so lucky.
I did 41 Opens in all. St Andrews
was particularly demanding. STEVE STRICKER
It was fine until players started Move over, Bernhard Langer.
coming up the 18th. You had to The new dominant force on the
dovetail the tee off times, so as soon PGA Tour Champions is Stricker,
who has won six times and
as they hit their second shots, we’d
become the first man to break
go. You had a short window to get the $4 million mark in a season.
them off before they started putting, He even won the Order of Merit
because by then the following group with two events to spare.
would be coming up the 1st and
18th fairway. CELINE BOUTIER
The Evian champion survived a
At one of my final tournaments, marathon nine-hole playoff at the
in China, I was presented with a Maybank Championship to win
her fourth LPGA title this season,
plaque making me an honorary more than anyone else on Tour.
life member of Lake Malaren Golf
Club. It was funny because a
bulldozer moved in on the Monday
morning to dig the golf course up
because it had been built without
planning permission. The owner
was in prison on drugs charges and
the hotel we were staying in, the
Crowne Plaza, was going to be
turned into flats. So I had the
honour of being a member of a golf
club that soon wouldn’t exist.
JAKE STAIANO AND
I bade farewell to The Open on VINCE INDIA
the same day Tom Watson did, The Korn Ferry duo have been hit
in 2015. He gave me an 18th green with three and six month
suspensions respectively for
flag which had a message on it: betting on PGA Tour
“We have travelled this long road competitions. Though neither
together. All the best in your participated in the events they
retirement. Tom Watson.” That wagered on, their actions breached
was lovely. the Tour’s ‘Integrity Program’.
The R&A gave me a Claret Jug GLENN MAXWELL
when I retired, the only one of its The Australia cricket star missed
the World Cup clash against
kind. The winner gets a 90 percent England due to concussion
copy, mine is a 50 percent copy with protocols, having fallen off the
all the names on it. It was presented back of a golf buggy and
to me at the Champions Dinner on sustained a head injury.
the Tuesday night. On the top of
the case it’s inscribed: ‘1975 to 2015, JON RAHM
Ivor Robson. With his outstanding Joined Scheffler and Spieth in
contribution to the Open opting out of TGL, despite being
Championship’. Coming down the one of the first to commit. Those
LIV rumours just got louder!
steps from the dining room, I turned
to Darren Clarke and said, “I’ve got
a Claret Jug as well now.”
I was the only one invited to the
Champions Dinner who wasn’t a
past Open champion. I sat there
surrounded by Mark O’Meara,
Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Tom
Watson, John Daly… Yes, that
was quite something.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 15
F R ON T NINE
THE MIND-BLOWING
STATS FROM THE
2023 LIV GOLF
SEASON
$50,000,000 oney for the
The prize m ing Team
season -e nd
ip at Trump
Doral.
Championshshers, featuring
Team Cru nirban
hambeau, A
Bryson DeC es Howell III and
Lahiri, Charl ared $14 million
Paul Casey
betw ee n
, sh
th em for winni
knockout ev en t.
ng the
SIX
Players finished in
the drop zone, though
two of them – Martin Kaymer
and Lee Westwood – are team
captains and exempt from
relegation because of the
contracts they signed. The
others (Jed Morgan, James Piot,
Chase Koepka and Sihwan Kim)
will have to go to the LIV Golf
Promotions event.
PATRICK REED
“Until the actual world ranking
reflects the actual top players in
the world, then to me it’s just
kind of a broken system… Just
because we play on a different
tour, it shouldn’t matter.”
16 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
TALOR
GOOCH’S
SEASON IN
NUMBERS
THREE
WINS
FIVE
TOP-10 FINISHES
$405 MILLION $15,137,066
The tota INDIVIDUAL EARNINGS
across 1 l prize fund FROM 13 STARTS
season, 4 events this
up fr
million in om $255
2022.
$18,000,000
BONUS FOR TOPPING THE
SEASON-LONG POINTS RACE
$25 MILLION That’s more than he earned in 131
The amount riding
on the first 13
LIV events – $20
million for the
starts on the PGA Tour!
individual event
$1,648,000
and $5 million
for the team
competition.
Individual earnings of Sihwan
Kim in his first 13 starts.
His best finish was 33rd.
IS THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF
RANKING STILL FIT FOR PURPOSE?
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU DUSTIN JOHNSON CAM SMITH
“We would love to find another “I feel like you can’t really use the “I think it is almost obsolete
way to be integrated into the world ranking system anymore. now. We’ve got some guys out
Major Championship system. Hard to use the world ranking here who are playing some of the
Top 12 on the money list at the system if you’re excluding best golf in the world and they’re
end of the year or the points list 48 guys that are good players. outside the top 100, 200 in the
would be, I think, obvious.” The rankings are skewed.” world. It’s pretty ridiculous.”
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F R ON T NINE

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F R ON T NINE

OBJECT OF DESIRE

EUROPE’S FIRST
PXG EXPERIENCE
A flagship store has opened for fittings in London
The USA has several.
South Korea has one.
Now England is the
first place in Europe to get its
own PXG flagship store.
The company’s first bricks-
and-mortar location in the UK,
Surrey’s PXG London South,
has just opened, and it will also
be the European headquarters.
“We’ve built a very loyal base
of PXG Troops across the UK
thanks to our exceptional mobile
fitting team and our ability to
deliver custom-built clubs
quickly,” said PXG founder Bob
Parsons. “Now, we’re thrilled to
expand our services to bring the
full-blown PXG experience to
golfers in the London area with
the opening of our first retail
store in the country.”
The 3,500sqft space is
designed to mimic the
experience at PXG’s other
flagship locations, offering a
through-the-bag fitting with
every head and shaft
combination in the PXG range
and delivered in Trackman-
equipped fitting bays.
For details, visit pxg.com

NINE-HOLE COURSES IN GB&I
PRINCE’S, KENT
GREEN FEE: FROM £80 (18 HOLES)
A former Open venue with links to royalty and World War II.
The Shore and Dunes used to be the premier combination, but a recent
renovation by Martin Ebert has given the Himalayas nine equal footing.
All three loops of nine holes are magnificent.
ANSTRUTHER, FIFE, SCOTLAND
GREEN FEE: FROM £25 (18 HOLES)
Just nine miles from St Andrews, this awkward links is famed for
its version of Amen Corner, featuring a 245-yard par 3 which plays
to a small slither of green sloping towards the sea. It’s likely to be
the toughest short hole you’ll ever encounter.
CRUIT ISLAND, CO. DONEGAL, IRELAND
GREEN FEE: €50
The beauty of this rugged and remote links must be seen to be
believed. It plays like a miniature Pebble Beach and Old Head along
the bluffs and is spectacularly connected to the coast by a causeway.
This is golf on the edge of the earth.
PART
TWO
GWEL AN MOR, CORNWALL
GREEN FEE: FROM £10
‘The Famous Nine’ is rip-roaring fun and features replicas of some of
the world’s most famous holes, including the 7th at Pebble, the 12th
at Augusta and the 17th at St Andrews. The five-star resort here is
dreamy and gives you very good reason to linger.
REIGATE HEATH, SURREY
GREEN FEE: FROM £25
Described by Peter Alliss as a “little gem”, this 1895 heathland
is immensely easy on the eye. It drains excellently and has some of
the best greens in Surrey, and its 18 separate tees are cleverly sited
to create two distinctive ‘nines’.
ALNMOUTH VILLAGE, NORTHUMBERLAND
GREEN FEE: FROM £18
A treat for the eyes as well as the wallet. The views of the bay are
mesmerising, particularly on the 6th and 7th holes, which will blow you
away. The close proximity of the beach means all the trouble is down
the right, so make sure you fix your slice before coming here.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 21
F R ON T NINE
IONA STEPHEN
‘THE LET HAVE A GOLDEN
CHANCE TO INSPIRE
THE NEXT GENERATION’
Reading that Ladies
European Tour boss
Alexandra Armas’ plans to
merge her tour with the LPGA and
create a “cohesive, single, women’s
organisation” was music to my ears.
In an exclusive interview with TG,
Armas called the move the “best
thing for women’s golf” and said
she expects the merger to happen
soon. I’m right behind it. It has been
discussed in the past but they never
got it over the line, so I hope it can be
agreed. It would be a fantastic move.
I’ve played on the LET and have a
lot of friends trying to make a living
there, but it’s always been a very
difficult place to do that. At times
I’ve felt like it’s been left behind and
as golf has grown and the pro game
has had money poured into it, the
LET remained in a bit of a time warp.
But Armas is a force of nature and
has done so much to grow the
women’s game, so I’m really pleased
to see a slightly bigger organisation
reaching out a hand to the LET and
almost saying, “Come on, there’s a
lot happening in professional golf so
let’s do this together.”
It’s only a few years since the
LET was under real threat of going
22 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
under. There have been seasons
where they’ve struggled to play a
full schedule, so the people who’ve
kept it alive deserve huge praise.
There’s so much talent on the
LET and it’s such an important
platform for professional golfers not
only in Europe, but around the
world. Just like the DP World Tour,
the ladies’ tour has that rich history
and it would be a tragedy to lose it.
I hope this is the start of more
momentum in the women’s
professional game, because we’ve
seen the LPGA partner with some
big corporations and organisations,
including the R&A, and that has
really elevated their tour. The LET
hasn’t had the same support and
infrastructure, and no organisation
can grow or thrive without help.
It would be great if we could see
the biggest names in the game
coming over to Europe, like we used
to. We see it at the Women’s Scottish
Open but it needs to happen more
often, not just for the Tour’s benefit
but for the players’ benefit as well.
American golf courses are
fantastic and this is no disrespect
to them, but courses in Europe
provide more nuance, variety and
idiosyncrasies. They call for players
to produce different styles of golf
dependent on the course conditions
and weather.
We often talk about players
needing to win around the world to
be considered truly great. It’s all
good winning on one continent, but
does your game travel? We see the
greats of the game being made in
those moments where they prove
that they can win across the globe.
The champions who really make
their mark win tournaments around Scan the top QR
the world that are rich in history. code – or head to
There are plenty of those in Europe. todays-golfer.com
My biggest hope for any merger is – for even more
from Iona. Scan
that the LET isn’t just forgotten and the bottom QR
that it becomes a recognised part of code to read the
the structure. The aim for us all has full interview with
to be to take the women’s game to Alexandra Armas.
more people.
I have to praise Martin Slumbers
and the R&A for the Women’s Golf
Charter and the Women in Golf
Leadership Programme, which has
been taken up by a lot of people. But
the target has to be about more than
just getting more women to play
golf, it needs to be about showing
the opportunities golf can bring.
When a young girl goes to watch
a LET event, of course she’s
dreaming of following in the
footsteps of the stars, but she’ll also
see their caddies, their support
team, the physios, the hospitality
and event staff, and all of the
organisations and brands that are
engaging with women’s golf. That
could really prove inspirational.
There are so many people in the
world and it’s vital that we don’t just
look at things through one lens. It’s
about trying to show women that
there are so many opportunities in
golf, in a space where you’re
Below: Alexandra
extremely welcome. The LET is a Armas is a “force of
very important part of that, and a nature” who’s pushing
merger would inevitably help the LET towards a
progression and momentum. brighter future.
F R ON T NINE
‘I CAN FIX GOLF’S
MERGER – I CAN
SAVE THE GAME!’
With the merger of the
men’s professional game
seemingly up in the air,
I’m putting myself in charge of the
situation because I’ve had the
perfect solution from day one.
Now, hear me out, but I want to
see the PGA Tour and DP World
Tour merge and play events from
January through to August,
followed by LIV taking the focus for
three months. And here’s where the
exciting bit happens: LIV will only
feature players who are drafted to
teams in the style of cricket’s Indian
Premier League. No guarantees of
multi-million-dollar cheques or
long-term contracts, you must earn
your spot if you want that ultimate
pay day.
The new-look schedule will mean
slightly fewer events on the global
tour. But the prize funds will be
bigger, especially in Europe, which
deserves more focus, and players
will have to play around the world if
they want the best chance of getting
drafted for LIV, which will continue
to offer the biggest riches.
By making a global tour we’ll get
a better idea of who the best players
truly are. They’ll have to travel the
world to play different styles of
courses and the schedule will give
everyone, from the big names to
lesser-known players and rookies,
the chance to make it to that
end-of-year series.
The LIV captains could even
remain the same each year to
guarantee that the standout names
such as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm
and Brooks Koepka are always
involved, but then everyone else
would be chosen via the draft.
That would be a fantastic thing to
watch – can you imagine the chatter
on social media?
There would also be a fluidity
because the teams would change
and evolve every year. Just because
you’ve played for a team one season,
you might get picked for another the
following season – or miss out
altogether if you’ve not been in
form. It’ll put more emphasis on
every event throughout the season.
24 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
Then we’d have three months of
head-to-head team knockout golf,
featuring proper matchplay, group
stages and then knockouts before a
big finale to crown the champions.
Rivalries would be created and it
would freshen the game with a
different format that the players and
fans could look forward to every year.
Can you imagine? We’d effectively
have 11 months of huge events at
incredible venues with guaranteed
drama and something always at
stake. Everyone would be eligible
for World Ranking points and the
Majors, golf would be united, all
of the players would have
opportunities to make big money
and the fans would love it.
I also think more companies
would be open to buying the teams
and getting involved in the
franchises and the TV companies
would be queuing up to show the
season. LIV wanted to create almost
an F1 feel to its teams and this
would be perfect for that. I’ll be
honest, I haven’t watched a single
shot of LIV, but I’d watch this.
ANDREW JOHNSTON
Andrew ‘Beef’ The DP World Tour needs it to
Johnston is a DP happen, too, to bring some power
World Tour winner and back to European golf, because it
owner of Beef’s Golf feels as though we’re just being
Club, the hit podcast he used as part of the negotiations
presents alongside and contracts rather than playing
comedian and fellow
TG columnist John a key role in the conversations.
Robins. Follow Beef on Our 10 best players will all
socials (@beefgolf) gain PGA Tour cards at the end of
and search Beef’s Golf the season – a business decision
Club wherever you get that still baffles me – and it’s the
your podcasts. PGA Tour which calls all the shots.
It reminds me of an older brother
dragging his younger sibling along,
telling him what to do.
If you were a business looking at
sponsorship opportunities next
year and you could see that none of
the world’s top 50 or 100 are playing
Scan this QR code to
read more from Beef at in an event, why would you put
todays-golfer.com your money into it? You’d spend on
the events that are going to get the
players and the eyeballs and that’s
the PGA Tour as it stands. I just
don’t see how it’s sustainable longer
Below: The IPL term. Obviously, I won’t be
draft should be complaining if I finish in one of
an inspiration to those 10 spots and get back onto the
golf, says Beef. PGA Tour next year, but I didn’t make
the decision to put that in place. I
care about our tour and don’t want
to see it giving up all the control and
jeopardising its own future.
For me, my solution is the only
way this situation can be resolved.
As soon as the merger was
announced, Rory reiterated his hate
for LIV and the LIV guys were
saying they wouldn’t change, so if
no-one wants to budge then it’s not
going anywhere in its current form.
My plan requires some give
and take from all parties but,
most importantly, it would create
excitement for everyone. And who
wouldn’t want that?
F R ON T NINE

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

Thank heavens for companies prepared to drive for hours,

THE POWER OF GOLF
I recently had the privilege of
such as GolfClubs4Cash and
Golfbidder, who have a thriving
sleeping in their car and enjoying
a bacon butty in the queue!
participating in a charity golf second-hand market offering great Stephen Ellis, email
tournament that has redefined clubs at amazing value for handicap
the true essence of the sport. The event I played golfers like myself. THE SIX LAWS OF A GREAT SWING
in was organised to raise funds for a children’s Tim Greaves, email Having played golf for more than
hospital, and it brought together golfers of all 50 years, I can honestly say that
backgrounds and ages. last month’s ‘Six Laws of a Great
What made it more extraordinary was the Swing’ article was the best and
presence of children from the hospital. Many of most informative piece of instruction
them had never played golf before, but the joy and I have ever read. The data and
hope it brought them was simply magical. subsequent explanation from
The event served as a poignant reminder of Gareth Johnson about how a very
golf’s power to unite, heal and inspire. It also good golfer and an average golfer
reaffirmed that golf is more than just a sport; it’s a swing made so much sense to me.
vehicle for positive change and a testament to the Knowing that we can all improve
indomitable human spirit. so much by implementing a couple
Antonio Cipparrone, Milan IS THE OPEN NOW CLOSED? of simple changes to our swings was
I have attended many Opens over a revelation. I’ve cut it out and
the years, including the 1995 laminated the article so I can read it
TWO ACES IN Championship at St Andrews with again and again.
FIVE DAYS Arnold Palmer’s famous farewell. Mark Holmes, Cumbria
In your My son, who was 10 at the time,
August issue, loved it and was inspired to take MANIPULATING THE SYSTEM
my son up the game as a result. Back then, I’ve followed the recent discussions
and I featured we never booked tickets and just on how to combat the handicap
in an article turned up at 4am to get at the bandits with interest, but I do not
about Shot Below: An all too front of the queue. Fast forward agree with the suggestion that clubs
Scope, familiar sight in to now and you need to rely on should implement a ‘three cards
alongside
recent years. the luck of the draw, unless you rule’ in order to play competitions.
Peter Finch. can afford several hundred I’m sorry, but if someone is happy
A month later, Will recorded his quid for a package. to play off a higher handicap than
first hole in one during a competition. My youngest son now wants their playing ability, do you think
Incredibly, just five days later, he to experience an Open, but they will genuinely play their best
repeated the feat but in an adult each time we have been golf in the three rounds specified as
competition at his home course, unsuccessful in the ballot. handicap qualifiers? It is more likely
Ringway. He managed to record Clearly, tickets are being that they will have terrible rounds
both of them on his Shot Scope swallowed up by touts who and they will then have higher
watch and has really benefitted swamp the system. This rules handicaps legitimately!
from the tips Peter gave him. out many true fans who were Ted Davies, email
Nick Furness, email

ARE GOLFERS TOO GULLIBLE? 14.5%

Only if Tiger
Every year the top-rated brands 24.5% is playing
bring a new, improved product to Yes, can’t wait
market. They are all priced at the
top end of the range, some over £500
per club. I question, in the current
climate particularly, who has the
budget to constantly change their
WILL YOU BE WATCHING THE
FIRST MATCH OF THE TGL
clubs and if the technology really is
an upgrade on previous models.
Whenever YouTubers have done
tests of drivers, for instance from SEASON WHEN IT BEGINS ON
one manufacturer over a 10 year
cycle, the improvements in distance
JANUARY 9? 61%
No, couldn’t
care less
are negligible.

26 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 GOLF’S

MOST INFLUENTIAL
Meet the tour stars, YouTubers, Instagrammers, equipment
designers, company CEOs, course architects, legends,
rule-makers, deal-breakers and controversial disruptors
who’ve had the biggest impact on our games this year

W O R D S M I C H A E L C AT L I N G , R O B J E R R A M , N I C K H A R P E R ,
S I M O N D A D D O W, C H R I S J O N E S , C H R I S B E R T R A M , D U N C A N L E N N A R D ,
ROB MCGARR, WILL SHREEVE-PEACOCK, ROSS TUGWOOD,
J A M E S H O G G , J O E F I S H , M AT T C O O P E R

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 27

 HOW WE DID IT
Measuring individual
influence in the golf
industry isn’t easy.

WELCOME TO
Sifting through hundreds
of worthy candidates is
even harder. Like last year,
this global list is based on
who influenced ‘your

THE 100 MOST

game’ and ‘the game’ over
the last 12 months; other
years will be different.
You will recognise many
of the people. There will be
some you have never heard

INFLUENTIAL
of, and others who may not
be household names, but
play a crucial role in your
enjoyment of the game.
There are leaders from
the world of equipment,

PEOPLE IN
course design and
coaching, from social
media, the tours, the
governing bodies, the tech
firms and broadcast media.
We measured their

GOLF 2023
influence across seven
categories, which were
then marked by a panel of
golf industry experts,
marked as follows:

YOUR GAME
Equipment design
(maximum of 10 marks)
Course architecture (10)
Instruction (10)
Inspiration (15)

THE GAME
Financial influence (25)
Voice/Sway (15)
Innovation (15)

READ MORE ONLINE

Throughout the list you’ll
see this QR code. If you
scan it with your camera
phone, it will take you
straight to further
influencers content on
todays-golfer.com.

28 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 R ANKING THE MEN AND WOMEN
MAKING THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE
IN TODAY’S GAME…
The word ‘influencer’ has evolved
significantly over the last decade.
It’s no longer confined to tour stars
or men in suits who make
decisions behind closed doors.
Social media, Netflix and an ever-
growing number of podcasts have
given everyone a voice. Some are
just more influential than others.
If you want an idea of how hard
it is to get in our second annual list
of the Top 100 Most Influential
People in Golf, you just need to
look at No.100: The World No.1,
Scottie Scheffler!
Ahead of him are a lot more
male (and female) players,
coaches, industry execs, course
designers, social media stars, TV
personalities… even a DJ!
When we started planning this
list over the summer, we spent
several hours over a number of
days discussing what constitutes
influence. Is it a massive social
media following? Is it governing
the sport or setting trends in
equipment design? Is it having a
Major Championship to your
name, or leading a team to victory
in the Ryder Cup? Or does it
simply come down to power and
agreeing to a partnership without
anyone knowing about it?
In the end, we decided it is
all of those things and more.
This is a global list – open to
anyone, anywhere – of those
whose decisions, money or content
affect the way you enjoy and
consume the game. We scored
every person who made the final
500+ shortlist and split them
according to their influence over
your game and the game.
We’d love to know whether
you think we’re right, or if you
disagree with who made it in and
how we ranked them. Find all
the ways to contact us on page 6.
So, let the ranking begin...
 100 SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
The world’s best golfer
Scheffler led the way on the
course for much of 2023,
despite failing to add to his
maiden Major win at last year’s
Masters. But consistency tee to
green alone does not grant you
the power and adoration which
should go hand-in-hand with
being World No.1. He has the
platform to seize influence from
the game’s other top players but
needs to show more of himself in
a field of outgoing personalities.
94 ALEXANDRA ARMAS
Ladies European Tour CEO
Within months of taking on her
role in early 2020, the pandemic
was threatening the LET’s very
existence. But alliances with
the LPGA and Golf Saudi have
not only provided security for
the future, but also helped
make 2023’s combined prize
pot of €35m a record-breaker.
She’s eyeing an LPGA merger
in the future and a reduction of
golf’s gender pay gap.
93 BOB DOES SPORTS 92 ZACH JOHNSON
Golf’s own Top Gear trio
Bob Does Sports was never
intentionally set up as a golf
channel in late 2021, but after
finding success with their golf
content, they haven’t looked
back. Robert Berger, Nick
Stubbe and Joseph Demare
document their golf journey to
643,000 YouTube followers,
as well as hosting events,
recording podcasts and flogging
their own range of merchandise.
A bad influence
Questionable wildcard picks
and pairing decisions saw his
USA Team trounced at Marco
Simone, not helped by
rumoured infighting. He talked
Spieth into changing club at a
pivotal point in his Saturday
fourball match; the Texan
promptly dumped the shot into
the water, leading some to
brand Johnson “the worst
Ryder Cup captain ever”.

95 SUZANN PETTERSEN
The Solheim Cup comeback queen
More people than ever tuned in to the final day
of the Solheim Cup this year, a vast audience
watching as Pettersen’s European team came
back from a first session whitewash to lift the

99 MAX HOMA
More than just a keyboard king
The affable American is golf’s
Cup for a record-breaking third time in a row. The
performance was, in many ways, an embodiment
of Pettersen’s passion and steely determination.
The captaincy is in safe hands for another year.

96 DUDE PERFECT
social media king, but this year
he has emerged from behind
the keyboard to become an The YouTube phenomenon
influencer where it really counts. Tyler Toney, Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones and
He broke into the world’s top 10 twins Cory and Coby Cotton attempt trick
and displayed major credentials shots and ridiculous challenges and stunts for
in the Ryder Cup pressure the enjoyment of 59.8 million subscribers on
cooker. Homa is a popular YouTube and 12 million followers on
addition to the game’s elite and Instagram. This year they attempted to break
continues to build a cult golf world records with the assistance of Rory
following by being accessible McIlroy. Hilbert also played in the Ryder Cup
and relatable across Twitter/X celebrity All-Star match at Marco Simone.
and the podcast circuit.

97 LUDVIG
ABERG
The talk of the tour after a breakout summer
Not since Rory McIlroy hit the big time has there

98 TOM KIM
been this much excitement around a European
golfer. Aberg dominated the amateur circuit,
Asia’s new megastar made an instant impression on the PGA Tour and
The South Korean is taking the then became the first player in 44 editions of the
PGA Tour by storm. Aged 21, Ryder Cup to be selected without having played
Kim became the youngest in a Major Championship. The 24-year-old
player since Tiger Woods to win made yet more history by teaming up
three PGA titles after retaining with Viktor Hovland to inflict a 9&7
the Shriners Children’s Open in foursomes defeat on US power pair
October. His bravado, talent and Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.
unassuming personality make A first victory at the European
him a marketer’s dream in Masters, just 75 days after turning
Asia, which is why Nike pro, suggests he is a man in a hurry.
moved quick to tie him to a
big-money deal in January.

30 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM


91 MATT FITZPATRICK
Major man going his own way
Matt Fitzpatrick has never been
afraid of being different. His
obsession with detail and stats
have long separated him from
his peers and now he’s pioneering
the use of the Stack System
and an unorthodox reverse-
hands short game technique.
His innovation didn’t bring him
further Major success in 2023,
but it gave us mortals something
new to practice at the range
besides the Happy Gilmore.
90 KIM BRALY
The main man at KBS Shafts
You need serious know-how
to not just design one game-
changing golf shaft, but to come
back and do it all over again.
Braly is the brains behind Rifle
Precision (now known as Project
X), a company sold to True
Temper in 2006. He has since
convinced swathes of tour pros
and manufacturers that his KBS
models are even better. Viktor
Hovland, Cameron Smith, Justin
Rose and Phil Mickelson are just
a few of his many fans.
89 BOB VOKEY
Legendary wedge master
Vokey is synonymous with
unmatched craftsmanship in
the wedge department, which
he puts down to listening to the
needs of the world’s best players
and the resources Titleist provide
to bring his ideas to life. Vokey
wedges are best-sellers with
golfers of all abilities and nigh on
40 percent of all sand, lob and
approach wedges on tour bear
Vokey’s iconic name.
88 SCOTTY CAMERON
The king of putter makers
Trusted by dozens of Major
champions, including Tiger
Woods, Jordan Spieth and
Nelly Korda, Don T. ‘Scotty’
Cameron has earned a
reputation as the world’s
premier putter maker.
Cameron’s love for “the art of
putting” continues today,
designing the finest milled
putters using innovative
methods, new materials,
modern shapes and concepts.
87 TOM DOAK
The king of course design
Tom Doak may have sold his
Renaissance Golf design
business to a number of his
associates, but he remains very
active in his own right. Te Arai
(North) has just opened in New
Zealand, and looks like
another instant Doak
classic. His protégé
Angela Moser is
working on the
new course at
Pinehurst, while
another of his
star pupils,
Clyde Johnson,
is building the
second course at
Cabot Highlands
(Castle Stuart
to you and I).
86 PAIGE SPIRANAC
Social media juggernaut
You may have your own opinion
on why so many people engage
with her social media
channels and podcast,
but facts are facts.
She remains the most
followed and engaged
golfer on Instagram,
with brands queuing
up to work with her.
This year she
authored her
first children’s
golf book,
Hattie Goes
Golfing, and launched
her OnlyPaige
website, offering
paid-for
ROSE ZHANG
The future of women’s golf
Easily the most talked about
player in the women’s game
right now. The 20-year-old
only turned pro in June but
the hype machine was
fuelled by her performances
in the unpaid ranks where
she won a record 12 times
in 20 starts at Stanford
and spent 141 weeks as
the world’s top-ranked
female amateur, the
most of all time. She was
celebrating again at the
Augusta National Women’s
Amateur in April, and then
made an even bigger
statement two months later
by defeating Major champion
Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff
at the Mizuho Americas Open
on her LPGA Tour debut.
The kid is so special that she
has earned praise from and
comparisons to Tiger Woods.
84 VIKTOR HOVLAND 83 DAVE SCHNIDER
Europe’s next Major man CEO and President of Fujikura
A breakthrough year for Hovland, Unlike head manufacturers, shaft
who finished the PGA Tour brands don’t pay pros to play
season with back-to-back wins their products, so Schnider is
to clinch the FedEx Cup and its clearly doing things right. Often
coveted $18m bonus prize. He referred to as ‘the stock shaft to
took that momentum to Rome, the PGA Tour’, on account of so
where he returned 3.5 points many of the world’s best players
from five and endeared trusting Fujikura, Rory, Tiger,
himself to fans with his goofy Scheffler and Hovland all play
personality. Now the talk is of them, which has led to the
a first Major, but that talk is brand becoming a stock shaft
all ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. for recent TaylorMade drivers.
82 CHRIS CONSIDINE
True Temper CEO and President
True Temper Sports have a history of
purchasing rival brands, and Considine
also heads up brands such as Dynamic
Gold, Project X, Accra and AeroTech,
so he wields considerable influence.
The company is still most famous for
the Dynamic Gold, however. Today,
the model is the most-played iron
shaft on tour, even though it was
developed from a 1940s design.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 31
 81 MICHAEL BLOCK
The people’s champion
Michael Block was the
Cinderella story of the PGA
Championship. Paired with Rory
on Sunday, the 47-year-old club
pro made a slam-dunk ace and
finished inside the top 15 to
qualify for next year’s event.
He’s done the rounds on
podcasts and at charity days
since then, accepting sponsor’s
invitations to play in PGA Tour
events and proving it’s never
too late to chase your dreams.
76 DJ KHALED
Award-winning
rapper and
producer
The New Orleans-born hip hop
star is a social media machine,
churning out golf content every
few hours to 37.8 million
Instagram followers. As well
as making the front cover of
Golf Digest in March, Khaled
was named as a Ryder Cup
ambassador in Rome and ran
his first charity golf day, which
raised $110,000 for his own
foundation and aims to make
the game more diverse. He’s
currently teasing his own
golf TV show, named after
his popular catchphrase, Let’s
Go Golfing.
75 CHRIS LINDNER
President of FootJoy
FootJoy have been the No.1
shoe at every PGA Tour
tournament since 1945 – and
for that Lindner deserves a
portion of credit. As President
since 2016, Lindner has
increased FootJoy’s offering
for women and supplied Tiger
with a pair of FootJoy Premiere
Packard golf shoes, which he’s
preferred over his own signature
line at the last two Masters.
As far as endorsements go, we
can’t think of many better!
32 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
80 NO LAYING UP
Global online golf behemoth
NLU launched as a website in
2014, previewing tournaments
and covering big golf stories.
Then they exploded. Today, they
have close to a million followers
and have produced over 750
podcast episodes, with recent
guests including Scottie
Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay and
Max Homa. They also have their
own merch, and partnerships with
global brands that include
Callaway, Titleist and BMW.
74 MARTIN EBERT
The R&A-approved architect
Martin Ebert remains the
Royal & Ancient’s go-to guy
for courses poised to host its
championships, most notably
The Open. He produced ‘Little
Eye’, the new par 3 at Hoylake
that caused such noise before
this year’s Open. In partnership
with Tom Mackenzie, work is
now well underway at nearby
Royal Birkdale, as well as various
other classic courses stretching
from Hankley Common to New
South Wales.
79 FORE PLAY GOLF
Alternative sports brand
An offshoot of Barstool Sports,
Fore Play present the US’ biggest
podcast and are now also one of
golf’s fastest growing YouTube
channels, thanks to their brash
content and matches against
the PGA Tour’s biggest stars.
A multi-event broadcast deal
with the PGA Tour is now in the
works for next season after they
received praise for streaming
the Korn Ferry Tour’s NV5
Invitational on barstool.tv.
73 PETER FINCH
Content creator
The last 12 months saw the
Manchester-based YouTuber
quit competitive professional
golf to focus exclusively on
making content. Collaborations
with YouTubers from both sides
of the pond helped grow
subscriber numbers, including a
long-awaited rematch with Rick
Shiels, while partnerships with
brands including FootJoy,
Golfbidder, Shot Scope and
BMW have boosted Finch’s
income and opportunities.
78 BRANDEL CHAMBLEE
Golf’s most acerbic analyst
Chamblee makes headlines
with his willingness to critique
top stars and discuss
controversial topics – a
refreshing change from those
pundits afraid to ruffle feathers.
It would be quicker to name the
players he hasn’t taken a shot
at this year than list those he
has, but his greatest ire has
been reserved for LIV, and the
PGA Tour’s deal “with a
murderous dictator”.
77 SAL SYED
Arccos Golf CEO and founder
Arccos’ on-course shot tracking
system and Caddie app allow us
to make more informed playing
decisions and shoot lower scores.
Syed credits five of his six
hole-in-ones to his innovative
grip tag tool that combines shot
tracking with AI and strokes
gained analytics. Backed by
some of the biggest brands in
golf, Arccos is the ‘Official
Game Tracker of the PGA Tour’.
72 DAVID HUNTER
Shot Scope CEO and Founder
Hunter combined his passion
for golf and background in
electrical engineering to create
one of golf’s most innovative
and powerful game
improvement tools, sold in over
100 countries. Shot Scope aim
to create products and services
you cannot go golfing without,
and their range of distance
measurement and shot-tracking
devices are testament to this,
reducing their users’ handicaps
by more than four shots!
 BEN CRENSHAW AND
BILL COORE
Golf’s most in-demand designers
Bill and Ben opened the South
course at Te Arai within the last
year, and Point Hardy will also soon
be revealed. Another Cabot
development, this time in Saint
Lucia, has already been ranked
among the World’s Top 100
Courses. They have four more
opening this year too: Wicker Point,
Brambles, McArthur (The Back
Yard) and Streamsong (The Chain)
– a truly remarkable number.

‘GOLF’S MOST IN-DEMAND

DESIGNERS WILL HAVE
OPENED SIX COURSES IN
LITTLE OVER A YEAR – A
REMARKABLE NUMBER’
 69 DAVE SAMPSON
Ryder Cup course creator
The Englishman has worked on
many courses for European Golf
Design but he rose to prominence
in September when the Ryder
Cup visited his creation, Marco
Simone. An original course was
already in place but Sampson
had full licence to re-do it to
make it Ryder Cup-ready. It
was a widely-celebrated
success as Europe prevailed
– and entered our Continental
Europe ranking at No.89.
DAVID M C LAY KIDD
Award-winning architect
The President of DMK Golf Designs
and creator of Bandon Dunes is busy
in America and will open some eyebrow-
raising new courses in the coming
months. But it is his work in Portugal
that gets him this slot. Terras da
Comporta (Dunas) entered our
Continental Europe Top 100 at No.9.
That makes it Portugal’s instant No.1
and the second best in Iberia. As it
matures and settles down, it will rise
further. An instant modern masterpiece.

68 JAMES LEDFORD
President of Golf Pride
You may not think a grip
company carries much
influence, but we wouldn’t be
able to play the game without
them. Around 80 percent of tour
pros use Golf Pride without a
contract – and those numbers
are replicated at club level too.
Ledford signs off on all the
latest products and recently
spearheaded the opening of
a Global Innovation Centre at
Pinehurst, which boasts a
first-of-its-kind retail lab.

67 PETER DAWSON
Chairman of the OWGR
The former R&A Chief Executive
has been back in the spotlight
this year as an adjudicator of
sorts in LIV’s fight for Official
World Golf Ranking points. By
rejecting their plea, Dawson has
shaped the future format of
golf’s breakaway league, impacted
its appeal to stars yet to be
lured, and determined whether
some of the world’s best players
will qualify for Majors.

34 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

6 OTHER COURSES DMK IS KNOWN FOR
1. Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Oregon
Set on the shores of the Pacific,
this was the original course at
Bandon – and many would argue
still its best.
2. Gamble Sands
Brewster, Washington
McLay-Kidd got back to his roots
with this uber-playable, fun
design in Washington.
3. Machrihanish Dunes
Machrihanish, Argyll
McLay Kidd said he simply
mowed out a few tees and greens
to create it, and there remains a
pleasingly natural feel to it.
4. The Castle Course
St Andrews, Fife
A course that divides opinion,
and feels like it always will.
The views over the Auld Grey
Toon are glorious, and the course
is undoubtedly fun and playable.
5. Queenwood
Ottershaw, Surrey
Super-private heathland enclave
for well-heeled members.
6. Beaverbrook
Leatherhead, Surrey
A private club in a similar vein
to Queenwood, designed in
conjunction with eight-time The Castle Course,
Major champion Tom Watson. St Andrews
‘MCLAY KIDD’S LATEST
MASTERPIECE – TERRAS DA
COMPORTA (DUNAS) – WENT
STRAIGHT IN AT NO.9 IN OUR
CONTINENTAL EUROPE TOP 100’
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 35

65 BROOKS KOEPKA
The new face of LIV Golf
Koepka became the first LIV
player to win a Major with his
third PGA Championship victory
in May, and was the sole PGA
Tour defector on the 2023 US
Ryder Cup team. Golf’s alpha
male continues to beat his own
drum and is never short of a
controversial opinion, though
Full Swing showed him in a
more vulnerable light, which may
have changed a few perspectives
on him for the better.
60
64 LIANG CHEN LEE
Fusheng Chairman and CEO
You’ve probably never heard of
Liang Chen Lee, but he has the
keys to the largest supplier of
golf clubheads globally, and
that gives him significant
influence. With factories in
China, Vietnam and Taiwan,
Fusheng produce tons of drivers,
fairways, hybrids, irons, wedges
and putters every year for
several of golf’s biggest brands.
Without them, the lead time on
orders would be a lot longer.
JUSTIN
THOMAS
Two-time Major winner who
temporarily lost his game –
but not his fans
Justin Thomas started the
year seeing his 2022 PGA
Championship win spotlighted in
the pilot episode of Netflix’s Full
Swing documentary. But most of
the headlines he made in 2023
were owing to his startling drop-off
in form. He was widely deemed
unselectable for the Ryder Cup but
turned things around with a gallant
display which justified his wildcard
pick. He also starred in the inaugural
Netflix Cup, which pitted four PGA
Tour stars against four F1 drivers in
the streaming platform’s first-ever
live sports event.

63 MARTY JERTSON
Ping product guru
As Ping’s Director of Product
Development, Jertson is credited
with the design of many of the
brand’s most successful clubs,

61 CHO MINN THANT 59 HIDEAKI KAWAMATSU

and listed on over 125 patents.
His influence spans every level
of player, from superstars like
Viktor Hovland – who this year
called Jertson 90 minutes before
his PGA Championship tee time
to ask how the precipitation was
going to impact things like spin
rates and friction on the face of
his Ping clubs – to absolute
beginners and everyone in
between. He’s also one of the
co-founders of The Stack
System, the weighted training
aid used by Matt Fitzpatrick to
increase clubhead speed.
Asian Tour Commissioner/CEO
Thant took a big risk by
choosing Saudi money over the
safety net of a DP World Tour
partnership, but the Asian Tour
have reaped the benefits this
year by luring LIV golfers to
play in their biggest events.
Prize money hit a record high
and the International Series
has expanded into the Middle
East, Asia, Africa and now
Europe, with events in England
and Scotland.
SRI Sports SEO
SRI own Srixon, XXIO and
Cleveland Golf, who have
endorsements with players
including Brooks Koepka and
Hideki Matsuyama. At the helm
is Hideaki Kawamatsu, who has
guided the company to a
top-three position in the global
share of golf equipment, driven
a record 15 percent growth in
sales on 2022, and headed up
initiatives reducing plastic
usage by 50 percent.

58 STEPH
CURRY
An NBA champ almost
as influential on the
62 MOLLIE course as on the court
MARCOUX SAMAAN Alongside basketball, Curry
found time in 2023 to win
Commissioner of the LPGA a celebrity golf tournament
A record-breaking $108 million with an ace, become a part
prize fund in 2023, up 54% owner in a new TGL team
from 2021 (her predecessor and launch a TV show,
Mike Whan’s final year), shows Niiice Shot, on Golf Channel.
Marcoux Samaan has taken The World Golf Hall of
her LPGA role in her stride. Her Fame announced that in
next step is to appoint strategic 2024, Curry will receive
advisors to secure investment in the Charlie Sifford Award,
the tour, and drive broadcast acknowledging his role in
exposure and commercialisation advancing diversity in golf.
of the Solheim Cup.
57 RAJ SUBRAMANIAM
CEO of FedEx
With PGA Tour stars being
tempted by LIV Golf’s mega
bucks, the FedEx millions
signed off by the firm’s CEO
have never been more crucial.
The 2024 FedEx Cup champion
will receive a $25m bonus, a
substantial $7m increase on
this year. FedEx’s current PGA
Tour sponsorship deal expires in
2027, so they’ll want to keep
Subramaniam sweet.

36 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM


DANNY MAUDE
A YouTube coach with 1.14
million subscribers.
Leeds-born Maude doesn’t get
the attention that some other
YouTubers receive, but his
ability to simplify the game
through understandable
concepts has seen him gain
more than 250,000
subscribers this year… and
strike a blow for a coaching
platform often criticised for
overpromising and technical
indulgence. Alongside his
YouTube channel, he offers a
host of coaching plans on his
own website (dannymaude.
com) and continues to provide
group and one-to-one lessons
as the Head PGA Pro at
Canterbury Golf Club in Kent.
Creativity was at the
heart of the way I learned
the game. I grew up on
a dairy farm in Leeds.
Its fields bordered
Alwoodley GC,
and my first
shots were hit
with balls
found in them. I
had found some
clubs around the
farm and to this
day I don’t know
what they were;
I just got them to
perform whatever
shot I wanted to hit.
Getting technical almost
ruined my game. I did well as
a youngster, winning several
junior opens. I’d got down to
a one-handicap at 17. I was a
member at Garforth GC, and
an assistant used to watch me
practise. “Your swing’s terrible,”
he’d always tell me – never
anything positive about where
the ball was going! But I started
to look at my technique. I realised
it was a bit unorthodox, and
‘TECHNIQUE IS IMPORTANT,
BUT HOW YOU LEARN IT IS
MORE IMPORTANT’
started to change it. This was
the era of Faldo and Leadbetter,
an extremely technical time for
golf coaching, and I got lost
in the minutiae of mechanics.
I would play in competitions and
because I didn’t feel I owned my
swing anymore, I started to
struggle. I had always played
with flair and creativity, all the
things I had learned on the farm,
but I lost that natural way of
doing things.
It took a book to recover my
game. A good friend, Aran
Wainwright, had recently broken
through, winning the 1997
English Amateur. I asked him
what had made the difference
and he gave me a book –
Timothy Gallwey’s The Inner
Game of Golf. The book asked
golfers to think back to the
times when they played their
best golf and the advice on what
they needed was always the
same – a decluttered and simple
outlook, focusing on the shot in
hand… all the things I didn’t have.
I adopted a ‘See, Do’ approach
– picture the shot, execute
and accept the consequences.
It decluttered everything and I
began to play the best golf of
my life, finishing third out of
150 players in Final Qualifying
for the 2013 Open. There was a
freedom in my golf. But from a
coaching perspective, I started
to understand the marriage
between having good technique
and having the ability to allow
that technique to flourish on
a golf course. There is a way to
learn, a simple process of
learning, but unique to every
one of us. Technique is
important, but how you learn it
is more important. This learning
is the foundation for everything
I do now, and I try to bring it into
every video I shoot.
I shot my first YouTube
videos in 2016. I could
barely say my name. I was
just rubbish… and that’s
probably why I only shot two
videos that whole year, and
not many more in 2017. But
then I stopped thinking about
how I presented and started
thinking about helping golfers…
and things got a whole lot
better. Watch my videos and
you’ll hopefully feel like you
are there, with me. I’m just
talking to you as a student.
I would describe my style as
genuine, earnest, and honest.
I don’t believe there are quick
fixes in golf. That may seem
at odds with 10-minute internet
videos, but you’ll often hear me
say: “Now this is hard, it’ll take
some work,” or to start
slowly, for example with
half-swings. I’m also
honest in saying
a video may not work
for everyone.
The key objective
for every video I shoot
is to make the
complicated simple.
What is the real pattern we
are trying to create here? And
what’s the best way to help a
golfer relate to that move? My
‘Catapult Swing’ concept –
explaining how we create power
in the golf swing – is probably
the best example I can give.
Positions are important, but
they need to be coached in
ways they can be understood
and achieved.
You can only do so much
on YouTube. The platform
has been great for me and I’m
very grateful to every single
subscriber. But psychology,
visualisation, strategy, how
you perform on the course…
those key elements don’t sit
well on the platform. So, you
have to meet people where they
are… and right now, that’s a quick
tip. My plan is to deliver something
consumable that works and
then, hopefully, bring people
across to Dannymaude.com, for
a fuller picture. Right now, it
seems to be working.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 37
 55 GUY KINNINGS
Ryder Cup Director
It was not only captain
Luke Donald who faced an
uphill battle after
Europe’s thrashing
at Whistling
Straits in 2021 –
the European
Tour’s Ryder Cup
Director Guy
Kinnings did, too.
Ultimately, Donald
won plaudits but
Kinnings had much
to do with ensuring
on and off the
course success for
Italy, Europe and
the DP World Tour,
for whom the
match is an
essential source of
revenue. Kinnings
delivered so well
that Rome reaped
three times the
commercial
revenue Paris
did in 2018.

54 NIALL HORAN
Pop superstar turned golf leader

The 30-year-old former One

Direction star turned his attention to
his true obsession in 2016, setting
up his own management company,
Modest! Golf. His influence on the
game has grown significantly since.
Besides managing the likes of Tyrrell
Hatton and Leona Maguire, Horan
was instrumental in the birth of the
ISPS HANDA World Invitational. With
PIERS WARD:
his 40.3 million followers on X and Use swing length to
32.7 million followers on build a rhythmic
Instagram, he’s chipping stroke
bringing a massive For most club golfers,
new audience to
the game.
ME AND MY GOLF chipping woes begin with
the general speed and scale
Online golf coaching kings
Leveraging his of the motion. Amateurs
influence, Horan Brits Piers Ward and are generally too short and
helped the R&A Andy Proudman offer too fast, a tempo that
launch Golf.Golf, straightforward, simple instantly makes control of
a learn-to-play instruction that’s helped distance tougher to judge.
initiative designed millions of golfers improve But it is also a tempo that
to bring more their swing. They don’t do causes us to pull on the
players club reviews. They don’t handle too aggressively,
into the opine on X. Their mission is creating shaft lean and
game. simple: to help every level of delofting the face. Again,
golfer play better. They do control is compromised. So
that via their own YouTube instead, base your chipping
channel and podcast, training action around themes of
aids and online coaching softness and rhythm. You
programmes, including one can do that through making
with TG. They also coach a longer, smoother motion
PGA Tour star Aaron Rai, who that harnesses the easy
hit his highest World Ranking acceleration of gravity.
in October. Here, they offer us
a key short-game lesson...

38 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 IMPROVE YOUR PACE CONTROL
Piers and Andy explain why we are too fiery with our chip shots and too ponderous with our putting…
and what we can do to find the right gears for our short game

ANDY
PROUDMAN: Start slow
To demonstrate the value of a
Find the pace
Now, spend some time
Pick up the pace more purposeful rhythm in experimenting with tempo.
for better putting putting, I’m using a training Of course you can go too fast,
aid that lays bare the path of and you’ll tend to know it
While club players are the stroke. If you don’t have because your movement will
generally too fiery with one of these, set up an arcing become jerky and snatchy.
their chipping, when it tee peg channel. Begin by Think ‘Brisk’ over ‘Fast’. Work
comes to putting we swinging the putter to develop a stroke pace that
find the exact opposite. excessively slowly. You will allows you to deliver a flowing,
Here, attempts to instantly see and feel how assertive stroke, and lock it in
control the putter much harder it becomes to for all lengths of putt, simply
typically result in a move it up and down your altering stroke length to
slow and ponderous chosen line when you take control speed. Your putting
putting stroke, which momentum out of the stroke. can’t help but improve.
lacks the momentum
to hold a natural path
and arc. Instead of
being assertive and
purposeful, the
putter’s motion
becomes wobbly and
uncertain, leading to
inconsistent striking.
So on the greens, if
you want to boost
your performance, pick
up the pace...

Double your Put gravity in charge

backswing length The momentum created by that longer swing
Start your shift of approach will take the club down and through impact
by doubling the length of to a natural stop. Avoid any attempt to assist
your backswing; get the its downward and forward motion. The
clubhead back to hip height. motion should feel effortless, almost lazy; but
The idea here is to create a once you put gravity in charge, you are using
backswing that feels too a constant and predictable force that gives
long and powerful for the you consistent acceleration, perfect for feel
shot in front of you: do this and distance control. Plus, because you are
and you can remove that no longer pulling the handle forward, the
instinctive need to speed clubhead can release feely and naturally,
the club down and through. applying the club’s true loft to the ball.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 39


52 BOB PARSONS
Founder and CEO of PXG
As if making the world’s finest
clubs wasn’t a big enough goal
for Parsons, now he’s trying to
revolutionise how golfers buy
equipment. PXG have opened
24 standalone retail stores
across the US, Korea and UK
which cut out the middleman
and offer a highly customised
experience. They’ve also entered
the golf ball space with PXG
Extreme and are starting to
appeal to the masses with a
more affordable range of clubs.
51 DAVID PILLSBURY
CEO of Invited
As CEO of the world’s largest
owner and operator of private
clubs, Pillsbury is a disruptor of
industry. He’s overseen the
rebranding of ClubCorp to
Invited and welcomed Jordan
Spieth as an investor in the
company, which now owns
and operates 180 golf and
country clubs. They are also
$29m better off after selling
their BigShots business to
Callaway Topgolf.
49 GREG MCLAUGHLIN 48 TIM SCHANTZ
World Golf Foundation CEO
Previously at the helm of the
Tiger Woods Foundation,
McLaughlin now plays a key role
in delivering on the WGF’s
mission statement of protecting
golf’s values and passing them
onto future generations. An
unsung hero, McLaughlin helps
celebrate the game (through the
World Golf Hall of Fame) and
grow it for future generations
(through the First Tee program).
40 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
PHIL KENYON
The most respected and
sought-after putting
coach on planet golf
When tour players need help
with their putting, they
inevitably call Phil Kenyon. The
Lancastrian counts five of this
year’s Ryder Cup participants
among his star-studded client
list, including World No.1
Scottie Scheffler and Europe’s
hero Tommy Fleetwood.
Incredibly, he also runs an
online putting academy with
over 2,000 members, sells his
own range of Visio training
aids and is the Director of
Instruction at Formby Hall’s
Putting School of Excellence.
President and CEO of Troon
Since replacing founder Dana
Garmany as CEO, Schantz has
secured investment from Rory
and helped cement Troon as the
world’s largest third-party
manager of clubs. This year they
bought the management and
consulting division of Invited,
their 13th acquisition since
2007. They now service more
than 825 properties, including
The Grove and Trump Turnberry.
47 MARK STEINBERG
Golf’s most powerful agent
Tiger’s trusted agent for more
than three decades, it’s easy to
argue – as his position here
suggests – that much of Tiger’s
success has been built on
Steinberg’s business acumen.
But he has evolved to become
more than just Woods’ ‘Yes’
man. As a partner at Excel Sports
Management, he represents 35
clients, including Collin Morikawa
and Justins Rose and Thomas.
46 JUSTIN ROSE
Major man, major mentor
A winner again on the
PGA Tour in 2023, the
Englishman rode that wave
into a sixth Ryder Cup
appearance where he
contributed as points winner
and cool-headed advisor to
fourball partner Robert
MacIntyre. That role
highlighted his leadership
qualities, as do his
continuing efforts to grow
the game with the Rose
Ladies Open, Justin Rose
junior programme, and the
Justin Rose Academy.
45 JON RAHM
Europe’s new heavyweight
It was Jon Rahm, and not
Rory McIlroy, who led out Luke
Donald’s men on days one and
three of the Ryder Cup, signs
of a power shift among the
European side. And it is a
leadership status Rahm more
than earned with his victory
at Augusta last April. His
charitable contributions also
mean his influence extends
across all levels of the game.
 44
LUKE DONALD
The mastermind of Europe’s Ryder Cup victory
43 JEAN-
FREDERIC DUFOUR
CEO of Rolex
Few people will make this list through a singular Rolex’s grip on the game
achievement, but Donald truly was the architect can be seen through its
behind Europe’s triumph. He created the perfect associations. It started in
American antidote with the course set-up, and his 1967 with Arnold Palmer
statistically-driven decision to switch to foursomes and today they count
for the opening session was a gutsy master stroke Tiger, Jack, Rahm, Lexi
the US never recovered from. There have been calls and Annika Sorenstam
for him to retain the captaincy, which hasn’t among their
happened in Ryder Cup blue for 30 years. ambassadors. They
sponsor many of the
game’s biggest events,
including the Ryder
and Solheim Cups and
all of the men’s and
women’s Major
Championships. That
kind of investment
carries a lot of clout in
the professional game.

40 JON WATTERS
42-41
Three days after
testifying before
Foresight Co-President
Under the guidance of
Congress, Price
teamed up with
RON PRICE
Chief Operating Officer
Watters, who heads up Dennis and took over of the PGA Tour
operations alongside Scott day-to-day operations
Werbelow, Foresight Sports of the PGA Tour for
have become one of the five weeks due to Jay
game’s most trusted launch Monahan’s leave of
monitors, used by players, absence this summer.
coaches and fitters alike. The pair are now
Consider TG converts: leading talks to reach
Foresight’s class-leading a definitive agreement
product, the GCQuad, is so
accurate that we use it for
with the Saudis
before the December
TYLER DENNIS
President of the
all our testing. 31 deadline. PGA Tour

39 GOOD GOOD 38 STEVE OTTO 37 JONATHAN SMITH 36 STEVE PELISEK

YouTube heavyweights
Only the second golf YouTube
channel to reach one million
subscribers (after Rick Shiels),
Good Good travel the globe,
playing in Pro-Ams, breaking
world records and partaking in
matches and challenges. This
year they hosted a Good Good
Championship for fledging pros,
with a $100,000 purse, and
joined forces with Odyssey to
launch a limited-edition putter.
R&A ‘scientist’
Modestly describing himself as
“merely a scientist”, Professor
Otto is a key figure across many
areas, from creating the World
Amateur Ranking to heading up
the R&A’s equipment standards
department. As Executive
Director-Chief Technology
Officer, his job is to test and
analyse thousands of balls and
clubs to protect the integrity of
the ancient game.
Environmental champion
Smith is the Executive Director
of the GEO Foundation for
Sustainable Golf, a body which
works alongside events and
organisations such as the R&A
and Ryder Cup to emphasise
the importance of environmental
responsibility. This year
witnessed progress in halting
biodiversity loss, reducing water
demand, and maximising the
industry’s collective effort.
President of Titleist clubs
Pelisek is a 30-year Titleist
veteran and has been President
of Titleist clubs since 2016. It’s
no secret Titleist golf balls have
kept the lights on at Titleist
towers for decades, but
Pelisek’s mission is to take
those Pro V1 fans and turn
them into full line ambassadors.
He believes there’s as many as
eight million dedicated golfers
globally the brand can appeal to.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 41


35 THOMAS PAGEL
The USGA’s rules guru
If not a name you will recognise,
Pagel’s role as the USGA’s Chief
Governance Officer means he
influences every round of golf
played in the US (and Mexico).
He wears many hats but the
most significant sees him lead
the Rules Modernisation
initiative, working with the R&A
to make the Rules of Golf easier
to understand and implement
for all golfers. You’ll thank or
curse him for that.
34 MIKE MCCARLEY
CEO of TMRW Sports
Anyone who counts Tiger and
Rory as business partners is a
major player in golfing circles.
Their TMRW Sports venture
is behind a tech-infused golf
league, called TGL, which is
launching in association with
the PGA Tour on Monday
nights from this coming
January. McCarley is the money
man behind the scenes, quietly
building an all-star investor
list which is the envy of every
Fortune 500 company.
33 JOE ASSELL
GOLFTEC’s CEO and MVP
Since 1995, co-founder Assell
has overseen GOLFTEC’s
growth from humble beginnings
in Denver to a world leader in
data-rich golf instruction, with
over 250 centres, including
180 in the US. Their recent
acquisition of SkyTrak and
expansion into the Middle East
indicates why GOLFTEC’s
trajectory is one of the strongest
in the sport.
42 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
28 BRYSON DECHAMBEAU
A Major-winning, long-driving,
opinion-dividing LIV star
DeChambeau’s first full LIV Golf season was a
characteristically conspicuous one. He
29 ROBERT MAXFIELD became just the fourth man in history to shoot
58 on a main tour at The Greenbrier. He then
Chief Executive of the PGA
Maxfield is keen to modernise captained his team to victory in the LIV Team
the game and make it Championship, sharing £11.5 million with
welcoming to all. Research Crushers comrades Anirban Lahiri, Charles
commissioned by the PGA Howell III, and Paul Casey. His relentless quest
found that 17.5 million people for distance saw him switch to a driver made
across GB&I are engaged with by long drive specialists Krank and shave his
golf without stepping foot on a legs for improved aerodynamics. He’s now
course, which Maxfield sees as trying to rival Topgolf by putting his money
a chance to increase the 4.9 behind a new golf entertainment venture
million ‘on course’ players. “It called UnderPar Life, which he says
gives the industry the chance will offer a more affordable option.
to diversify the sport’s fan base The first venue is set to launch in
and user base,” he says. Texas as early as next year.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM
The greatest female golfer of her
generation and President of the
International Golf Federation
Sorenstam inspired a whole generation as a player and
continues to do so through her own foundation, which
provides golf and educational opportunities at junior, 30 PHIL MICKELSON
collegiate and professional levels. Some 125 alumni have Ageless troublemaker
now gone on to play on the LPGA, while $8 million has Competitively, the 53-year-old
been invested back into junior golf. managed just one top-five finish
Her brand is now so big that she has an LPGA event all year, but it was a special one
bearing her name – ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at as a final round 65 grabbed a
Pelican event – which debuted this month with the largest share of second at the Masters.
purse outside of the Majors and Tour Championship. In interviews and on social
She continues to host the co-sanctioned Scandinavian media he continues to stir the
Mixed on the LET and DP World Tour and has been LIV pot, hence his inclusion
re-elected President of the IGF to help prepare here. He also brushed off
for next year’s Paris Olympics. allegations that he’s placed over
$1 billion in bets over the last
30 years, including a $400,000
wager at the 2012 Ryder Cup!
31 KLAUS ELDRUP-
JORGENSEN
TrackMan CEO
Over the last decade, TrackMan
have revolutionised how we
play, practise and watch golf
thanks to the vision of co-
founder Eldrup-Jorgensen.
They’ve also pioneered the
launch of the NEXT Golf Tour,
played on TrackMan simulators
with players competing for real
world tour starts.

27 GREG NORMAN
Head of LIV Golf
After being the most talked
about golfer in 2022, Norman
has become the forgotten face
of LIV. He failed to deliver on his
promise to recruit a batch of
big-name golfers and was then
marginalised by his bosses as
they instigated peace talks with
the PGA Tour. He still managed
to expand LIV’s schedule from
eight events to 14, but he won’t
be sticking around much longer
if Jay Monahan has his way.
25 GRANT MOIR 24 MARY LOU BOHN
The R&A’s Rules Guy Titleist Golf Balls President
Promoted to the role of The majority of Acushnet’s net
Executive Director at the start sales are attributed to their golf
of the year, Moir leads the balls – and with net sales north
R&A’s governance and has a of $2 billion, that’s a lot of Pro
big say on the Rules of Golf V1s sold! Around 70 percent of
that dictate how every golfer pros play a Titleist golf ball,
plays the game. He also which is some endorsement
works closely with the R&A’s for Bohn, the highest ranking
equipment standards team, female on this list. Her gender
protecting the traditions of shouldn’t be a talking point in
the game amid the rampant, 2023, but she is breaking down
unrelenting advances barriers in what remains a very
of technology. male-dominated industry.
21 KEITH PELLEY
CEO of
the European
Tour Group
We were questioning the merits of
a strategic alliance – and the
decision to give away 10 of their
best players to the PGA Tour each
season – until Pelley shifted the
terms in his favour and invited
those who finished from
126-200 in the FedEx Cup to
take up full DP World Tour
membership. He also deserves
credit for muscling in on the
framework agreement, and for
asserting his authority
by suspending and fining members
who defected to LIV Golf
– a decision which was later
upheld in court.
26
23 BRIAN BAZZEL
TaylorMade product creative
He may not directly hold the
purse strings, but if TaylorMade
had no products to sell, there
would be no brand, so for fans
this is a hugely influential guy.
Bazzel heads up Product
Creation, which involves taking
responsibility for the gear that
Rory et al use. Part of the role is
chairing TaylorMade’s ‘Friday
Club’ meetings, where category
managers develop fresh product
and technology ideas.
20 ED HERLIHY
PGA Tour Policy Board Chair
Herlihy built his reputation as
one of the US’ top mergers and
acquisitions attorneys and was
a major protagonist in the secret
talks between the Saudis and
PGA Tour that rocked the game.
The Augusta National member
has since been listed as one of
four executive committee
members of the proposed new
PGA Tour Enterprises venture.
CHAD MUMM
Executive Producer of
Netflix documentary
Full Swing
Following the success of
F1: Drive to Survive, Mumm
convinced the PGA Tour to
give golf the Netflix
treatment and spent the
whole of 2022 following its
main protagonists. The Full
Swing series made bigger
stars out of Tony Finau and
Joel Dahmen, to name just
two, and peaked at No.2 in
the US and UK charts. A
second series is set to drop
in early 2024, while Mumm
has just teased the launch
of his own golf-centric
media company.
22 JASON WESSELY
Head of Golf at Sky Sports
Wessely is responsible for
overseeing Sky Sports’
ground-breaking coverage which
showcases the sport 50 weeks
a year, but most notably during
the Majors. The highlight of
2023 was the Ryder Cup, which
utilised an innovative sharing of
on-course facilities with Golf
Channel and reaped record 3.7
million viewing figures for the
event, a week after also setting
a new bar for the Solheim Cup.
19 JOHN K. SOLHEIM
CEO of Ping
Only the third CEO Ping has ever
had, John K. is responsible for
protecting and building on the
company’s 64-year history that
includes club design and the
Solheim Cup. It’s not a role he
takes lightly. “It’s the third
generation that loses a business,
generally,” he said. “If you get to
the fourth generation, you have
a legacy business.” No pressure...
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 43
 18 JACK NICKLAUS
Still-relevant, octogenarian GOAT
The winner of 18 Major
Championships continues to expand
a commercial empire that takes in
multiple partnerships with brands,
his own apparel line, a still-relevant
instructional book, and the design, or
RICK
SHIELS
redesign, of more than 425 courses
worldwide, many of which host tour
events. He did suffer a set back this
summer when failing to regain control
of his name and likeness, owned by a Social media
former business partner, following a superstar
federal court ruling. He will also be
rebuilding the 16th hole at Muirfield
Village after its redesign drew
criticism at the Memorial Tournament
he hosts. That he is willing to do so is
typical of a man who has a
champion’s desire to remain relevant.

17 ANDREW GEORGIOU
TV titan
As President and MD of Sports at
Warner Bros Discovery, Georgiou
made a big call to axe GolfTV, the
international home of the PGA Tour,
and bundle everything under
Discovery+ and Eurosport with a
larger monthly subscription fee. The
Rick Shiels has gone from an
backlash – and lack of availability in
selected territories – meant
amateur dramatics lover to one
Discovery’s $2 billion international
broadcasting agreement was quietly
of the most influential people in golf
renegotiated in January, with the
PGA Tour taking back control of WORDS ROB JERRAM
I M A G E S A N G U S M U R R AY,
media rights in Asia, Africa, Australia RICK SHIELS MEDIA,
and New Zealand. Discovery still GETTY IMAGES
retain streaming rights in
much of Europe and
Latin America until
2030, hence
Georgiou’s position on
the list. He also agreed
to a multi-year
sublicense contract
last summer which
keeps Sky Sports
as the PGA Tour
rightsholder
in the UK
and Ireland.

44 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 45
 ‘OUR VIDEOS HAVE HAD
THREE QUARTERS OF
A BILLION VIEWS.
THAT’S JUST CRAZY’

46 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM


W
hen a young Rick Shiels
gave a sterling
performance as an
unlikeable bully in a
school rendition of The
Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, he could
never have imagined, some 20 years
later, crediting the role with helping
him become one of the most popular
people in golf.
In the two decades since treading
the boards as Barry Kent, Shiels has
gone from acting for a group of
parents and students in a Bolton
school hall to entertaining millions
via the world’s No.1 golf YouTube
channel and one of the game’s
leading podcasts.
“I wasn’t great at school, wasn’t
the brightest, but I loved drama and
I loved PE,” he smiles as he recalls
several acting roles, including Young
Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. “I left
with an A* in drama and an A in PE,
and now I effectively make my living
by performing golf in front of
cameras, so it’s done me alright.”
“Alright” is something of an
understatement. At the time of
writing, Shiels’ YouTube channels
(Rick Shiels Golf, H.I.T Golf, and
The Rick Shiels Golf Show) have more
than three million combined
subscribers and his videos have
attracted more than 750,000,000
video views. THREE. QUARTERS.
OF. A. BILLION.
“It’s a bit crazy, isn’t it… surreal,”
he laughs as we chat at his uber-
modern Salford base, home to his
golf and podcast studios and just a
couple of minutes from his beloved
Manchester United’s Old Trafford.
“It’s our goal to crack that billion
mark over the next year or so. But
sometimes it feels like it’s just
numbers on a website. We did a live
podcast record recently where 300
people had paid to come and listen
to me and Guy (Charnock, Rick’s
co-host and Head of Brand &
Content) and we sold the tickets in
four minutes! It’s when you meet the
fans that it really hits home, whether
the videos have helped them get a
little bit better at the game, helped
them buy the right club or just
provided entertainment and helped
them switch off. We even have some
people who don’t play golf who
watch just because they enjoy it.
“This year at The Open was the
craziest it’s been. I barely saw any
golf because every time I went out
to watch I was getting stopped for
selfies and autographs, or just for
a chat. It was similar at the Ryder
Cup. Amazing as it is, I still haven’t
truly got my head around it.”
Shiels and Charnock:
the modern voices
of golf.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN posting his first YouTube video in a
bid to drive more clients.
It was while working 30 hours a It worked, and Shiels rapidly went
week at The Mere Golf Resort’s club from bottom of the whiteboard to
shop that Shiels first tasted social the very top, with clients travelling
media success, using Twitter to from far and wide. He set himself
promote his own lessons, give out the target of doubling everyone else’s
quick tips and reply to amateur lessons in a bid to make enough
golfers seeking advice from money to buy a house.
renowned coach David Leadbetter. “It was costing me money to make
“It’s where the addiction started,” videos, but the return on investment
admits the man who still checks his was coming from the lessons I was
YouTube analytics multiple times booking,” he says. “More YouTube
each day. “I’d put out a tweet and get content equalled more lessons, so I
three replies and I liked that feeling. kept stretching myself.”
Then I’d get a reply or a like from The big turning point came when
someone in America or Australia YouTube introduced monetisation,
and that was exciting, so I set goals allowing creators to make cash from
to get more followers and likes. their content. Gradually he was
“Back then it was public if you earning enough from his channel to
Tweeted someone else, so when be able to drop a day’s coaching and
people asked for golf swing advice use the time to film more content.
from David, I’d just reply and say,
‘I RECOGNISE THAT VOICE’
‘Hi, I’m a PGA coach, if you don’t
get a reply from David, here’s what
I think...’ And I’d use the hashtag While there will always be people
#ifyoudontgetanswered. It became who throw shade on Shiels’ and
a bit of a game for me, and I’d use other influencers’ work, no one can
spare minutes in the shop to do that take away what he has achieved.
and grow my following.”
Having become PGA qualified,
Shiels left The Mere to become a A younger, beard-free
full-time teaching pro at Trafford Shiels takes his first steps.
Golf Centre in 2010. But it was a
whiteboard in the office that
ultimately inspired the birth of his
YouTube channel.
“We’d have bi-weekly meetings
and the whiteboard showed how
many lessons each pro had sold.
I was bottom and didn’t like that,
so I started looking at different
ways to fill these 60 hour-long slots
each week,” he explains. “I had Completing a 500km
clients from Mere and I’d talk to charity bike ride last July.
people on the range, but a lot of
them were already having lessons
with one of the other guys, so I
couldn’t poach them!”
A couple of years passed and
having unsuccessfully reached out
to the UK’s golf magazines for help
(sorry, Rick!), he made what proved
to be the best decision of his career,
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 47
 He still has to pinch himself when
he reflects on his experiences, the
places he’s played and the people
he’s met. “There have been a few of
those dream moments,” he admits,
“but getting to play the Old Course
at St Andrews in reverse – once with
Min Woo Lee and once with Tom
Watson, a five-time Open champion
– stands out, because people just
don’t get to do that. I was standing
on the first tee with hickory clubs,
thinking, ‘How has this happened
to me?’ And the beauty of moments
like that is they’re all captured on
video, so I can look back in 10 or 20
years and relive them.”
Shiels also mentions hitting shots
off the top of the Old Course Hotel
with broadcaster and TG columnist
Iona Stephen, and his stint on Driver
Vs Driver among those moments,
along with a very special phone call
from YouTube.
‘JON RAHM TURNED AND SAID, “I RECOGNISE
THAT VOICE”. IT TURNS OUT HE’S A FAN’
“They selected a handful of
creators who’d turned their passion
into their career and were putting
them on a billboard in their home
cities. We did a full advertising
shoot and I ended up being put in
the middle of Manchester. It said,
‘Golf tips from Manchester, clients
from all over the world’.”
Not just clients, but viewers.
With more than 750 million views,
it’s unsurprising that Shiels’ content
has been watched far and wide,
but finding out that one of the
world’s best golfers was a fan
Rick takes on Rickie...
48 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
shocked him the most.
“I was at the Mercedes house at
the Masters and Jon Rahm walked
past. I’d never met him but I just
said, ‘Good luck for this week, Jon’.
He stopped and said, ‘I recognise
that voice,’ then turned around
and goes, ‘Rick! I watch your videos
and listen to the podcast’. That was
just mad.”
In the last year alone, Shiels
has closed in on three million
subscribers on his main channel,
a number he says he would have
laughed at a decade ago. He has also
played Augusta, Royal Liverpool,
and Marco Simone Golf and
Country Club, and created content
with Charley Hull, Rickie Fowler,
Brad Faxon, and Ian Poulter. But it’s
an unexpected name who tops his
list of most famous guest.
“Richard Hammond,” Shiels
replies instantly. “Or perhaps
Robbie Williams. But Hammond
is also the worst golfer we’ve had
on the channel! That was a coaching
project too far.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
“We’re looking at bringing more
people on board who can be in front
of the camera, likely as reviewers for
the H.I.T channel, and we’ll
probably let the audience decide,
almost X Factor style. We’ll let some
people shoot a few videos and see
what the audience think. We won’t
... Puts Open questions
to Viktor Hovland...
... And leaves Poults
looking slightly bemused.
rush into it because we want to get
it right, but we’ve got the studio and
we know how much potential there
is for that channel.”
Shiels will also launch a stylish
range of merchandise, including
headcovers, towels, ball markers,
and water bottles, having worked
closely with PRG on the products.
He reveals that he has a 10-year
mission to open the game up to new
people all across the world,
regardless of their walks of life or
financial situation.
“I don’t want to give too much
away but I’ve got plans to set up
amateur golf tours, objectives to set
up global facilities, a pathway to get
more kids into golf,” he admits.
“There are goals within YouTube
and hopefully in a decade we’ll be
knocking on the door of 10 or 20
million subscribers, but there are 70
million golfers in the world and as it
stands, we mostly talk to people in
the UK and USA, so we want to be
talking to all of them.
“I’m incredibly passionate
about the game and about what we
do. I want everybody to have an
opportunity to try golf in some
format, and I want to give as much
back on and off YouTube.”
Having witnessed his rise to this
point, few would bet against Shiels
hitting every target he sets himself.
To read this
interview in
full, scan this
code or head
to todays-
golfer.com
 14 FRED RIDLEY
JIMMY DUNNE Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club
A Wall Street dealmaker and Vice- The seventh Chairman of Augusta has more
Chairman on the PGA Tour Policy Board on his plate than any of his six
predecessors. While racial and gender
Dunne is credited with bringing the PGA Tour and PIF controversies have been swiftly resolved
together and brokering one of the most controversial deals in by the world’s most influential private
history. He has a long history of mergers and acquisitions as club, Ridley’s inbox contains two issues
an investment banker and is so well connected that he that have the potential to change the
belongs to Augusta National, Pine Valley and various clubs professional game: who to invite to the
in Ireland. He’s also the President of the ultra-exclusive Masters from LIV Golf, and rolling back the
Seminole Golf Club, which gives you an idea as to the kind ball. The power rests in Ridley’s hands.
of company he keeps. It’s one of the reasons Jay Monahan
asked him to join the PGA Tour’s Policy Board as an
independent director in November 2022, with the remit of

13 DAVID ABELES
making sure the Tour’s biggest names didn’t jump ship. His
influence peaked in April 2023, when he met PIF Governor
Yasir Al-Rumayyan at Beaverbrook Golf Club and paved the CEO of TaylorMade
way for the framework agreement. It was Dunne who gave It’s been a big year for
Rory McIlroy, a close friend, the heads up four hours before TaylorMade, one of the
it became public knowledge, and we now know from leaked few billion-dollar golf
court documents that Monahan has earmarked Dunne to companies. Along with the
oversee LIV alongside Ed Herlihy. launch of Stealth 2 woods
at the start of the year,
we’ve had a new ball, new
P790 irons, new Spider
Tour putters and even a
partnership with Red
Bull’s F1 team. Behind the
scenes, Abeles has
resurrected Adams as an
online-only, direct-to-
consumer brand, and made
a “material investment”
in PopStroke, Tiger’s
golf-entertainment
business that mixes
upscale putting courses
with restaurants, bars and
other gaming experiences.

12 DAVID MAHER 11 SETH WAUGH 10 SEAN MCMANUS 9 RICK CORDELLA

Acushnet President and CEO
Valued at more than $3.5
billion, Acushnet – which
owns Titleist, FootJoy, Scotty
Cameron and Vokey, among
others – is the largest
manufacturer of golf
equipment– producing some
of the best balls, wedges,
putters, shoes and gloves.
Maher has been part of that
journey for the last 32 years,
but has had the final say on
all major decisions since 2018.
In the last three years he has
overseen a period of sustained
growth and emerged as one of
the biggest critics of the
rollback proposals. His voice
carries significant weight.
CEO of the PGA of America
A mentor to Jay Monahan and
a former colleague of Martin
Slumbers, Waugh is the
well-connected and well-
respected leader of one of the
world’s largest sports
organisations. The PGA of
America serves 30,000 pros
and he oversees more than 30
tournaments and controls
operations for Team USA in the
Ryder Cup. His biggest move to
date has been relocating the
PGA to a new HQ in Texas,
dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley of
Golf’. PGA Frisco, to give it its
real name, hosted its first of 26
scheduled Majors with this year’s
Senior PGA Championship.
CBS Sports CEO & Chairman
McManus may be retiring in
April next year, but his signature
can be found on a pair of
nine-year, multi-billion-dollar
rights deals with the PGA Tour.
he has overseen three decades’
worth of Masters and PGA
Championship broadcasts
and signed off on innovations
that include in-play interviews
and Predicta-ball, which
predicts where the ball is going
to land in-flight. CBS is now
golf’s longest running
broadcaster, with rights to
around 19 PGA Tour and seven
LPGA events. His No.2, David
Berson, has very large shoes to
fill as his successor.
New Head of NBC Sports
Cordella plays a major role in our
continued enjoyment of the
sport. He manages NBC’s entire
sports portfolio of brands, which
include Golf Pass, Golf Now,
NBC Sports, The Golf Channel
and Peacock, so forth. Their
network presents more than
450 hours of live PGA Tour golf
each season, in addition to the
DP World Tour, LPGA, The Open
Championship, US Open, Ryder
Cup, Solheim Cup, Presidents
Cup, and all of the women’s
Majors. NBC’s crowning jewel is
The Golf Channel, which is
available to 500 million in nine
languages across more than
700 countries.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 49

 7 OLIVER ‘CHIP’ BREWER
President and CEO of Topgolf
Callaway Brands Corp
Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp
was launched in September
2022, bringing together a family
of brands including Topgolf,
Callaway Golf, TravisMathew,
Toptracer, Odyssey, OGIO, Jack

JAY MONAHAN
Commissioner of the PGA Tour and secret negotiator
Wolfskin and World Golf Tour. At
the heart of this conglomerate is
Oliver ‘Chip’ Brewer, who previously
headed up Adams Golf before joining
If trying to keep tabs on the state of play in the war Callaway in 2012. A host of the game’s
between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is akin to keeping biggest stars, including Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele and Sam Burns, are
a grip on a wriggling fish with fingers plastered in Tour Staffers, demonstrating faith in the brand’s continued ability to craft
butter, then Monahan appears to be the chief of world-class golf clubs, not least in the putting department where Odyssey
clandestine butter-smearing. remain the No.1 flatstick for tour wins in 2023. The group project a net
Until the first week of June, he was the unbending revenue of $4.4 billion in 2023, spearheaded by a 16 percent growth in
figurehead of golf’s quest to repel the Saudi-funded Topgolf, which has just been recognised as a Special Olympics
disruptors. But little did anyone know that, alongside PGA competition for 2024 and beyond.
Tour Policy Board members Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy,
Monahan had been covertly meeting with PIF Governor
Yasir Al-Rumayyan in Venice and London.
The golf world was plunged into shock at the news and
it hasn’t really recovered. Monahan promptly took a
one-month leave, citing “mental and physical health
challenges”. He returned to his desk but Xander Schauffele
pointedly observed: “He had my trust, he has a lot less of it
now and I don’t stand alone when I say that.”
Quite what the agreement between the old world and
the rebels is, no-one quite knows, but US Department of
Justice is concerned it violates anti-competitive legislation.
In last year’s rankings we wrote that Monahan has
“never faced a more tumultuous time as the head of the
PGA Tour”. Guess what? This year trumped 2022, and
2024 has the potential to pile on more pressure still.

RORY MCILROY Most intriguingly, 2023

Four-time Major champion
and PGA Tour Player Advisory
Council Chairman
The quest to land a fifth Major
remains an elusive one for the
Northern Irishman, despite adding
another three top 10s to his tally in
2023. On the other hand, he did
finish top scorer at the Ryder Cup
for the first time, fuelled by a
non-hierarchical leadership role
he first defined and then relished,
including his spicy Saturday night
dust-up with caddie Joe LaCava.
He also claimed the Scottish
Open in a thrilling finale that
demanded two of the finest shots
of his career.
In the boardroom he continues
to take an anti-LIV stance, though
his loyalty to the PGA Tour was
tested by the news of Jay
Monahan’s secret talks with the
Saudis. “I do have confidence in
him,” McIlroy insisted of the Tour’s
commissioner, before admitting
that he had been left feeling like
a “sacrificial lamb”.
witnessed yet more proof that
McIlroy is seeking stimulation
away from the golf course. He,
Tiger Woods and their company
TMRW Sports have pioneered
TGL, a tech-based league that will
feature Monday night team events
from January 2024, aired in a
primetime TV slot by ESPN and
set in a custom-built arena with a
virtual course and short game area.
Rory is also involved in a
consortium that has invested £175
million for a 24 percent holding of
the F1 team Alpine. “Sports team
ownership used to be limited to
private equity and people who had
a ton of money, but now sports stars
are becoming more savvy,” he said.
Rory also added that he had
recently rejected overtures to join
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth
in their Leeds United venture,
mainly on account of being a
lifelong Manchester United fan.
“I would love to be able to own a
tiny percentage of the club I grew
up cheering on as a boy,” he said.
“That would be very cool.”

50 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM


MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN
The ruler of Saudi Arabia
YASIR AL-RUMAYYAN
The Governor of the PIF
Stronger together than apart, the Saudi
money men represent golf’s greatest power
couple and are the biggest disruptors to the
status quo in the modern era. Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman (pictured below, left)
has the keys to the Public Investment Fund
(PIF) and uses his right-hand man, Yasir
Al-Rumayyan, to ‘wash’ his country’s
reputation by gaining supremacy across
major sporting assets in the West.
With the help of Greg Norman and other
finger puppets with useful connections,
the PIF have bought their way into golf,
bankrolling LIV to the tune of $2 billion and
propping up the prize funds on the Asian
Tour and LET to record highs.
This summer they finally penetrated the
PGA Tour through a secret round of talks,
putting an end to an ugly lawsuit. In return for
getting his Excellency a seat
at golf’s top table,
the PIF have
reportedly agreed
to contribute in
excess of $1 billion
to fund a new golf
entity, of which
Yasir Al-Rumayyan has already been
appointed chairman.
That deal remains subject to government
approval, but either way they are in a strong
position to capitalise. Jay Monahan has
already lost his moral high card and admitted
that they are unable to compete against
“a foreign government with unlimited funds”.
How MBS and Al-Rumayyan intend to
recoup such vast expenditure no one really
knows, but they are delivering on their
promise to help grow the game in their own,
unique way.
In his role as Chairman of Golf Saudi,
Al-Rumayyan is heading up a mass
participation programme which has already
provided 1,000 women and girls with their
first golf membership in Saudi. Next, he wants
to host 700 beginner events and add golf to
the curriculum, so there are more than
135,000 school participants by 2025.
Anything seems possible with a $620
billion war chest at his disposal, and while
you may not agree with his methods or the
motivations of his paymaster, golf (and LIV
golfers especially) have been big beneficiaries
so far. The PGA Tour better hope they are too.

THE PIF AND THE SAUDIS WANT TO

SPEND MONEY IN THE GAME OF GOLF
AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO STOP.
WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE ONE OF
THE BIGGEST SOVEREIGN WEALTH
FUNDS AS A PARTNER OR AN ENEMY?
AT THE END OF THE DAY MONEY
TALKS, AND YOU’D RATHER HAVE
THEM AS A PARTNER.
Rory McIlroy

5 MIKE WHAN
CEO of the USGA and former Commissioner
of the LPGA Tour
Whan became USGA top dog in 2021, just the eighth CEO
in its 128-year history. He did so after a hugely successful
11-year stint as Commissioner of the LPGA Tour,
transforming it from struggling entity to thriving global
tour, with more events, prize money and media coverage.
His new role saw him secure the US Women’s Open’s
first-ever sponsor, doubling the prize purse to $10 million.
“I’d get the question, ‘What does the USGA. do?’” he
told The New York Times. “I came up with: Unify,
Showcase, Govern and Advance. Advance was the big one
that was missing. We don’t want to preserve; we preserved
croquet and that’s not good.”
That advancement includes investing in sustainability,
particularly in reducing water usage, and ensuring America
develops junior golfers in a way that competes with Asia’s
so far unmatched talent factory.
Whan won tour players over when he vowed to avoid
interfering with course selection and set-up for the
USGA’s 14 national championships, a shrewd move
given predecessor Mike Davis faced regular criticism
for making host courses too challenging. Instead,
Whan’s focus on off-course improvements has seen
the USGA build a second headquarters at Pinehurst and
a permanent player pavilion at Pebble Beach.
Whan sees no sense in courses spending months
erecting and dismantling huge structures for one week’s
use, preferring to make it easier for them to stage the
biggest events more often and host other tournaments in
between. “We want to make sure these cathedrals of golf
accept the responsibility to host not just the biggest and
the most financially lucrative events,” he said.
You can’t please everyone all of the time, though.
Whan’s alterations to the US Open entry criteria exiled
one man, LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch. Fellow LIV star Phil
Mickelson labelled it a “dick move”.

51
 WORLD EXCLUSIVE

‘THE GOLF BALL

GOES TOO FAR AND
WE DON’T PLAY
FAST ENOUGH!’
In a wide-ranging interview, R&A CEO Martin Slumbers discusses the
success of Golf It! and the Women’s Charter, the unsustainable prize
funds in the professional game, and what the future holds for LIV,
The Open and the golf ball
W O R D S M I C H A E L C AT L I N G I M A G E S G E T T Y

A
ll around the world, golf is
booming. An additional 10
million adult golfers (outside
the USA and Mexico) are
now playing the game since
2016, with 61.2 million engaging with
the sport in some form. The R&A
have been the driving force behind
this growth, bringing newcomers
to the sport through its various
championships and programmes,
all designed to make the sport more
inclusive and accessible.
The man responsible for
governing and modernising the
game is Martin Slumbers, the
unofficial leader of every golfer
and golf club in 145 countries.
The R&A have done – and
continue to do – a lot of good in the
game under Slumbers’ watch,
including Golf It!, a new community-
based golf and entertainment facility
in Glasgow which he calls the future
of the game. But not every decision
and proposal the R&A have made
this year has been met with
universal approval.
We sat down with the head of the
R&A and spoke at length about the
Rules of Golf, diversity, pace of play,
the gender pay gap, and the
qualification criteria for The Open.
We also quizzed him on LIV’s World
Ranking failure, changes to The Open
rota, the PGA Tour’s reluctance to
roll the ball back, and whether the
R&A will enter into talks with the
Saudi Public Investment Fund…

52 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 MARTIN
SLUMBERS
R&A CEO, governor
and protector of
the game

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 53

 You’ve been in the job for a little
over eight years now. How would
you rate your performance so far?
Gosh, that is the hardest question
you could ever ask. I’m one of those
people who is never satisfied, but I
would say I’ve achieved a lot of what
I wanted to do when I first sat down
in my office. If you cast your mind
back to 2015, golf was declining.
The reality was that golf club
membership had been declining
year over year since 2006.
I think two things have happened.
From an R&A perspective, we have
doubled our investment into the
game. And then we got lucky with
Covid. Golf was a big winner out of
it. But what I’m most proud about
is that golf has retained most of the
people, if not more, that we gained
during Covid. I don’t think many
sports have done that.
There are now over 100 million
people who consume golf around
the world. That’s pretty fantastic.
Every few months the R&A
seems to launch a new campaign
or project. What’s been the
biggest success story this year?
There are two things but not just
this year. I think it was 2017 when
we started the Women in Golf
Charter and that’s had tremendous
traction in golf clubs. And then the
Women in Leadership Programme
54 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
that we added on top of that has
created opportunities for talented
women to develop leadership skills.
We’ve just celebrated five years of
that programme and of the 140
women enrolled, over 80 percent of
them have been promoted. Through
those two things, we are seeing more
women and girls playing golf and
more women working in the game.
The second thing is the
investment we made to promote the
physical and mental health benefits
of golf. We started working on that
seven years ago and with Gareth
Bale joining us as an ambassador,
we’ve seen a genuine pickup in
participation, with people realising
that golf is not just for middle-aged
men. In a post-Covid world, we’re all
a lot more conscious of our health,
so I think that has real traction and
is a potential game changer.
One idea that gained a lot of
headlines was the ‘Golf on
Prescription’ pilot, which
launched in Fife in February.
What was the outcome of that?
It’s still in progress. The University
(of St Andrews School of Medicine)
is providing the academic oversight,
so it’s not us; it’s a properly
independent review. But the early
signs are that it is working. And if
it goes to plan, what a fantastic
opportunity for golf to become part
of the solution at a time when the
NHS is under pressure. We want to
be able to say that golf is good for
your health and to be able to back it
up with real results.
In a booklet published by the
R&A, titled Inspire Our Future, it
states that: “We need to attract
more women and children into
golf via grassroots, including
embracing short and less
traditional forms of the game.”
Is the new Golf It! facility an
extension of this blueprint?
One hundred percent. Golf It! is
what I call a physical manifestation
of how we think the game will grow.
It’s not a competitor to regular clubs.
That’s absolutely not what it is. It is
a way of bridging the traditional
game and people who don’t see golf
as part of their life. The first month
that we opened here, one million golf
balls were hit. And a month later,
another million had been hit.
As a result, the driving range has
just had to close for six weeks...
Absolutely correct. We’re going to
have to upgrade it. I don’t think
there are many ranges in the country
where that many golf balls are being
hit. But it’s not about ‘the biggest
is best’. What is really exciting to
me is the type of people coming.
It’s families and it’s young people.
Is Golf It! just a one-off or
are their ambitions to take
the concept elsewhere?
We’ve made a very significant
investment. If we make this work
financially then we will absolutely
look to do more. I don’t want to
overstate things, but we’ve had 10
enquiries from around the world,
saying, “Can we come and look at
this because it might work in our
country?” I find that exciting.
‘I WAS DISAPPOINTED THE PGA TOUR REJECTED THE PROPOSED
BALL ROLLBACK RULE, BUT DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION’
Would you like more clubs to
introduce gender-neutral tees?
Yes, but I don’t see it as gender.
I think about them as ability-driven
tees. That’s where America gets it
right. There’s become too much of
an obsession around how far you hit
the golf ball. Golf should be fun and
I think too many people play off tees
that are too long for them. I play to a
one-handicap, but I’m over 60. I don’t
go to the back tees anymore because
I don’t hit the ball far enough.
Big changes are coming to the
Rules of Handicapping in 2024,
but no one seems to know what
they are. What can you tell us?
Not much, because the governance
committees are still finalising the
process. What you will see is an
evolution of the World Handicap
System. There’s not enough W in
the WHS from a technology point
of view. If I go to Portugal and play
golf, I have to bring my scores back
and enter them at my own club.
We need to move beyond that.
I am a big fan of general play.
I keep reading that people are taking
advantage of general play but on the
whole, the more scores that we put
into the system, the more reflective
it is of our current playing ability.
With the old CONGU system, the
average number of cards submitted
in the year was only three. So, I don’t
buy the argument that CONGU was
a better system.
A couple of policies
implemented under your watch
include ready golf and putting
with the pin in. What’s more
important to you: Improving
the pace of play or limiting
how far the golf ball goes?
(Laughs). Can I pick
both? From a
big-picture,
strategic point of view, they’re two
different things. Every piece of
research that we do around why
people don’t play golf or don’t play
more golf has pace of play in the top
three reasons. I absolutely believe
we don’t play golf fast enough.
Now, I am not an advocate of a
two-and-a-half-hour run around
the golf course. But I am an advocate
for getting on with it. I do wish
professional golf would play faster
and we will keep pushing that.
The golf ball is about reflecting
modern life. Without a shadow of
a doubt, the ball is going a lot
further than it was 20 years ago.
Now the core technical rule around
that hasn’t changed since 2004,
so in nearly 20 years. But the game
has changed. And as a sport, we
need to understand our
environmental responsibilities.
If we want to be viewed as part of
the solution, we must understand
our environmental responsibilities,
and that includes the size of the
footprint on which we play golf.
We can’t keep
expanding
golf courses.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 55
 We can’t keep putting that pressure
on operators and facility owners to
build evermore tees. This is about
protecting the future of the game.
Were you surprised by the PGA
Tour’s decision to reject the
proposed rollback rule?
I would say I was disappointed.
Without their support, what
happens next?
We will announce that in a couple of
months. But what I can say is doing
nothing is not an option.
Playing devil’s advocate, golf is
the only sport where amateurs
play with the same equipment
as the pros. If you change that,
doesn’t golf lose its biggest
selling point?
Some people think it does. I don’t.
To think that you and I play the
same game as a top PGA pro is
nonsense. They walk onto the golf
course and walk back 50 yards.
Teeing grounds are the ultimate
difference in the game. If you look at
golf in the broadest sense, 0.1 percent
play for money and 99.9 percent play
for the like or love for the sport. If
the 0.1 didn’t exist, golf would still be
played on Saturday morning.
A lot of people, including Justin
Rose, remain disappointed that
the men’s and women’s Opens
‘I AM CONCERNED THAT THE
MEN’S PROFESSIONAL GAME
MAY NOT BE FINANCIALLY
SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG
TERM. THAT KEEPS ME AWAKE’
56
Slumbers and Yasir Al-Rumayyan discuss
shared goals at the Alfred Dunhill Links.
are not shown on free-to-air TV.
Is there not an argument that
the greater exposure would
outweigh the money from Sky?
I understand Justin’s position. But
professional golf is a business and
the business is about generating
enough revenues to pay the
appropriate prize money, but also to
invest in the game around the world.
It is easy to say, “Make it free to air,”
but I wouldn’t be able to spend £200
million on the game and who’s going
to step in and do that if we don’t?
There used to be an argument:
“If it is free to air, more people will
play the game.” But they didn’t. For
15 years, there were fewer people
playing. And by the way, at that
time, it was on the BBC. I’m
not saying that’s a perfect
correlation because the
world is much more
complex than that. But
we moved to Sky in 2016
and the game is bigger
now than it was in 2016.
You’ve got to make
unpopular decisions
at times…
Yes, and what I’d love to
see is the highlights of the
Women’s Open on a lot earlier.
At the moment they’re on very
late. But part of my job is to
convince the BBC that golf
appeals to all demographics,
right across the age groups.
Were you aware that the disparity
in prize money between The Open
and Women’s Open grew this year?
Yes, it did, because we had to move
up quite significantly for the men.
So, we paid $16.5 million for the men
and $9 million for the women.
What does that say about the
inequality in today’s game?
Look where it came from. We
merged with the Ladies’ Golf Union
in 2017 and took financial control of
the Women’s Open in 2020. Prize
money then was $3.5 million and
now it’s $9 million, so we’ve almost
tripled the prize money. My desire is
to work towards parity but in a
financially sustainable way.
We lose significant money on the
Women’s Open, but we believe we’re
staging it now on some of our
greatest golf courses, and in a really
world-class way. We’re now building
the financial model around that. But
I agree, we’ve still got some work to
do to get close to the men.
Despite the increases, this
year’s Open Championship purse
was still smaller than the other
three Majors, not to mention the
designated events on the PGA
Tour and LIV Golf. Have we
reached the stage where this
growth is unsustainable?
I am concerned that the men’s
professional game may not be
financially sustainable in the long
term. We, the R&A, make individual
decisions on prize money, and we will
do so in the context of what’s going
on in the men’s game and with our
broader responsibility to the game.
In your Open press conference,
you said you are talking to various
potential sponsors. Is the Public
Investment Fund one of them?
Not at the moment, no.
We saw you playing with Yasir
Al-Rumayyan at the Alfred
Dunhill Links. Would you be
open to having a conversation
with him, despite the obvious
sportswashing links?
We talked about golf. And I think
that Saudi, as a national federation,
is very serious about developing
golf in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
If we can help them with some of
those programmes that are tried
and tested now, we will help.
It doesn’t make you uneasy
about the morality issue?
It is something that we are deeply
conscious of, but they are our
affiliate, and they are trying to get
golf. We help our affiliates all the
way around the world. I do think the
sport plays a very important role in
evolving society. If we can help them
get more women and girls in Saudi
to play golf, which is what we’re
interested in, then I think sport is
moving in the right direction.
Now that LIV Golf has lost its
application to gain World
Ranking points, will you be
adjusting the qualification
criteria for The Open?
Well, as you know, I’m on the board
of the OWGR, so I was part of that
decision. I think people are confused
about what the rankings are. We are
talking about world-class players,
but the OWGR ranks players who
play on equivalent tours. It’s about
pathways on and pathways off tours
that are fundamentally important to
having equivalence.
At the R&A, we invest in all
programmes for young people, so I
can look a mother and father in the
eye and say, “If your child wants to
get to the top, there’s a pathway for
them to do so that is totally driven by
their ability and their willingness to
work.” That’s what eligible tours do.
In terms of The Open, we have
adjusted qualifying. We put more
Portmarnock is the only
course outside the UK
that the R&A is looking at
as a potential Open host.
spots into our Final Qualifying this
year. We had one of the Asian Tour
events in Hong Kong, which was
eligible for LIV golfers to play in.
LIV players were also able to play
in some of the South African and
Australian events, so there was a
pathway to get the best players and
we will continue to look at The Open
entries to make sure that we get the
quality of field that we want.
Rory McIlroy put forward a case
for Portmarnock recently and
said there’s every chance the
R&A are ‘seriously looking’ at
bringing The Open to a course
outside the UK. Is that true?
Portmarnock Golf Club have asked
the Irish government to consider
assisting them to be able to pitch for
our biggest championships. We’ve
been involved in that conversation
and we will be interested in the
outcome. We staged our Men’s
Amateur there in 2019 and the
Women’s Amateur is there next
year. Portmarnock is a wonderful
golf course, but there are some
fundamental infrastructure changes
that only the government can unlock.
What is the biggest challenge
the R&A faces, both now and
in the future?
The thing that keeps me awake at
the moment is the financial
sustainability of the men’s
professional game. Professional
golf is so important as the shopfront
and the last few years has been quite
divisive. We need to come together
and work closer together, for the
betterment of the game.
There are some exciting things
coming up, like the start of a
Monday night golf league. Is that
the future of golf? Might we see
some R&A Championships where
technology is at the forefront?
Well, for the first time at The Open
last year, we had a VR Open. I think
there is a lot of interest in how that
could evolve. We’re working with
one company on that. We’ve just
invested and bought a 50 percent
stake in a technology company
called Dot Golf, so technology is an
ever-important part of the product
we need to run the game. We’ve got
a lot of broad things on the plate and
a lot of them are technology driven.
Slumbers and Rory compare
notes at the Open Championship.
Scan this code
to read the
full interview
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 57
 TIGER
Question: How can a player who
entered only two tournaments in 2023
(and withdrew halfway through one of
WOODS
them), took no part in the Ryder Cup,
and slipped to 1,283rd in the World
Ranking possibly keep their position as
the most influential person in golf?
Answer: He is Tiger Woods.
Golf’s greatest needle-
mover and a 15-time The greatest golfer of all time has
Major champion been sidelined by injury all year, but it
would be disingenuous to suggest that
anyone else even comes close to
matching his influence on the game.
Tiger’s allure remains so strong that
even a short clip of him hitting chip
shots or caddieing for precocious son
Charlie relegates all other golf stories
to ‘other news’. And Tiger’s been doing
a lot more than that in 2023.
His TGR Foundation continues to raise
millions for charitable causes, with Tiger
calling it “my chapter two – my way of
building a legacy that’s about more than
birdies and bogies”. He opened a
Manhattan sports bar with friend and
golf fanatic Justin Timberlake, with
another due to open yards from the Old
Course next year. He’s also the face of
the PGA Tour 2K23 video game and his
course design business continues to go
from strength to strength, with Mexico’s
El Cardonal now a PGA Tour venue.
Tiger’s next layout is already in the works
and, at 8,000 yards from the back tees,
we wouldn’t be surprised to see the
‘IN RECENT MONTHS, TIGER HAS BECOME TO THE
PGA TOUR WHAT BATMAN IS TO GOTHAM CITY’
58 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
Marcella Club in Utah becoming a
championship venue.
He is a strong favourite to be the next
USA Ryder Cup captain, with Davis Love
III, a two-time captain and one of Zach
Johnson’s 2023 assistants, calling
Tiger “the logical choice” and insisting
“it’s his call”.
That call may depend on whether
Tiger has time alongside so many other
commitments. In a period of
unprecedented tumult, he has become to
the PGA Tour what Batman is to Gotham
City. His role as chief protector of the
PGA Tour was rubber stamped when he
joined its Board of Directors and Tiger
has been arguably the tour’s most
important weapon in its fight against
LIV, having turned down a rumoured
billion-dollar offer to defect.
Golf writer and author Alan Shipnuck
believes that helping save the PGA Tour
has helped Tiger, too. “This battle for
the soul of professional golf gave Tiger
a purpose,” he says. “It gave him a
rallying cry. He was this galvanising
figure for the PGA Tour, fighting for its
legacy. I really think it’s been a crucial
part of Tiger’s road back from that
(car) accident, to have more human
connection and to feel the love and the
warm embrace of his colleagues. I don’t
think you can overstate how important
that has been for Tiger.”
While we’d all love to see him lift
another trophy in trademark Sunday red,
the prospect of Tiger securing a
record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour victory
to move ahead of Sam Snead on the
all-time list or threatening Jack’s Major
record looks increasingly unlikely, though
you can never say never about a man who
won a Major on one leg.
Tiger’s return to competitive action
may actually come in his all-new Monday
night Team Golf League, which will
almost certainly reach a far greater
audience than LIV currently does.
Whatever happens on the course,
Tiger’s impact on the game remains
enormous and golf will always be his
raison d’être. “The joy is different now,”
he says. “I’m limited in what I can do
now, but to be able to share some of
the things I experienced with my dad –
the late-night putting or practice
sessions that we did at the Navy Golf
Course – to share the game and create
new memories with my son, it’s
incredible. It’s the appreciation of being
able to play this game.”
With 14-year-old Charlie 10/1 to win
a Major before his 30th birthday, would
it surprise anyone to see him do so at
Augusta or St Andrews, with pops on the
bag, completing Act Three of Tiger’s
golfing odyssey as he passes the baton
to Woods Jnr.?
 RICK SHIELS

One of the world’s most famous golf

coaches shares his favourite
fixes to help you to
lower scores

WORDS: ROB JERRAM

WITH RICK SHIELS
I M A G E S : A N G U S M U R R AY

I’m incredibly
grateful for the
success YouTube
has brought me, but at
heart, I’ll always be a golf
coach who enjoys nothing
more than helping people
to get better at the game
they love. To help you do
that, here are six of my
favourite, easy-to-follow tips
and drills that can benefit
every level of golfer.
 Distance sapper Get tilting
If your ball position is What I want to see is
too central and your your ball position in line
chest is too much on with your left heel and
top of the ball, you a nice wide stance,
won’t be able to hit feet slightly further
up on the ball and apart than shoulder
will end up with a width, and a little more
descending blow that weight in your right
produces a low flight foot than your left. Feel
and lacks distance. that your right shoulder
(right-handers) is lower
than your left, to create
tilt in the upper body
and ensure you’re
perfectly set up for an
ascending blow.

1.
DRIVE UP
ON THE BALL
Basic ball position and set-up mistakes with the driver
immediately mean you’re not going to get the results
you hope for off the tee. The good news is that
Hitting up a couple of simple tweaks should have
Creating this you hitting the ball on the up and
position at with consistency.
address helps
you to return to
it at impact, as
shown here,
with the driver
head hitting up
on the golf ball
for optimum
distance and
consistency,
through to a Complete the swing
solid finish Getting things right at
position. address will also help you
complete the swing with
the chest facing the
target and the weight
transferred into the
front foot.

60 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 2.
SWEEP YOUR
FAIRWAY WOODS
Lots of golfers treat their fairway woods like a driver,
then struggle to hit it well because they’re striking
the ball above the equator with the bottom of
the club – a recipe for low, skiddy shots
and tops. The good news is that
with just a few basic tweaks,
you can turn your
woods into a vital
weapon.

Launch control Set up for success

Fairway woods just aren’t designed to be hit like you hit
your driver, so I don’t want to see you setting up with it
inside your left heel and trying to launch the ball into the
air by hitting up on it. This will only ever lead to topping
and thinning your fairway woods.
Move the ball 1-2” inside your left heel, your weight more evenly
balanced between your lead and back foot, with less of a tilt in your
shoulders. Fairways are designed to be swept from the tee or turf,
so rather than an ascending strike, we are looking for a slightly more
descending blow and you can even take a small divot.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 61

 3.
CONSISTENT
IRON STRIKES
Too many golfers are guilty of trying to hit up on
Moving
forwards
I’m using an
8-iron here, so
normally the ball
their irons when the clubs call for a descending would be fairly
blow. This is actually my No.1 tip for central in my
players around the world as it stance, but I
creates the compressed strike that want you to
results in that sound, flight move it about
and divot we are all six inches
looking for. further towards
your lead foot
than normal.

Next, set up as
if the ball is in
its correct spot,
take a swing and
hit it from its
forward position.

Weight shift
Scrap the scoop This drill forces
At some stage in our you to move your
golfing journeys, we weight around your
have all tried to left foot, rotating
scoop the ball in the and shifting it
air with our irons and forwards through
ended up hitting the the swing, rather
dreaded fats and than hanging back.
thins that can ruin
a scorecard.

Now put the ball back

in its normal position, but
still imagine it’s further
forwards (you can even
stick a tee down where
the ball had been). Then
take some swings. Feel
the difference and notice
the quality of your strike.

62 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 Rush of blood
What we’re looking for with our wedges is a consistent
backswing length and follow-through. Imagine a clock face
around me, with 12 o’clock at the top, six at the bottom, nine
to my right and three to my left. If your backswing takes your
left arm back to nine, what I don’t want to see is a mad rush
of blood to the head and a full follow-through, because that
will create problems with your speed and tempo.

12
Like clockwork
To give you the best
chance of pitching
with consistency, you
need a symmetrical
swing. If your left arm
goes back to nine on
the takeaway, the

9 3
right should go to
three on the follow-
through. If the left
arm goes to 11, the
right goes to one, and
so on. You can then
develop yardages and
ball trajectories based
on the clock face
positions for every
wedge in your bag, so
you should never find
yourself without a
shot you’re
comfortable
playing.

4.
A PITCHING
CLOCK FACE
If you can get up and down from inside 100 yards,
your scores are going to improve rapidly.
The problem is that most golfers don’t
know how far they hit their wedges
or how to adjust to hit different
yardages. That’s where tip
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 63
No.4 comes in.
 5.
LESS LOFT, Set up like a putt

BETTER CHIPS
Instead, I want to see
you take one of your
irons – I like to use an
8-iron – and set up
almost like you’re over
Golfers often pull the same high-lofted wedge regardless a putt. Grip down the
of the shot, situation or their ability. But lots of loft is club and stand a little
often the wrong choice around the greens and bit closer to the golf
you’d be far better off taking a club with a ball than you would
straighter face to give yourself a with a wedge, as this
chance of getting the ball gives you more control.
close. What I suggest
here will serve you
far better...

Ditch the wedge

If you’ve got green to work with – so there
aren’t hazards between your ball and the
flag – then leave your more lofted wedges
in the bag. By pulling out your 56º or 60º,
you’re just creating a more challenging shot
than is necessary. They look great when
they come off, but they require a lot of skill,
with a longer swing and a good connection
needed. They’re also harder to predict.

Symmetrical stroke
For the shot itself, it’s
effectively a putting
action. The left arm,
right arm and club stay
the same shape the
whole way through and
there should be no wrist
hinge. It’s just back and
forth with a symmetrical
stroke, and you can adjust
the length depending on
how far you want the ball
to fly and roll out.
It’s not as flamboyant
as a high-flying wedge
shot, but it’s far less
stressful, easier to control
and simpler to repeat.
Just make sure you
spend some time
practising it so you can
see how the ball pops off
the face, reacts and rolls
with different length
swings, then take it to
the course.
 Heads, you lose
What I see all the time is golfers hitting a putt, and before
they’ve even completed the stroke their head is up and
their eyes are after the ball, trying to see where it’s gone. It’s
understandable, because we all want the ball to be dropping
into the cup, but this movement is actually impacting your
chances of it happening because your body is turning, you’ve
lost your follow-through, and you’ve lost your rhythm.
Stationary solution
Align your putt and set up as normal, but instead of following
the ball as soon as the putter head makes contact, keep
everything apart from the shoulders and arms stationary
throughout your nice, solid stroke. Focus your eyes on the ball
and once it’s been hit, focus on where it was. Listen for the
result and rather than watching it miss, you’ll hear that
satisfying noise as the ball drops into the hole.

6.
Watch Rick’s
best lessons on our
YouTube channel

LISTEN FOR
THE BALL DROP
There’s a saying that I’ve always used with my
students when working on putting: “I’d rather
you listen to it drop than watch it miss.”
This drill will help you achieve that
goal and cut down on those silly
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 65
misses on the greens.
 Don’t let the ones you love be the ones you lose.
We need your help to make sure every golf club
in the UK has at least one defibrillator on site...

A
sudden cardiac arrest
is one of the biggest
killers in the UK.
Often it strikes without
warning and it doesn’t
discriminate by age, gender or
even fitness level.
Golf courses are the fifth-most
likely place for people to suffer a
cardiac arrest, but not enough
golf clubs – or golfers – are
equipped to help save a person’s
life on the course. Often there
is very little time to react and
even less time to think, which
is why learning CPR and having
a defibrillator close to hand is
so important.
We believe every club has
a duty of care to its members and
visitors. That’s why we’ve joined
forces with Motocaddy – whose
electric trolleys and app can
pinpoint defibrillator locations
– to make every golf club in the
UK heart safe. You can join our
Drive for Defibs campaign today!
OUR PROMISE TO YOU
We are committed to building an
army of lifesavers on the golf
course. We won’t stop until
every golf club has a defibrillator
and registers it with The Circuit,
a centralised network which
connects defibrillators to
ambulance services for easy
access in case of emergencies.
For more information, visit
todays-golfer.com/drive-for-defibs

66 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 ‘WERE IT
NOT FOR HIS
ACTIONS,
I’D BE DEAD’
One senior golfer owes his life to a defibrillator and the quick
thinking of a heroic member at Boringdon Golf Club
G
raham Metters says he would have
died had it not been for a heroic golfer
who came to his rescue after he
suffered a cardiac arrest on the golf
course in Plymouth.
Graham (pictured right) was about to play
golf with a friend, Nancy Jennings, when he
collapsed at Boringdon Park and was saved by
Craig Fairey (pictured left), who performed CPR
for 20 minutes in the absence of a defibrillator.
Graham, who was 67 at the time, was
about to tee his ball up when he fell to the
ground on the 1st tee box without any warning.
“I had literally got to the end of the nine-hole
course when I heard Nancy shouting, ‘Help,
help, he’s collapsed’,” recalls Craig, a podiatrist
for the NHS.
“I thought maybe he might have slipped,
fallen on a bank and hurt himself. Being nosey,
I went to see what was going on and that’s
when I saw Graham lying on the floor. Straight
away I realised he was in trouble when I saw
him gasping for breath.”
After sending bystanders to fetch the club’s
defibrillator from reception, Craig started CPR
and continued compressions for 20 minutes
while they waited for help to arrive.
“It took a long time to get the message
relayed,” explains Craig, “so by the time the
club’s defibrillator arrived, the paramedics
were already there with their own.
“It was quite surreal actually, because I was
the only one doing CPR until the club’s head
chef, Mark Price, took over. There was a
competition going on on the other side of
the course and everyone was just watching.
It wasn’t until afterwards that it kind of hit
home that I did have his life in my hands.”
After being shocked back to life at the first
attempt, Graham was taken to hospital and
spent two weeks in intensive care, where he
was fitted with an internal chest defibrillator.
Incredibly, he was back playing golf again
nine months later and was even able to
share an emotional embrace with the man
who saved his life.
“There are really no words to say how
much I appreciate what he did for me,” says
Graham. “Without him, I would almost
certainly have been, well, I’d have been buried
and that by now. He saved my life. If I gave
him everything I have, it wouldn’t be enough.”
Craig has since received a CPR Hero Award
from the British Heart Foundation for his
life-saving actions, which he credits to the
mandatory CPR training he undertakes every
year through his work at the NHS.
“I served in the military for 12 years and
dealt with situations on the battlefield, but
I’ve never had to do CPR. Graham’s stars were
aligned that day and I’m just so grateful that
I had the skills to help. I’ll never look at a CPR
training course as a box-ticking exercise. It has
a purpose and it’s a life skill that I will hold
with me, knowing that it works.”
As for Graham, he has helped pay for the
installation of a second defibrillator at
Boringdon, which is now sited closer to the
course, in the starter’s hut, beside the 1st tee.
“It was always my intention to buy a
defibrillator, but then several members offered
to chip in so I think I only paid £60 or £80,”
admits Graham. “The rest came from various
parts of the club.
“It hasn’t been used yet, but a friend of mine
is a qualified first aid instructor and I got him
to train a lot of the senior section in CPR and
defibrillator use. To me, that’s just as important
because you can’t have enough first aiders.”
“It is amazing what Graham has done,” adds
Craig. “It’s one of those things that should be
pushed because there aren’t enough
defibrillators around, certainly at golf clubs.
Although they might sit there for years on end
without being used, they offer that reassurance
in case the worst does happen.”
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 67
 Watch hundreds of video tips at www.todays-golfer.com

QUICK TIP

SOLID AS
A ROCK Great bunker play is built on a
solid base. It’s the job of your
lower body to stabilise your
action, holding your position over the
ball. This allows you to maintain a
consistent low point to your swing arc
and so control the club’s entry point
into the sand. Any swaying or lateral
movement and you risk catching the
shot too heavy or too clean. To help
create this ultra-stable lower half,
picture yourself playing the shot on
your knees. You can’t sway from here.
Just allow the hands, arms and
shoulders to create a compact, three-
quarter backswing position and you’re YOUR COAC H
in ideal shape to attack the ball.

GARETH JOHNSTON
PGA Head Professional at
Bishopswood GC, Hants
www.garethjohnstongolf.com

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 69

P L AY BE T T E R

BREAK 100/90/80

BETTER CHIPPING…
WHATEVER YOUR LEVEL
Chipping is one of those parts
of the game where the goal for
the technique changes with
skill level and shot choice. For the
beginner or the less accomplished
player, the main aim is to develop a
fundamentally sound method that
delivers consistently acceptable results.
The more regular golfer needs
to build on this, targeting strike quality
while ensuring duffs and thins do not
put in an appearance. With more
clubhead control, the advanced player
should be targeting a technique that
harnesses the versatility of loft and the
forgiveness of sole bounce. In this article
I will show you a simple exercise that
targets these skill-based objectives. In
each case, start slowly, smoothly adding
in the pace as your confidence increases.

YO U R COACH

OLIVER C. MORTON
The Leading Edge Golf Company,
Archerfield Links
theleadingedgegolf
company.com

70 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM


This exercise is a great way
to deal with two common
traits that regularly trip up
the less-skilled golfer: an
excessively out-to-in club path
and an overly digging attack
angle. You’ll need a bag towel
and a tee peg. Then follow
these simple steps:
1. Set it up
Fold the towel into a compact
rectangle, its length running
parallel to your ball-target
line. Measure a clubhead’s
BREAK 100
Towel
sweep
length from the towel and tee
a ball up, leaving a centimetre
or so of the peg exposed. Now
take your address.
2. Strike:
Avoid the towel
Hit a series of chip shots,
teeing up the ball each time.
Your prime goal is for the club
to miss the towel, both back
and through. Achieving that
means an acceptably neutral
path, which calms your hands
down and helps you gain a
consistent strike. Catch the
rear of the towel and you’re
swinging too much from the
inside; flick the front of the
towel and you’re swinging too
much from outside to inside
the target line.
High ball
The tee peg also serves a
very useful purpose here.
With the ball raised off the
ground, the desire to squeeze
or chop down on it is removed.
Instead it encourages a more
level attack angle with a
free and flowing release of
the clubhead.
3. Calm the hands
If you struggle in either area
as you attempt this drill,
check the amount of hand
action you’re employing.
Excessive wrist cock can
narrow the swing arc,
compromising path and
steepening the attack. Work
on keeping the hands quiet as
you swing back and through.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 71
P L AY BE T T E R
Chipping presents a
dilemma for the slightly
more advanced player.
A downward attack angle
encourages ball-first contact, but
it also stops you utilising the
forgiveness built into the club’s
sole… for which you need a more
level attack angle. The answer is
to hone a motion that delivers a
downward attack angle that
minimises your chances of a duff
while allowing the sole bounce to
engage the turf. This drill will help.
72 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
BREAK 90
‘Bash’
drill
1. Set it up
Place a ball on a low tee.
Measure a clubhead’s length
in front of the ball – up the
target line – and stick a
second low tee into the turf.
2. Address: Lean
the handle forward
Take your set-up, placing the
ball in the centre of a narrow
stance. Flare the lead foot to
open out and soften your lead
side. Turn your upper body
open/towards the target until
your shirt buttons are ahead
of the ball and you feel
60-70% of your balance on
your lead foot. Finally, lean
the handle forward slightly
so the grip is midway between
the two pegs. You’ve now
shifted the low point of your
swing arc closer to the lead
peg than the ball.
3. Strike both pegs
Before you take the club away,
set an intention that the
clubhead will clip the forward
peg out of the ground after it
strikes the ball. We are not
looking for an excessive divot
around that forward peg –
merely a bruising of the grass
that clips it forwards and out,
or perhaps even cuts it in two.
A successful strike should see
both pegs disturbed. It also
reveals you’ve made the ideal,
risk-free strike – slightly down,
but with sole bounce engaged.
BREAK 80
‘Slide’
drill that dreaded duff, the would-be
70-shooter needs to think more like
1. Set it up
We are going opposite to
the 80-shooter drill here
by placing a tee peg a
clubhead’s length behind
the ball on the ball-target
line. Leave only about a
centimetre of the rear
peg exposed… and again,
place the object ball on
a low peg.
2. Address: Promote
the ‘slide’ strike
Change your address
to promote a more
level attack. Play the
ball opposite the centre
of the flared lead foot –
While the subtle downward
attack of the 90-breaker is a
great way of eliminating
slightly forward of
your shirt buttons –
and set the shaft
upright. Keep your
weight more centred.
3. Feel the ideal
ground contact
Before you strike the
ball, make several
practice swings with
your trail hand only.
Look to get the feeling
of the back edge of the
sole making contact
with the grass and
sliding along it; you’ll
quickly see how the
feeling comes more
an elite player and actively encourage
an even more level attack angle.
designed into its sole – a fantastic
forgiveness technology to utilise if
When the attack angle is shallow you have the skill and consistency
enough, the club simply slides along to create that shallow attack.
the ground thanks to the ‘bounce’ Here’s how to train it.
easily when you allow
the clubhead to release
past the hand.
4. Double hit
Again, your goal on the
shot itself is to disturb
both pegs. The simple
intention to catch that
rearward peg will help
you develop the feeling
of the clubhead
releasing and the sole
sliding. Get too steep
and you’ll miss that
back peg altogether.
Repeat the exercise
until you catch both
pegs five times in a row.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 73
P L AY BE T T E R
CADDIE ON YOUR SHOULDER
LAYING UP
Consider a situation where the
green is out of reach but not by
much – perhaps a tee shot on a
short par 4 or a second shot on a par 5.
Essentially, you have a couple of
options open to you: bunt an iron safely
down the fairway, leaving a longer pitch
into the green, or bust a fairway wood
down there as far as you can, sacrificing
74 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
some accuracy perhaps but leaving
yourself a shorter third shot. OK, the
design of the hole – e.g. a pond at the
front of the green – might make your
mind up for you, but in situations
where both shots are on, which makes
most sense? Data from shot-tracking
experts Shot Scope (shotscope.com)
delivers an emphatic answer...
1
Finding the green:
50 vs 100 yards
Let’s say the iron leaves us 100 yards to
the green while the fairway wood leaves
us 50 yards. Shot Scope data from all lie
types (fairway, rough, sand) suggests that,
at every handicap level, we’re more likely to
find the green from 50 than 100 yards. A
5-handicapper hits 72% of greens from 50,
60% from 100 yards. The gap grows as the
handicap rises: 25-handicappers hit 49% of
greens from 50 yards, 29% from 100. In terms
of finding the green, the accuracy of the iron
fails to overhaul the power of the wood.
 YOUR COACH

PETER FINCH
Shot Scope ambassador and
creator of one of YouTube’s
most successful golf channels.
Visit peterfinchgolf on
YouTube

QUARTER
MASTERS
From all lies, a
scratch golfer averages
0.25 of a shot better from
50 yards than 100 yards.

DOUBLE
TROUBLE
A 25-handicapper
hits 49% of greens at 50
yards, but just 29% from
twice the distance.

Retailing at £279,
Shot Scope’s X5 is a
lightweight GPS watch
that allows you to track
every facet of your game.
For more information visit
www.shotscope.com

2 3
Shots to finish:
50 vs 100 yards
Again, the stats favour the shorter shot
at every level. A scratch player averages
2.75 shots to finish at 50 yards, 3 shots at
100 (all lie types). For a 25-handicapper it’s
3.55 to finish at 50 yards, 3.87 at 100. Both
levels show around .2 or .3 shots saved by
the shorter shot. Once again, any potential
fairway-finding benefit enjoyed by a shorter
iron lay-up is not enough to counter the
distance gain and shorter approach enjoyed
by the fairway wood… even if that approach
is played from the rough more often.
Most to gain?
Interestingly, the highest handicappers
gain most by hitting their approaches
as close as possible to the green. It is
here that performance drops off most
sharply as the shot gets longer; 20-to-25-
handicappers will save a third of a shot by
approaching from the shorter distance – so
a full shot off the score for every three times
they play from 50 as opposed to 100 yards.
Skilled players still benefit from the shorter
shot but save fewer shots on average: 0.25
of a shot for the scratch player and just 0.16
shots for the 5-handicapper.
4
The takeaway
The figures for the golfer in the middle
– the 15-handicapper – perhaps sum
up what all this data means. Here we
have a green success of 42% from 100
yards, rising to 57% from 50 yards – a 15%
increase. Average shots to complete the
hole drop from 3.55% at 100 yards to 3.28
at 50 – a 0.27 shot gain that means a shot
saved every four times you get that 50
yards closer. This lays bare the natural link
between finding the putting surface and
recording a lower score. Evidently, for lower
scores, get as close to the green as you can.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 75

P L AY BE T T E R
YOUR COACH
While there are
TG CHALLENGE mechanical elements

DIAGONAL
to improving your
putting, no one becomes a
great putter through
technique alone. Even a
CHRIS RYAN

PUTTING
flawless stroke needs a Founder of the HIT Golf
strong sense of feel, touch Academy, based at
and control of the putter Forest of Arden, Warwicks
face if it is to be successful. www.chrisryangolf.com
This month’s Challenge will
help you develop yours.

FORM AN ORDERLY LINE

Head to the practice green and
gather five balls. Putt the first to
around 6ft from your position. Your
goal for the other four is to create a
diagonal line, as pure as possible,
running across and away from you.
Aim for each putt to travel around a
foot further than the previous one.

BEST PRACTICE
Good putting is of course all
about control of direction
and distance. By constantly
changing your target – both
for direction and distance
– this Challenge will
improve your skill in both
areas. It’s a far cry from our
usual habit of rolling a
series of balls at the same
hole, where only the first
putt has any true value.
If you really want to hit the
ground running, make this
Challenge a regular part of
your pre-round warm-up.

76 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 YOUR COACH

FOUR STEPS TO: GETTING READY TO HIT

If you do not have a recognisable and repeatable pre-shot routine, it’s high time you did! The hallmark of every
elite player, a routine helps in three massive ways: It allows you to set a rhythm of activity, helping you flow SAM HEAD
into the swing. It can act as a basics checklist, allowing you to tick off set-up essentials such as grip and Six-time tour winner and PGA
coach based at the
alignment. It provides familiarity and reassurance, vital commodities when the heat is on. Keep these in mind Bedfordshire GC
as you work through these four easy steps… and use them as a basis for your own, personalised pre-shot routine. samanthahead.com

SIZE UP THE SHOT NAIL THE LINE

Begin by deciding which shot you want to play. Make practice
swings from behind the playing area, connecting your motion to the
launch, shape and flight you’re picturing. This ensures you’ll never
hit a shot without having a clear intention for it, and allows you to
rehearse the swing you want to make. It’s also a useful warm-up.
Now place your attention on your chosen line. Stand directly behind
the ball and angle the club in front of you so its shaft represents
that line. Look ‘through’ the shaft with your dominant eye to pick
markers on that line that help you define it. Finally, find something
– a leaf, divot or old tee peg – on your line within 6ft of the ball.

SET YOUR AIM SET UP AROUND THE CLUB

Use the near target you identified in Step 2 as a reference for your
aim. Address the ball with your trail hand and clubface only. Aim the
face square at that close-up target to ensure you’re aiming the club
and clubface at your target, not your body – a common and costly
set-up error. Set your trail hand grip with the palm facing the target.
Now, take your address around the club. Use the blade’s aim to
square up your feet, knees, hips and shoulders. Reconnect with your
target and you’re set! In time, aim to run through these four steps at
an upbeat and consistent pace; it helps prevent overthinking,
allowing you to get your swing off to the best possible start.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 77

P L AY BE T T E R

HOW DO I PLAY...

GREENSIDE, BALL
The traps, humps and swales used by course
architects mean our ball can wind up in some
pretty uncompromising situations, and here is

WELL ABOVE FEET

one of the trickiest. The ball may have cleared the sand,
but to get a club on it you’ll have to stand in the bunker…
putting the ball up around knee height. The shot is all
about curbing your ambition – anywhere on the green is
an acceptable result – and making clean, solid contact.
Follow this approach to stop a drama becoming a crisis.

KEY CONCEPT:
FLATTEN THE
SWING
Look at how high the ball is
compared to my stance. The
only possible way I can make
clean contact is to swing much
more around myself than
usual, flattening out the plane
of movement. Be aware that
this flatter swing – allied to
the toe of the club in the air –
will cause the ball to come out
left (right-handers). Allow for
this by opening the face and
aiming two or three yards right.

YOUR COACH

NEIL TURLEY
Club Professional and
Golf Operations Manager at
Monte Rei, former Challenge
Tour player with 30 years’
coaching experience

78 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

HOW TO PLAY IT
BUY A BE TTER GA ME
1. Set-up:
Shorten the club
Lag Shot
With the ball so
much closer to your
7-iron
chest, the first
obvious step is take
some length out of
the club. How much Golf coaches have long
length depends on understood how a bendy
the severity of the shaft accentuates the load and
stance, but be release of the clubhead… and
prepared to go right in so doing, makes the golf
down on to the metal. swing harder to time. Whippy-
Rotate the face open shafted training aids, then, force
to increase sole us to work harder to feel and
bounce and give you develop the rhythm and
some protection sequencing that deliver efficient
against the heel timing; and while it is nothing
digging in. new, the Lag Shot 7-iron is a
well-conceived and effective
example. Shaft flex and head
weight are both ramped up over a
regular 7-iron, but not to the extent
2. Backswing: the club feels unusable. Indeed,
Follow the shaft unlike similar timing/rhythm-
At address, register improvers such as the Orange
the angle of the Whip (see issue 407), you can hit
clubshaft: it’ll set the balls with the Lag Shot, allowing
plane for this flat valuable real-time feedback.
swing. Make a series While the concept is simple
of backswings to and the learning pretty much
rehearse moving instinctive, Lag Shot will take a
the club away on little patience. First-time users
this unusual angle. typically leave the face wide open
Avoid wrist cock; and flare the ball right. The key
it’ll tend to steepen here is not to look for technical
the plane and the solutions but instead use feel and
attack, risking a awareness to hone your
calamitous duff. understanding of how the club
We want a shallower wants to work.
attack that brushes Lag Shot will be especially
the ball forwards. beneficial to golfers who overwork
the hands and arms, especially
from the top of the swing down,
but its weight and shaft flex make
it an excellent warm-up tool for
all... and one that can help you
simply by swinging it in the
3. Strike: Hold garden, as well as the range.
the face square lagshotgolf.co.uk,
The huge danger here from £99 +p&p
is the heel digging in,
flipping the clubface
closed and WHAT IT DOES
potentially duffing Improve your timing
the ball into the
and tempo by ‘loading
bunker you’ve just
the club’ more
avoided. Counter
effectively.
this by using a brisk,
purposeful rhythm
and firm wrists,
the clubhead never
overtaking the
handle. Just commit
to the shot and pop
the ball forward…
you might even
make a memorable
up-and-down.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446

P L AY BE T T E R
FIND BALANCE TO BEAT PRESSURE
Be the golfer who treats Triumph and Disaster just the same
The Ryder and Solheim Cups
may be a few weeks behind
us now, but I suspect – as it
is for me – the drama is still fresh in
your mind.
As a performance coach, I am
perhaps most fascinated with the
players’ ability to execute extraordinary
feats of skill under extreme pressure –
pressure that squashes the regular,
amateur player on a daily basis.
We have Carlota Ciganda, in front
of her home fans and with the Solheim
Cup on the line, watching her opponent
Nelly Korda stick it to 7ft on the 16th…
only to follow her to 2ft, then do the
same on 17 to win the vital, retaining
point. We have Jon Rahm, desperate
not to lose the crucial opening singles
match, facing a lightning 75ft putt on
the final green down two greasy
slopes, laying it stone dead to force
a half-point. Unbelievable feats,
unforgettable scenes.
So, to the obvious question: how do
they do it?
I think the first point to make here is
what we might term ‘relationship with
failure’. You don’t have to be a footballer
taking a penalty in a World Cup
shoot-out, a Test opener on a ‘king pair’
or a golfer playing for their continent;
for anyone playing sport for their
livelihood, success and failure are
just part of life… and without an
acceptance of both, they are not going
to last very long.
In short, through sheer experience,
elite professional sportsmen and women
develop a sort of natural immunity to
the fear of failing… one which allows
them to compete in the kind of heat
that would make ordinary folk melt.
80 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
MIND GAMES
It is obviously harder for us
amateurs to develop this extremely
stable relationship with failure, but so
long as we commit to accepting any
outcome before we start, we have
taken a vital first step. After all, it’s the
golfer who can’t cope with the idea of
failing who will put themselves under
the most pressure.
A second, important lesson we can
learn if we are to perform under
pressure is Awareness. When the chips
are down, we enter into a hyper-aroused
state and our individual, personal
tendencies emerge. Some of us speed up,
but more common is the tendency to
slow down, to take extra care, to ‘try
harder’. After all, as something becomes
more important to us, we want to do
whatever we can to make sure of a
successful outcome.
Golf is about balance. Technically we
talk about steeps and shallows, the path
and the face, the need to balance them
out. But this applies to our mental state
too. The golfer who speeds up under
pressure needs to learn to slow down,
to take their time. The golfer who
tends to slow down – to become too
deliberate – needs to give
themselves permission to
freewheel, to go with gut
instinct. But until we have an
awareness, an understanding
of our tendencies, we cannot
take the appropriate
balancing action.
So think back to the times
when you played under
pressure. What happened?
How and why did it go
wrong? If you’re struggling
to form a picture, monitor
yourself the next few times you start
to feel the stress levels rise. Besides your
general pace of play, consider tension
and breathing. How tightly are you
gripping the club? Is your breathing
becoming quicker and shallower?
Again, awareness is the key. Know your
tendencies… then balance them out.
One final thought on performing
under pressure. It would be great if I
could tell you golf is only a game, that
it doesn’t matter, that pressure shouldn’t
really be a factor in a game played for
recreation and enjoyment. Sadly, I can’t.
Any competitive game has the capacity
to evoke powerful emotions, and golf is
no different. No one wants to feel they
are the kind of player who bottles it,
who succumbs to pressure. Our mettle,
our mental fortitude, is on the line…
and it matters to us. Similarly, we are
social creatures who like to look good
in the eyes of others. Performing
under pressure is great for our ego;
messing up? Well, we’d rather not
think about that.
We can only return here to the first
point. Accept the fact that in any
sporting contest, a successful outcome
can never be guaranteed.
Reassure yourself that
YOUR COACH whatever happens today,
you’re going to be just fine.
Developing a stable
relationship with failure
has become a theme of
this column in recent
KARL MORRIS months… but if you want
Karl has worked with to take your biggest step
multiple Major winners. to improving your
Check out his BrainBooster
Podcasts for free on iTunes performance under
www.themindfactor.com pressure, it is the best thing
you can do for yourself.
 YOUR COACH
GOLF FIT

CREATE POWER
USING THE GROUND
NATALIE LOWE
TPI Level 3 trainer and UKSCA
Strength & Conditioning
coach, owner of Pro-Fit
Golf Conditioning.
pro-fitgolfconditioning.com

Elite golfers create clubhead speed and distance from the

very ground they are standing on. Perhaps the clearest
way to grasp how they do this is to make a standing jump,
trying to get as high as you can. The more you squat or press into
the ground, the more you can push against it and the higher you
will go. Many club golfers never truly recruit this free power
source, their downward pressure barely increasing throughout
the swing. This simple exercise gives you an introduction to how
to create vertical power, and how to push into the ground to create
speed for the downswing. All you need is a resistance band.

Always consult your GP before

adopting any new fitness regimen.

Loop the band under your trail foot, holding the

other end in your trail hand only, at hip height,
palm upward as shown. Keep the elbow in close to
your side, and flex your knees in readiness to move.

Make a small but

definite ‘gathering’
move, your lead hip
and shoulder
rotating slightly.
Feel weight and
pressure gather
under your trail
foot but keep the
band in its starting
position, forearm
around horizontal.

From here, punch up and

over your lead side as
aggressively as you can
to stretch the band out.
In just a few reps you’ll
begin to sense how you
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN need to push into the
Three sets of 10 stretches, twice a week, will help you develop: floor, down through your
A better knowledge of how to use the ground to create speed. feet, to create this
A more powerful and effective chain of movement, which engages dynamic upward motion.
the powerful muscle groups in your legs, glutes and back. Indeed, the more you
A growing sense of how to move at pace, in balance. push down, the faster
More dynamic movement, more clubhead speed and more distance. you’ll find yourself able
to drive up.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 81

 E O ITED
R*
FFE
TIM LIM

WORTH
£61

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 PRIZE DRAW

WIN A LYLE
& SCOTT
WARDROBE!One lucky winner will seriously
upgrade their outfit this winter
o celebrate the rise They have a rich history in

T of Lyle & Scott

ambassador Rick
Shiels in our Most
Influential People
in Golf ranking, we’ve teamed
up with the iconic brand to
give one lucky reader a full
golf, producing their first
range in the 1960s, and
quickly became known as
‘The Original Golf Brand’.
The iconic Golden Eagle
logo, inspired by the
famous eagle at Gleneagles,
golf wardrobe makeover! coincided with the brand’s
The winner will get £500 move into golf and was soon
to spend on anything they being worn by the world’s
want from Lyle & Scott’s finest golfers.
golf range, so whether you’re
P R I Z EH
Jack Nicklaus became the
in need of new polo shirts first player to win a Major

WORT 0
and trousers, or want a new wearing Lyle & Scott when
jacket and gilet, you’ll be able he lifted the Claret Jug at St
to get it. The brand’s experts
will help you select the items
and ensure you receive the
Andrews, just an hour away
from the brand’s Dunfermline
factory, in 1978.
£50
right sizes and fits to look Since then, Greg Norman
sharp on and off the course. and Ian Baker-Finch have
Lyle & Scott joined also added Opens wearing
forces with PGA coach the Golden Eagle, while stars
Shiels, who boasts 2.7m such as Tony Jacklin, Nick
subscribers on YouTube, Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Lee
in 2022, when the Westwood have been brand
Lancastrian agreed a deal ambassadors down the years.
to exclusively wear their But it’s not just the
apparel and headwear. Majors where Lyle & Scott
“The brand encapsulates have made their name in golf.
everything I believe in,” he The brand supplied the team
said. “A British brand that outfits for both the 1981
looks to push the boundaries, Ryder Cup and 1982
innovate and produce stylish Hennessey Cup team.
clothing. I love that the The brand’s modern
brand is aspirational, but at apparel is designed with
accessible price points for premium materials that
my audience.” will not only help you perform
Lyle & Scott are a when you’re on the course
legendary British company, but stand out for your style
founded in Scotland in 1874. in the clubhouse and beyond.

HOW TO ENTER
Visit www.todays-golfer.com/win, click on the ‘Lyle & Scott’ option
and enter your email address. Entries open at midnight on November
23 and close on December 20, 2023. Full T&Cs are on the website.

84 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 Every club tested and rated at www.todays-golfer.com

S TA l R
Y T E

AY B E T
D
WINTER

R
GEAR
Yl S T
SPECIAL

PL
YA WA R Ml

NEW LAUNCHES WET VS DRY GROOVES WINTERISE YOUR GAME WINTER ESSENTIALS
With Odyssey AI putters What happens to your game Key tips to help you play better Twelve key products we wouldn’t
and PXG hollow body irons when your clubs get wet? when the temperature drops play without this season

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 85

 BIG LAUNCH

ODYSSEY
AI-ONE
PUTTERS
We’ve seen artificial intelligence
design drivers and irons… now it’s
come to putters

arnessing the
H power of artificial
intelligence to
optimise club design has
been part of Callaway’s DNA
since the first Epic Flash driver
in 2019. Since then, they’ve
brought us more driver, fairway
wood, hybrid and iron faces
designed by their super-computer,
which profiles 15,000 different
versions of a design before coming
up with the best solution for an
individual model; something human
modelling just can’t compete The Ai-One Milled line will
with. And now, AI has finally come come in eight head shapes and hosel
to putters, in Odyssey’s Ai-One. matter where choices from November. It comes
Even the best players on the putts impact the with titanium face inserts, each with
planet mishit putts by up to 3mm face. There are three a uniquely contoured back surface,
from the centre of the face. That models in the family: Ai-One, which Odyssey say gives the pure
normally means a loss in ball Ai-One Milled and Ai-One Cruiser. feel milled putter fans expect.
speed, so the ball doesn’t travel as Ai-One is initially being launched Expect to pay £449.
far and misses the hole. Odyssey’s in five popular head shapes in The heavier Cruiser versions will
AI faces have been optimised to November, with a further eight cater for golfers looking to explore
counteract off-centre impacts, so shapes to follow in February. counter-balancing, armlock and
you can expect more consistent Thanks to a cast construction, it broom handle designs, and be
ball speeds and distance control no will cost £289 in the UK. available from March.

ODYSSEY AI-ONE ODYSSEY AI-ONE ODYSSEY AI-ONE #7

DOUBLE WIDE
£289
Very much the modern blade
putter as wider body blades
are trending up right now.
A double bend shaft gives
this head 20° of toe hang
which opens this 360g
model up to slightly
straighter stroke players.
Expect a fraction more
forgiveness and stability than
narrower, traditional blades.
ROSSIE £289
£289 This modern fang-shaped
The modern-day Rossie mid- model comes with huge
mallet is much bigger than pedigree. The head is a great
Odyssey’s original, but it combination of stability and
remains a really good looking feel, with ball-width
putter and is one of the best alignment cues and a
mallet models available. It’s sightline to highlight your
Jon Rahm’s personal favourite impact position perfectly.
and we love how there will be Slant neck and cranked hosel
both a slant neck and double options give 40° and 10° of
bend option to suit different toe hang, so it can suit a wide
stroke shapes. range of stroke types.

86 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM


FOUR DETAILS YOU NEED TO KNOW
The difference AI makes
Odyssey robot tested from 15 different spots
across the face and discovered their AI faces
hit putts 21% closer to the intended target
than any traditional putter tested. A larger,
more effective sweetspot (with the Ai-One
being slightly more forgiving than the Ai-One
Milled) saw putts from a larger portion of the
face travel the same distance.
True blue finish
Putters are personal pieces of kit, hence why
the Ai range runs to 27 different models
across the three different families. Each
comes with a deep, rich navy blue PVD finish
which is both durable and attractive. Each
Ai-One model also has a polymer window
either in the sole or cavity back to showcase
just how lumpy and bumpy the face is.
ODYSSEY AI-ONE
MILLED TWO T
£449
See the Two T as Odyssey’s
alternative to a Scotty Cameron
Newport 2 profile (the shape
favoured by Tiger for 14 of his
15 Majors) and you’ll be thinking
along exactly the right lines. This
355g model comes with 45° of
toe hang, so realistically it will
best suit slight and stronger arc
players and those with plenty of
rotation in their stroke.
It’s worth millions to Rahm
Odyssey reckon the Ai-One could reduce
Rahm’s 23 three-putts for the season (prior
to the Tour Championship) to 12. That’s a
marginal 0.2 strokes gained putting, which
would see the Masters champ jump from
23rd to 9th in the three-putt stats... and
earn him an additional $2.5 million. He had
one in the bag at the Ryder Cup.
Stroke Lab, but different
Odyssey say a new lightweight (90g) Stroke
Lab steel shaft, which has 20-30g of
counter balancing built in and weighs 15g
more than the original Stroke Lab shaft
(steel putter shafts are between 115-120g),
will appeal to more golfers. If you want the
original multi-material Stroke Lab shaft,
it’s available as a custom option.
ODYSSEY AI-ONE
MILLED SIX T
£449
A brand-new shape from
Odyssey for 2024. Think of it
as a slightly larger traditional
mallet model and you’ll be on
the ball. Thanks to being face
balanced, the Six T is a good
option for those straighter
stroke players who prefer
their CNC-milled putters to
come with a traditional look,
shape and feel.
SCAN HERE
FOR THE BEST
PUTTERS
DO YOU GO
CAST OR
MILLED?
Like forged irons, CNC-milled
putters are often seen as the
pinnacle of the game, a hallmark
of decent players. But plenty of
tour stars earn their crust with
cast putters.
So it’s difficult to say one
construction is better than the
other. Both have their benefits,
but it’s the level of precision you
get with milled putters that sets
them apart. Every edge, detail
and radius is cut by a computer-
controlled milling machine, so
virtually no hand finishing is
required. This really does up
consistency massively.
Ultimately only you can decide
whether your budget can stretch
to investing in a CNC-milled
putter or not. Our advice would be
to try both the standard Ai-One
and Ai-One Milled models,
especially if both constructions
are available in your preferred
head shape. If you can’t feel or
recognise a difference, it’ll be
hard to justify paying more for
the Ai-One Milled family.
ODYSSEY AI-ONE
MILLED EIGHT T
£449
A modern stability-style
mallet that has a moderate
amount of toe hang, so it
will best suit golfers with
arcing strokes and those
who like to feel they release
the putter through impact.
The Eight T is a new
Odyssey shape for 2024,
and it’s a pretty hefty model
to be milled.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 87
 BIG LAUNCH
PXG 0317
IRONS
A new hollow model is designed
to cater for better players
ver since PXG launched
E their first clubs in 2015,
they’ve shouted about how
good hollow body irons are. This
philosophy has helped them create
some of the best irons you can buy.
Less than a decade on, hollow
body iron tech has changed the face
of the market, as TaylorMade, Ping,
Titleist and Callaway all now make
hollow models too.
Yet PXG are the first company to
believe that hollow body tech can be
better tuned to different player
categories, depending on what
material is encased inside.
Step forward the 0317 T iron, part
of PXG’s new ‘sharp-shooter’ iron
range, which has been designed
specifically to satisfy the needs of
better players.
Until now, the family had run to
a brilliant muscleback blade and a
very desirable modern tour cavity
back. But now, PXG have developed
the slimmed-down hollow body 0317
T iron, along with a new polymer
HOW THEY COMPARE
The whole idea behind the 0317 family is to offer better
golfers a suite of models to ensure a perfect fit
throughout their bag. The muscleback blade 0317 ST is
the least forgiving iron in the family. The 0317 CB has an
MOI 14% higher than the ST and thanks to its hollow
body, the T is 11% more forgiving than the 0317 CB.
Just don’t think that this makes it a forgiving players’
iron for the masses, because it’s not. Compared to the
0311 GEN6 P iron (a top-of-the-range players’ distance
model), MOI forgiveness is 14% lower, so PXG make no
secret of saying that most people are likely to be better
served by the 0311 GEN6 P.
88 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
material
inside.
They say the
combination
better satisfies
the needs of
top-level players
who prefer additional
feel, control and
consistency over all-out
ball speed and distance.
Named after the US Marine
Corps’ code for a Scout Sniper
soldier, the 0317 family now consists
of the 0317 ST, 0317 CB and the 0317
T, which gives decent golfers an
unrivalled choice of head
constructions, all of which can be
swapped to create your perfect
personal combo set.
‘PXG BELIEVE THAT
HOLLOW BODY TECH
PXG have always wanted to be
accepted by the best players in the
game. This is the idea that, over
CAN BE TUNED TO
DIFFERENT PLAYER
time, has driven the company to the
creation of the separate 0317 iron
family, catering to elite players and
the company’s tour staff. CATEGORIES’
PXG 0317 ST
£209 per club
A modern muscleback blade, which
thanks to PXG’s clever central
weight system can be weighted up
or down and accommodate longer
and shorter shafts without moving
the centre of gravity. Expect
compact head sizes, narrow soles,
thin top edges and a distinct lack of Category: Muscleback blade
offset. It’s an iron that should be an Construction: One-piece
option only for consistent ball forged and CNC milled
strikers and serial shot shapers, who 7-iron loft: 33°
have a handicap of four or lower. Forgiveness rating: 1/5
 SCAN HERE
FOR THE BEST
FOUR DETAILS YOU NEED TO KNOW IRONS

Internal affairs Tighter tolerances

PXG say what’s inside a hollow iron has
just as much impact on performance as
what’s on the outside. For the 0317 T
they’ve chosen a new polymer filler to
control how much the face deflects at
impact, delivering a lower launching,
higher spinning ball flight for extra
control and consistency.
Thanks to it being robotically polished
(so there’s no inconsistency), PXG
forged irons come with a head weight
tolerance of +/- 1g, where the industry
norm is 3g. Each head is forged three
times to squeeze the carbon steel into
shape, and every face has milled
grooves right on the legal limit.

Tungsten in the toe Forged three times

While lots of players’ irons have a
centre of gravity located slightly
towards the heel, the 0317 T has an
internal 14g tungsten toe weight to
ensure the CG is located perfectly
behind the centre of the face. It’s twice
as dense as steel and is said to deliver
better feel and sound, too.
PXG is keen to point out that when
they say their irons are forged, they
actually are, which isn’t always the
case. The 0317 T’s body is produced
from carbon steel, which is stamped
into shape three times (forged), as the
body geometry is less complex to make
than the five-times-forged 0311.

PXG 0317 CB PXG 0317 T

£209 per club £209 per club
Very much the modern tour iron. Compared to the other two 0317
The CB is one-piece forged, so like models, and to allow for the creation
the 0317 ST there’s no hollow body of a hollow body inside, the T is
tech inside. The set’s been designed fractionally longer, with a slightly
to sit seamlessly alongside the ST wider top edge. Pretty much all other
irons to allow golfers to create their dimensions are very closely matched
very own combo set. Expect a very to the ST and CB (so the model is likely
similar look and blade length to the ST (the Category: Players’ iron to suit 6-handicappers and below best).
model’s likely to best suit 6-handicappers and Construction: One-piece This model is 14% more forgiving than the ST Category: Players’ iron
below), plus a 14% higher MOI (than the ST), forged and CNC milled and 11% more playable than the 0317 CB. If your Construction: Hollow
which offers a tiny bit more forgiveness when 7-iron loft: 33° game needs more forgiveness, the 0311 GEN6 P 7-iron loft: 32°
shots don’t quite come out of the sweetspot. Forgiveness rating: 2/5 iron boasts 14% more MOI. Forgiveness rating: 2/5

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 89

 TEST

WET
WEATHER
WEDGES
The latest wedges boast of spin-boosting
finishes in all conditions. Ahead of a winter
of golf, we put their claims to the test

‘OVER RECENT YEARS, WEDGE SPIN RATES WHEN THE GRASS,

BALL OR CLUB ARE EXPOSED TO MOISTURE HAVE BECOME A
FIERCELY CONTESTED BATTLE GROUND AMONG MANUFACTURERS’

90 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 S TAY l
SCAN HERE
ER FOR THE BEST

D
WEDGES

Y BETT
WINTER

RY
GE

l
SPECAIAR

S TA
L

LA
Y
ow wedges perform in
WA P
RMl H damp conditions never used
to be part of any brand’s
sales spiel. Talk always centred
around generating maximum spin
and stopping power, heightening
feel and generating ultimate
shot-to-shot consistency.
But recently, wedge spin rates
when the grass, ball or club are
exposed to moisture have become
a fiercely contested battleground.
Ping first put wet wedge
performance on the map with the
HydroPearl finish on their original
Glide wedges in 2015 – it now
features on all of the brand’s irons
and wedges. HydroPearl (today it’s
HydroPearl 2.0) dissipates moisture
faster than other finishes, which
Ping say evens out performance in
both wet and dry conditions.
TaylorMade go at things
slightly differently. They say
their laser-etched Spin
Tread grooves (not the
finish) act like a car’s
tyres, channelling more
moisture away from
impact which eliminates
backspin drop-off.
Finally, Mizuno say
the tiny HydroFlow
grooves left behind by
their face milling process
are great at eliminating
spin differences between
wet and dry conditions.
With such very different
ways of controlling wet to dry
wedge performance, which
should you believe delivers
best for your game? To find out,
we put all three to the test.

How we did it
We asked TG Test Pro Neil Wain
to hit a dozen dry shots (using a
premium ball) with the Ping Glide
4.0, TaylorMade MG4 and Mizuno
T24 wedges. And to show how the
three models compare against the
market leaders, which don’t make
big claims about improving wet
weather performance, we did
exactly the same with the latest
Titleist Vokey Design SM9 and
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore. Once all
the dry shots were hit, we sprayed
each ball three times with water,
before Neil hit them all again.

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 TEST

THE WEDGES
The results
We’ve looked at how moisture
affects a golf ball’s performance
using a driver, iron and pitching
wedge before. And we’ve seen how
a lack of friction means shots with
the wedge launch higher, spin less
(sometimes up to half as much) and
fly further. Never before, though,
has our test pro been so adamant MIZUNO T24 TAYLORMADE MG4 PING GLIDE 4.0
that he could literally feel the £185 £159 £160 (s), £170 (g)
difference between shots slipping up Lofts: 46°-58° in 2° increments Lofts: 46°-60° in 2° increments Lofts: 46°, 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°,
a wedge face when wet, rather than Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic 58°, 60°
grabbing it when dry. Gold Tour Issue S400 Gold Tour Issue 115g W (Wide): 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°
Our test data shows that, when
Finishes: Soft White Satin, Denim Finishes: Tour Chrome Satin, Tour Stock shafts: Ping Z-Z115 Wedge,
Copper, Raw Matte Black Ping AWT 2.0, Alta CG Slate, Alta
wet, every wedge had some degree Distanza Black 40
of spin drop off, which pessimists Unlike most modern TaylorMade’s MG Finish: Hydropearl 2.0 Chrome only
will of course use as proof that each wedges, the T24s are franchise has been
brand’s wet tech doesn’t work. We forged from 1025 steel building momentum As is the case with most
take a more optimistic approach, with additional density since it launched in 2017. modern wedges, the Ping
though, and point out how the focused in the hitting More tour pros use Glides are cast rather
Cleveland RTX 6, which doesn’t zone to maximise feel TaylorMade wedges than forged – in this case
boast greater wet weather and feedback. Expect a today than ever have from 8620 carbon steel.
performance, generated the most teardrop-shaped head before. The MG4s have An elastomer insert
spin difference (15%), whereas the inspired by the brand’s strategically-angled, behind the face manages
Ping and Mizuno, which do, cut this tour players. For this laser-etched Spin Tread vibration to give great
to 5.4% and 3.3% respectively. generation, more mass is grooves to channel feel, and golfers can
Unfortunately, we didn’t have all positioned high in the toe moisture away from expect a slightly rounded
the wedges at our usual 52° test loft, to produce a higher impact. CNC-milled profile, which gives the
so the TaylorMade MG4 and Vokey spinning, lower flying ball. soles ensure excellent impression of being
SM9 were hit at 56°. In hindsight, The 46-52° lofts have 17 consistency in every able to slide the head
we’re really glad this was the case, face grooves to maximise head produced, and under the ball more
as our data shows how spin control spin on full shots, whereas new for this generation easily. A choice of four
takes a real nosedive at higher lofts, the 54-60°, which are are a slightly reshaped sole grind shapes cater
as the ball just keeps sliding out of generally used for delicate top edge, more leading- to shallower and steeper
control up the face. That’s really shots closer to the green, edge roundness, and a attack angles, as well as
useful to know, as you can expect to have 15 wider grooves to lighter (115g) shaft for giving choice for different
see some real spin and flight optimise spin performance. improved feel. turf and sand types.
inconsistencies when playing the
most awkward shots with your most
lofted wedges in damp conditions.
So, what’s the takeaway from our
testing? Put simply, if you have the
opportunity to lift, clean and place LOFT LAUNCH ANGLE BACKSPIN HEIGHT CARRY SPIN DIFFERENCE
your ball, as we typically do during Mizuno T24 (DRY) 52° 26.6° 9,866 RPM 26 YDS 110 YDS
winter in the UK, take the chance to Mizuno T24 (WET) 52° 25.8° 9,539 RPM 25 YDS 109 YDS -3.3%
completely dry it. And once you’ve
taken a practice swing, if there’s any
moisture on the face of the club, TaylorMade MG4 (DRY) 56° 27.9° 10,899 RPM 25 YDS 100 YDS
make sure you dry that, too, so that TaylorMade MG4 (WET) 56° 31.8° 7,627 RPM 25 YDS 97 YDS -30%
at address, no moisture gets between
the club and ball.
Ping Glide 4.0 (DRY) 52° 26.9° 9,644 RPM 26 YDS 109 YDS

‘OUR TEST PRO

Ping Glide 4.0 (WET) 52° 27.1° 9,119 RPM 26 YDS 108 YDS -5.4%

WAS ADAMANT Cleveland RTX 6 (DRY) 52° 26.8° 10,336 RPM 26 YDS 107 YDS

THAT HE COULD Cleveland RTX 6 (WET) 52° 28.8° 8,788 RPM 25 YDS 103 YDS -15%

REALLY FEEL SHOTS

SLIPPING UP THE Titleist Vokey SM9 (DRY) 56° 28.5° 10,477 RPM 25 YDS 99 YDS

WET WEDGE FACE’

Titleist Vokey SM9 (WET) 56° 31.4° 7,757 RPM 25 YDS 98 YDS -26%

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 SHOWCASE

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WARMERS
Twelve must-have products for the colder months of golf

Stanley
Classic Trigger
Action Travel Mug
£36.99
Stanley have 100+ years of
know-how in keeping liquids and
food hot, so this classic travel mug
will keep your favourite hot drink toasty
for seven hours – or a cold
drink cool for 10 hours in summer.
It’s a brilliant way to keep your
core temperature up and we love
the brand’s built-for-a-
lifetime philosophy.
Abacus PDX
jacket £249
With so many golf brands
loving layering, we don’t often
come across jackets that are both
insulated and waterproof. The PDX is
one, however. It’s quilted on the front
for superb cold weather comfort.
We also like its soft, snug cuffs
that do away with the fiddly
fasteners you’ll find on so
many other jackets. Ping 214
Tour Umbrella
£59.99
There’s a ton of umbrellas on
the market to keep you protected
from a downpour, but what we’ve
learned over the years is to buy one
that’s made in two parts, so gusts
can pass through without
breaking the canopy. Ping’s
tour model does
just that.

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 For the best golf equipment coverage online, visit www.todays-golfer.com
TaylorMade
Rain Control gloves £29.99
When the heavens open, it’s well worth
having a pair of high-traction wet weather
gloves tucked away in your golf bag. Expect
40% more grip from the Rain Control.
TaylorMade Bobble Beanie £15.99
It may be a couple of years old now but
TaylorMade’s latest bobble hat is still the
warmest beanie we’ve come across. It’s also
a great way to bring some colour into the
darkest, dullest months of the year.
Sunderland of
Scotland Thermal Mitts £30
Mitts will spend as much time on the ground
as on your hands, so they need to be
waterproof. Pop a hand warmer inside for a
belt-and-braces approach this winter.
Duca Del Cosma
Bologna boots £219
A brilliant way to keep your feet dry is to opt
for a pair of ankle-high boots. The Bologna
are as stylish as winter boots come and as
comfortable off the course as they are on it.
Superlove Merino snood £19.50
When the wind’s biting in the depths of
winter, a snood is absolutely essential. If, like
us, you love snuggly, soft, warm and cosy
Merino wool, the Superlove is absolutely for
you. Available at superlovemerino.com
Galvin Green Astro
waterproof hat £45
When it’s pouring, the best way to stop rain
running down your neck is a wide-brimmed,
waterproof hat. The Astro’s breathable
Gore-Tex membrane makes it a stand-out.
Curo Golf Block Mid-Layer £65
Whether you wear them under a jacket or as
an outer layer, mid-layers are crucial for
maximising winter comfort. The Curo is made
from recycled polyester. It’s soft, cosy, stylish
and it won’t break the bank.
Ocoopa Classic Pro
Magnetic hand warmers £42.99
If one hand warmer isn’t enough to keep both
hands toasty, the brilliant Ocoopa is two
units that attach magnetically together,
so you can keep one in each hand.
Ping Vernon Insulated Jacket £95
Lightweight insulation is the modern way
to keep warm on the golf course, and Ping
have nailed it. We love the Vernon’s stretch
properties and water-resistant finish –
and the price tag’s not half bad either.
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WA RM

‘A GOLFER WHO HITS DRIVER AROUND 250

YARDS LOSES TWO YARDS OF CARRY FOR
EVERY 10 DEGREES THE TEMPERATURE
DROPS. THE GOLDEN RULE: CLUB UP’

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 WINTERISE YOUR GAME!
Playing through a British winter isn’t that appealing to lots of golfers. But with a little planning
and preparation, you can embrace the challenge winter golf brings
e all know that in winter
W we need to layer up and
take a hot drink with us
to keep warm on the golf course,
but there are a few other things we
can all do to perform optimally
when the conditions go south.
Here’s all you need to know...
WINTER BASICS
The effects of the cold run much
deeper than just playing on bumpy
winter greens. We advise against
leaving your golf bag in a cold garage,
shed or car boot the night before a
game, as cold hardens golf ball
compression, so premium urethane
balls feel more like harder ionomer
models. Cold golf balls are also
slower, launch lower and spin less.
If your driver face also happens to
be just as cold as a frozen ball, it’s
much more likely to be fragile and
susceptible to cracking.
The cold also affects distance. As a
rule of thumb, a golfer who hits driver
approximately 250 yards (around
150mph ball speed) loses two yards
of carry for every 10 degrees the
temperature drops, and vice versa
when temperatures warm up. It might
not sound like much, but at -1°C that’s
an eight-yard loss. The golden winter
rule, then: take more club.
YOU’RE MORE ACCURATE
DOWNWIND
As part of their Ballnamic ball fitting
platform in the USA, Ping do tons of
research into golf balls, as they love
being able to answer every question
tour pros fire at them. Part of their
research recently has focused on how
much wind affects distance and
dispersion, and it’s worth
understanding that you’re
significantly more
accurate hitting
downwind than
you are against it.
Ping’s research
shows shots hit
into a 15mph
headwind have
a reduction of
30 yards of
carry distance
versus hitting
downwind in
GET SPIKED
During the golf season, we typically
turn our noses up when shoe brands
say new spike models can increase
driver distance by five yards and cut
dispersion by 60%. But winter is
the absolute best time to deck your
favourite golf shoes out with some
new spikes. For less than £20, you
guarantee yourself stability and
maximum traction even when the
conditions are awful, and you’re also
genuinely reducing the risk of slips
and falls. With 82% of players on
the PGA Tour wearing Softspikes,
we thoroughly recommend the
brand’s Tour Flex Pro cleats.
the same wind. Downwind shots were
also 20% more accurate. That’s well
worth remembering when you’re next
playing in blustery conditions.
LEAVE YOUR THICK
LAYERS AT HOME
The modern way to keep
warm on the course is
by layering up and
using lightweight
insulation.
Always start
with a soft,
cosy base layer
next to the
skin (like
the brilliant
Zerofit), but
be aware of wearing too many layers
or having a thick, restrictive top on
the outside.
We dressed our test pro Neil Wain
up like the Michelin man to see how
over dressing (we added a couple more
layers than you’d want) impacts speed.
Bulging in insulation, he gave up
6mph of driver speed (that’s 3.7% of his
overall speed), which translates to
losing 15 yards of driver carry distance.
That’s hugely significant when teamed
with the impact of cold conditions.
BE BRIGHT
Coloured golf balls are all the rage
nowadays and winter, when light
levels are lower and the ground is
covered in leaves, is the perfect
opportunity to give them a try.
Think about opting for the
slightly softer feeling,
lower compression
models, so even in
cold, harsh
conditions you
still get reasonable
levels of feedback.
From October
until March, most
clubs in the UK play
‘Winter Rules’, where
you can lift, clean and
replace a ball in the
fairway. Just make sure
you take this opportunity
to dry the ball, as our wet
wedge test on page 90 shows
that moisture introduces huge
inconsistency, especially when
using more lofted clubs.
Our favourite winter golf ball
models right now are the Callaway
Supersoft, Srixon AD333, Wilson Duo
Soft and TaylorMade Distance+.
HOW TO HIT MUD BALLS
Mud balls should never be an issue
on the fairway in winter as you can
simply lift, clean and place the ball,
but what happens when your ball is
sat in the rough and covered in dirt?
Well, Ping have studied that, too. If the
mud is on the right side of the ball,
expect shots to go 25-30 yards further
left than usual, and vice versa if the
mud is on the left. Mud balls are also
likely to cost you between one and two
clubs’ worth of carry distance.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 97
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CAN GORE-TEX HELP WHAT

EXACTLY IS
YOU PLAY BETTER GORE-TEX?
THIS WINTER?
Galvin Green say it will, but you still need to choose
Invented in 1969, Gore-Tex is a very thin
membrane that’s applied to fabric. It contains
1.4 billion microscopic pores per square cm, and
each pore is 20,000 times smaller than a
water droplet – but 700 times larger than a
the right option for your game… and your budget water vapour molecule. It means water
droplets can’t get in through the
hey’re all waterproof globe in search of better fabrics, membrane but moisture can get

T and breathable, yet

Galvin Green make three
different levels of Gore-Tex jacket,
which left us thinking: how are
you supposed to know which best
suits your exact needs?
When it comes to premium
waterproofs, Galvin Green are the
market leaders. And because they
don’t need to worry about making
clubs, shoes, gloves or balls, they
focus all their efforts on creating
the best performing waterproofs
your money can buy. That means
they have the time to scour the
all with the intention of giving
golfers an array of price and
out, hence it being waterproof
and breathable.
performance options, while
never compromising on quality.
Galvin are so confident that
Gore membranes offer the best
combination of waterproofness and
breathability, every one of their
waterproof garments has only ever
featured Gore-Tex since 1990
– something no other waterproof
golf clothing brand can lay claim to.
To guide you to the right product,
here’s how to choose which Gore-
Tex jacket best suits you in 2023.

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GORE-TEX SHELL LAYER
WITH MESH LINER
Axley £289
The Shell Layer is Galvin’s original
fabric, and what all the company’s
original jackets were made from.
Inside, a mesh liner gives a slightly
softer feel (which lots of golfers
prefer), and traps a little more body
heat, which is perfect for upping
warmth levels over the brand’s
lighter Paclite fabrics. It is also
available as a lined, stretch option.
If you see the Shell Layer as being a
brilliant all-round, multi-purpose
jacket that functions just as well for
golf as it does for outdoor pursuits,
you’ll be thinking exactly along the
right lines.
‘THE C-KNIT COMBINES CUTTING-EDGE COMFORT AND
PERFORMANCE TO DELIVER THE ULTIMATE WATERPROOF JACKET’
GORE-TEX PACLITE
Armstrong £299
By being lighter and less bulky,
Paclite jackets are a sound choice for
golfers who want waterproofs that
take up the smallest amount of space
and weight in their bag. They’re also
a great choice for those who don’t
like wearing waterproof jackets, as
that lack of weight makes them feel
less restrictive. Until the launch of
the C-Knit jacket, Paclite was
Galvin’s lightest waterproof jacket
option. It comes with no liner, so
golfers tend to layer up beneath
them. If you wear this style of jacket
over short sleeves, the inside can feel
cooler and harsher against the skin
than a lined alternative.
SCAN HERE
FOR THE BEST
CLOTHING
GORE-TEX STRETCH
WITH C-KNIT
Alister £539
Galvin say Stretch and C-Knit
combine comfort and performance
tech to deliver the ultimate
waterproof jacket. Inside, a Japanese
fabric gives a silky-smooth feel
which eliminates the colder feeling
of Paclite. Thanks to some serious
R&D, the C-Knit back barely
impacts breathability, so no matter
what the conditions or activity, you’ll
stay dry and comfortable. Galvin
C-Knit products also often include
super-stretch panels around elbows
and shoulders to reduce restriction
and give a very personal fit.
Undeniably pricey, but brilliant.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 99
 PRIZE DRAW

WIN CURO GOLF CLOTHING

This new British golf brand is built on quality and sustainability
aunching a premium golf clothing

L brand had been on Sam Bailey’s mind

ever since taking up the game at 11,
and during the pandemic he finally
took the plunge and created Curo Golf.
Over the last 13 months his start-up has
been a labour of love, and with his sensitively-
sourced products now available on the Curo
PRIZEH
WORT2
£41
website, we’ve teamed up to give two TG
readers the chance to win a mid-layer,
two polo shirts, a beanie hat and tour towel
– a package worth £206 each.
Curo means ‘to care’ in Latin, so looking
after our planet and the brand’s workers is
front and centre of the company’s philosophy.
Sustainability is also hugely important to
the brand, so Curo use recycled polyester and
natural wool to create a range of super soft,
comfortable yet durable golf wear – each
product is built to look great and last.
“Each Curo clothing article is thoughtfully
crafted using a variety of materials,
including recycled polymers and wool,”
explains Bailey. “We carefully select these
fabrics to strike a balance between
durability and comfort, ensuring that our
apparel stands the test of time.
“By creating premium products that last
longer than fast fashion, we aim to combat
the disposable culture and reduce waste,
providing more value to our customers at
affordable prices.”
Find out more about Curo’s dedication to
quality, value for money and sustainability at
www.curogolf.com and follow the brand on
Instagram at curo.golf

HOW TO ENTER
Visit www.todays-golfer.com/win, click on ‘Curo
Golf’ and enter your email. Entries open at
midnight on November 23 and close on December
20, 2023. Full T&Cs are on the website.

100 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

 See more at todays-golfer.com
Scan this QR code to get advice
on the best equipment for your game

TOP 10 BLADES & HIGH-HANDICAP IRONS WHAT’S IN

THE BAG?
PXG 0317 ST | £209 per club BLADE

TG VERDICT If you look at the benefits each blade can bring to the table on paper, rather than Equipment
going all gooey over heritage and feel, and being led by ego, PXG’s 0317 ST are stand-out performers. free agent
Being able to go lighter or heavier and longer or shorter without moving the centre of gravity location
and thus altering feel is genius thinking. Matt Fitzpatrick
Vega VMB | £1,350 BLADE Fresh off the back of winning
the Ryder Cup with Europe,
TG VERDICT If you feel there’s value to buying into premium Japanese forged irons and wedges (fans say Matt Fitzpatrick lifted the
they’re better quality and increase feel), rather than settling for less expensive Chinese forgings (which Dunhill Links trophy in St
detractors claim lack the same levels of feel), Vega are sneaky good. Muscleback irons are intimidating Andrews. The 29-year-old has
and unforgiving, but if you’re into them, the VMB profile is about as classic as they come. now racked up nine DP World
Tour wins, amassing over
Takomo 301 MB | £525 BLADE €23m in winnings along the
way. The Englishman, who
TG VERDICT Sat in a golf bag, the 301 look like a set of premium Japanese irons, yet they cost half of what turned pro in 2014 playing off
you’d pay for the pleasure of playing the real deal. From a 34° 7-iron loft the model was a few yards plus four, doesn’t have an
down on our very best. Impressively, though, all three-accuracy metrics (carry distance drop off, equipment contract, so here’s
left-to-right dispersion and shot area) were all inside our averages. Consider us highly impressed. the gear he chooses for his bag.

TaylorMade P7MB | £1,149 BLADE Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9°)

TG VERDICT Designed by some of the world’s best ball strikers, you need to be quite some player to Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw
warrant playing a set of MBs. If you’ve got the game and the consistency to warrant them, they Orange 65 TX shaft
are absolutely gorgeous. Expect a slightly shorter blade length and more compact appearance than
some, and a super classy satin finish. 3-wood:
Ping G430 Max (17.5°)
Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Orange
Cobra King MB | £999 BLADE 75 TX shaft
TG VERDICT After investing serious resources into creating a brilliant family of forged irons, Cobra have
come up smelling of roses for the better player this year. The MBs are sleek, classic blades with a look 7-wood: Ping G410 (20.5°)
and feel (thanks to them being forged five times) to rival the very best. In terms of their numbers in Mitsubishi Tensei
testing, the model was spot on our averages for 2023. CK 80 TX shaft

Irons: Ping i210 (4), Ping

Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal HL | £135 per club HIGH-HANDICAP Forged Blueprint S (5-PW)
Ping CFS shaft
TG VERDICT Until now, moderate speed irons have had big, chunky and very hard to love wide
bodies, but Mizuno’s introduction of the JPX923 Hot Metal HL has changed everything for moderate Wedges: Titleist Vokey
speed club golfers. The HL opens up a whole new avenue towards higher lofts and more attractive Design SM9 & Wedge Works
designs for those swinging 7-iron at less than 75mph, and we applaud them for it. (52°, 56°, 60°)
True Temper Dynamic
Cleveland Launcher XL Halo | £499 (s), £599 (g) HIGH-HANDICAP Gold shaft
TG VERDICT Every time our pro tests hybrid irons, he ends the session smiling broadly and Putter: Bettinardi BB1 Fitz
asking why golfers insist on making the game harder than it needs to be by using smaller, more
compact irons. At average club golfer speeds, not only is the Halo easy to launch high enough to Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
maximise distance, its wide, hybrid-style body is also forgiving when shots are sprayed across its face.

Wilson Launch Pad | £600 (s), £699 (g) HIGH-HANDICAP

TG VERDICT Our test pro reckons the Launch Pad produces the easiest 180-yard shot he’s
ever hit, which is a ringing endorsement of how its cleverly disguised wider body doesn’t distract his
eye unnecessarily. If you struggle with ball-striking consistency or in flighting shots high enough to
allow approaches to land and stop on the dancefloor, this is a brilliant option for 2023.

TaylorMade Stealth HD | £129 (s), £143 (g) per club HIGH-HANDICAP

TG VERDICT We love that TaylorMade have kept the Stealth name for the HD model; it means
that you don’t feel left out of the cool gang or get unfairly labelled as a sub-standard golfer, playing a
different marque. Yes, the look is much more hybrid iron than Mizuno’s sleek HL, but everything about
the head and shaft selection scream easy launch and forgiveness at sub 75 mph speeds.

Eleven Hybrid | From £350 (set) HIGH-HANDICAP

TG VERDICT We’ve said for a good few years now that if you can stomach them, use hybrid
irons as they’re more forgiving and easier to launch. Eleven take the idea a step further; this is a set
of hybrids, not hybrid irons. The model is not for everyone, but if your game needs maximum help or
your swing speed is slipping, our data highlights how Eleven could be a brilliant choice.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 101

TOP 10 FAIRWAY WOOD S

Callaway Paradym | £379 BRANDED

TG VERDICT The Paradym’s head sits beautifully square, its face grooves highlight centre face
and the size is more friendly than frighteningly compact. It was our third-fastest and joint third-longest BROLLIES
(252yds), so very well regarded. But on account of it having an adjustable hosel, it’s also eye-wateringly
expensive. With so many higher loft options, consider it a great alternative to hybrids. Tour umbrellas
from the three
TaylorMade Stealth 2 | £299 biggest names
TG VERDICT Never just pick fairway woods based on distance, as they need to fill yardage gaps
in your game, but Stealth 2 tied third-longest (252yds) in 2023 testing. It also produced a ball speed
2mph faster than our test average, plus a higher peak height, steeper landing angle and a fraction less
spin than most. Our pro also hit shots into a 34% smaller area than our test average, so it truly excelled.

Srixon ZX MK II | £279
TG VERDICT ZX fairways and hybrids have impressed in our test sessions over the last few years,
and the new MK II, with its slightly larger, more friendly looking head shape, continues the trend. It was
our longest fairway wood of 2023 (257yds), and hit shots into a 28% tighter dispersion area than our
test average. If you have reasonable levels of speed, the MK II should definitely be on your shortlist.

Ping G430 MAX | £350 TaylorMade Double

Canopy £49.95
TG VERDICT At £350, nobody will invest in a couple of G430 fairway woods lightly, but it will Boasting an ergonomic TPR/
remain as relevant in a decade’s time as it is today. We love the low profile/shallow face height, the ABS logo handle as well as an
attractive head shape and solid impact sound. It wasn’t our longest, but with a carry distance drop-off elastic venting system designed
of just seven yards, it was incredibly forgiving, and it hit shots into our smallest dispersion area (158.2y²). to resist inversion, this
TaylorMade umbrella will keep
Cobra Aerojet MAX | £269 you dry on even the most
miserable of rounds.
TG VERDICT Cobra’s three Aerojet fairways are lovely, but if you’re an average speed club golfer looking
for a mix of speed, distance and forgiveness, the MAX really needs to be pinging your radar. We love
how the model launched and flew higher, span more and hit the green at a steeper angle than our test
averages – all traits that, at average speeds, keep shots in the air for longer to maximise carry distance.

Titleist TSR2 | £289

TG VERDICT Thanks to it hitting shots into our second smallest dispersion area, we can confidently say
the TSR2 is forgiving. While it was nine yards back from our very longest, thanks to its attractive head
shape and profile, an array of stock shaft options plus a good range of lofts, we can see how the family
could be dialled in to suit a decent amount of reasonable speed, but less consistent, club golfers.

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond | £379 Ping Tour Double

Canopy £49.99
TG VERDICT Fast and long when hit from the middle, at 254 yards this was our second-longest fairway of Blends a classical design with
2023. However, as cute and attractive as it sat at address, our test pro hit shots into an area twice the robust functionality, offering
size of our test average with it. Shots also launched with 700rpm less spin, flew four yards lower, and hit both a foam-padded handle
the ground at a 5° shallower angle than average, so average club golfers may struggle to live with it. for comfort as well as an
enormous 68-inch dual canopy
TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus | £379
to keep the rain off in even the
toughest conditions.
TG VERDICT For many, the £379, titanium chassis Plus will be utterly out of reach this year. But we
wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t highlight how it produced our fastest ball speeds (154.5 mph)
while tying third-longest (252yds). And thanks to a 50g sliding sole weight, it can go from a Rocket
3 (13.5°) to a 3HL (16.5°) model, all within a single head. Seriously impressive stuff.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD | £299

TG VERDICT With a wider, more forgiving head shape and a lightweight, higher-launch shaft, the HD comes
into its own for lesser speed players. Our test data highlights the model spinning 1,100rpm more, flying
five yards higher and landing at a 5.8° steeper angle than the Stealth 2. They’re all traits that will
optimise distance and forgiveness for most average speed players.

Callaway UV £45
Wilson Dynapower | £220 The UV is designed to maximise
TG VERDICT There are always golfers out there looking for gear that performs but doesn’t cost the earth. on-course efficiency and
It’s exactly the market we see Wilson’s new Dynapower featuring in this year. We like the crisp impact delivered at a very affordable
sound and completely inoffensive head shape/graphics, plus how the model bettered our test averages price. Its added shaft height
for ball speed, distance and dispersion. A performance that won’t be lost on reasonable club golfers. makes it perfect for
any golfers using trolleys.

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TOP 10 MID-HANDICAP IRONS

Srixon ZX4 MK II | £999 (s), £1,099 (g) REMEMBER

TG VERDICT We love the ZX4’s elegant straight lines, and while the heads are a little longer and
bigger, they still boast a super attractive look at address and are not overly offset. They were our THESE?
joint-longest mid-handicap iron of 2023 (197 yards, tied with the Wilson Dynapower), and a top-three
performer for protecting ball speed. It all adds up to make the ZX4 MK II a very worthy award winner.
PING ISI IRONS
We were talking about Ping’s
TaylorMade Stealth | £849 (s), £949 (g) iron heritage recently and it got
TG VERDICT Now entering the second year of its life cycle, when most models fade from the us reminiscing about some the
public’s gaze, Stealth should still be part of the conversation for golfers buying mid-handicap irons of the best models the company
in 2023. Expect a really attractive-looking and sounding iron that, thanks to TaylorMade’s clever new has ever produced. One name to
SelectFit hosel system, can also be tried at stronger and weaker lofts to optimise ball flight. crop up with regularity was the
Ping ISI. Launched in 1996, it
was the first iron developed
Ping G430 | £150 (s), £160 (g) entirely by John Solheim (now
TG VERDICT With its 7-iron strengthened by 1°, some may bemoan the stronger lofts on the CEO) without the help from his
G430 as loft jacking, but Ping offer options for every speed and ability. Retro lofts are 2° weaker (31° in father, and Ping founder, Karsten.
the 7-iron), which will help many flight, land and stop shots correctly. And if you really struggle for speed The ISI was available in three
(swinging driver at less than 85mph), there’s a lighter G430 High Launch set-up, to cover off all bases. materials, 17-4 stainless steel
(the least expensive), beryllium
copper, and beryllium nickel,
PXG 0211 XCOR 2 | £119 (Chrome), £149 (Xtreme Dark) per club choices that have never been an
TG VERDICT The XCOR 2 isn’t forged and they don’t have PXG’s famous weight technology, option since. Though beryllium
so MOIs are typically 10% lower than PXG premium irons, but you’re buying into the brand’s knowledge copper irons had a heck of a
and know-how for just £99 a club when buying five or more. That means you could get your hands on a reputation for feeling soft, the
set of 0211s for £594 (6-GW), and that’s outstanding value for money in anyone’s book. ISI’s nickel model improved
durability but also offered the
softest feel of any Ping iron ever
Cobra AeroJet | £849 (s), £949 (g) produced. Unfortunately, it was
TG VERDICT The Aerojet’s test data highlights a strong performer, but remember that the model has also prohibitively expensive.
unashamedly strong lofts, which inevitably, in a fitting, will rule golfers either in or out based on the levels John Solheim liked how the
of 7-iron speed they can muster. It just missed out on a ‘Best of 2023’ award as we’re a little less keen model blended the best of the
on the longer blade length and the rounder, softer-edged shaping, but others may well disagree. iconic Eye2 iron with the best
parts of the Zing2 (which Lee
Westwood played for years), and
PXG 0311 XP GEN6 | £209 per club spoke of how the cavity ribs
TG VERDICT The GEN6 are brand-new for 2023, their big sell being a 15% thinner face, which ups ball supported the face and nullified
speed and delivers better off-centre hit consistency. PXG irons are always great shapes, and we like how vibration, upping feel to new
this particular mid-handicap model doesn’t have huge amounts of hosel offset. Just make sure you can levels. Karsten preferred the
flight the strong lofts successfully enough to land and stop shots on the dancefloor. slightly larger ISI K, however,
which offered more forgiveness.
Imagine ordering a set of irons
Wilson Dynapower | £700 (s), £800 (g) today and having the choice of
TG VERDICT Like its predecessor (the D9), the Dynapower proved to be a fast and super long mid-handicap three different head materials to
option – ranked second-fastest for ball speed and tied first on distance. Thanks to the bigger head and get the feel you wanted?
more offset (which some like for reassurance and confidence), we reckon the model will be most at home
in the hands of golfers who aren’t overly fussy about head shapes and profiles.

Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal | £135 per club

TG VERDICT With a 7-iron loft 2° weaker than the strongest mid-handicap iron on test, the JPX923 was
always going to struggle to keep up on raw ball speed and carry distance. But those wanting to maximise
scoring potential should note the model launched and flew higher, span more and descended onto the
green at a steeper angle than our test average. All stats that suggest they’re a very playable option.

Takomo 101 | $459

TG VERDICT Takomo have been quietly building a direct-to-consumer website for a few years now, their
mission being to deliver premium equipment at affordable prices. Their simple but classy models are
well worth a look this year, especially as they should come in for less than £400 a set. Bear in mind that
you will need to order online and will have to forgo a fitting.

Callaway Paradym X | £1,199 (s), £1,299 (g)

TG VERDICT The Paradym X was our test pro’s third-longest mid-handicap iron this year (194 yards),
but we were more impressed that it offered the lowest backspin, joint lowest peak height and shallowest
descent angle of any iron in the category. That spells out that in the right hands the model is a powerful
hollow body iron choice, though at lesser speeds it will be a challenge to flight and stop successfully.

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TOP 10 FORGIVING DRIVERS

Ping G430 Max | £525

TG VERDICT With an MOI of 10K+, the G430 builds on Ping’s reputation for making ultra forgiving
drivers. A new internal rib structure gives a much more pleasing impact sound than the previous G425.
It was one yard back from our longest of the year, but that’s an excellent result given that, by virtue of
being so forgiving, Ping drivers are usually a tad slower and/or shorter than the very fastest or longest.

Callaway Paradym | £599

TG VERDICT The new Paradym driver eliminates a massive 20g of mass from its body and
reportedly gives 30% tighter dispersion, which is huge for most club golfers. We love the super neutral
address look, the impact sound is brilliant, and our data has the model down as one of the very longest
available. With a 9,000+g-cm² MOI, the model is getting mightily close to Ping levels of forgiveness.
THE BEST-KEPT
TaylorMade Stealth 2 | £499 SECRET ON
TG VERDICT The Stealth 2 models are TM’s first drivers to be constructed from a higher
percentage of carbon fibre than titanium. At our 10.5° test loft, the lovely looking Stealth 2 was our joint- TOUR?
longest forgiving driver of 2023. Throw in a third-best left-to-right dispersion (33.8yds), plus a slightly
skewed heel-side sweetspot, and it’s clearly a great performing driver for many club golfers. Breaking into the tour driver
and golf ball markets is proving
Mizuno ST-X 230 | £499 to be a monumental challenge
for forged iron gurus Mizuno.
TG VERDICT A mildly draw-biased driver that will fit lots of club golfers very nicely, the X was also Yet a leading shaft tour rep told
our joint-longest forgiving driver (276yds), which is seriously impressive when you realise Mizuno’s stock us recently that Mizuno’s balls
shaft length is 0.75in shorter than the competition. It was also third best at protecting ball speed and are the best-kept secret out on
ranked well inside our test averages for dispersion and shot area. A playable driver for the masses. tour, as several players choose
to put them into play unpaid.
PXG 0211 | £199 If you want to give them a go
for yourself, you’ll benefit from
TG VERDICT The 0211 is neither a low-spin driver nor PXG’s most forgiving model, but it sits knowing the difference
neatly between the two and is a good set-up for club golfers. Just four yards back from the very longest, between the two options.
it produced our smallest shot area (236yds²), the least left-to-right dispersion (23.6yds), and the tiniest The RB Tour is designed to feel
carry distance drop-off. It was also brilliantly forgiving and, at that RRP, class it as an absolute steal. softer, fly lower and spin less
with the driver. By contrast,
Cobra Aerojet MAX | £429 the RB Tour X is firmer, flies
higher and gives low to
TG VERDICT With a 12g back weight, the MAX is a slower ball speed but more forgiving set-up than the mid-spin with the driver.
standard Aerojet. At average club golfer speeds, when clubs are tough to separate on pure data alone, the Interestingly, both balls have
tech-filled MAX stands out. With a shot area just greater than our top three, and a second-best ranking a 3-piece construction, an
for protecting carry distance, consider this a brilliant fairway finder. Not cheap, but still great VFM. approach used by both Srixon
and Bridgestone nowadays,
Yonex EZONE GS i-Tech | £399 which does away with the need
for 4-piece golf balls.
TG VERDICT At 276 yards carry distance, the i-Tech tied the Stealth 2 and Mizuno’s ST-X 230 as 2023’s You can expect these urethane
longest forgiving driver. It doesn’t quite warrant a ‘Best of 2023’ badge as the head shape, deep face models to set you back around
and slightly closed face angle aren’t what lots of golfers look for. But if you like a lightweight, lively driver £50 a dozen. For details,
feel and aren’t shy of going ‘off-piste’ in terms of brand, the model is well worth exploring. visit mizunogolf.com

Cleveland Launcher XL | £379

TG VERDICT The whole Launcher XL family targets golfers who eschew club fitting and prioritise fun on
the golf course over worrying about what gear they use. If that’s how you buy golf equipment, your game
is in safe hands with the XL. We love the model’s super wide, friendly and forgiving head shape, and the
data it produced hovers right around our test averages.

Srixon ZX5 | £499

TG VERDICT In the hands of our test pro, just six yards of carry distance separated the ZX5 from our very
longest drivers, while the model produced our second-smallest left-to-right dispersion (31.9yds).
That means it will absolutely perform on the golf course. The ZX5 looks lovely, it sounds great, and
there’s a touch of high-launch draw bias built in. We’d very happily use one ourselves.

Wilson Dynapower Ti | £370

TG VERDICT With 16g of rear weighting, the Ti is a forgiving and slightly draw biased driver, whereas
Wilson’s Carbon alternative is lower spinning, with more neutral ball flight tendencies. In the hands
of average-fast speed golfers, the Ti is an attractively shaped driver, it sounds decent and comes with
the capacity to keep up with the Joneses for reasonable amounts of money. A solid option in 2023.

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TOP 10 WEDGES

Cleveland CBX ZipCore | £139.99

TG VERDICT We’ve long preached that golfers who use cavity back irons should be using
cavity back wedges, and our thinking really hasn’t changed for 2023. The award-winning CBX and the
new, 13% bigger CBX Full-Face 2 are both intelligent choices for lots of club golfers. The CBX hit shots
into a 30.6yds² area during testing, which was 56% smaller than our test average.

EN
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore | £159 (s), £169 (g)

ER
RP
TG VERDICT We’ll put our cards on the table upfront and say you won’t find a better looking

EN
RP
wedge on the market than the tour-level RTX 6. We love its compact size, the straight leading-edge

A
SH
A
profile and the new super aggressive CNC milling pattern on the toe, which brings full face groove levels

VE
SH
O
RO
of stopping power to a traditional groove model.

G
Titleist Vokey Design SM9 | £169
TG VERDICT Vokey wedges, like Scotty Cameron putters and Pro V1 balls, are the go-to choice
for many decent players. As lovely as all three products are, the decision to play them often comes down
to trust, reputation and perception over tangible performance gains. The SM9 are a lovely shape, they
feel really great and, as we enter the second year of their product cycle, there’s a ton of options to go at.

IR
R
E
IR
PA
PA
TaylorMade MG3 | £149

RE
H
RE
TC
TG VERDICT If you favour a traditionally-shaped wedge with a familiar groove pattern over a

PI
-1
IN
modern, high-toe profile, you need the MG3s. You should never buy wedges on spin alone, but the MG3

3-
were this year’s second-highest-spinning model (9,509rpm). We love the super simple look and straight
leading edge. If your short game is best served by tour-level bladed wedges, look no further.

Sub 70 286 Forged Raw | £119

TG VERDICT The 286 is a classy looking wedge, with CNC-milled detailing and a completely non-offensive
head shape. It’s available in loads of lofts, which means you can get the set-up you need, plus there are
three finish options. Throw in a spot-on average spin performance and the fact the 286 hit shots into our
third-tightest shot area (27yds²), and you have an excellent wedge at a very impressive price.

W
ER
PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II | £429

RA
RK
A
M
E
TG VERDICT PXG’s 0311 wedges are outrageously expensive but, thanks to them being 100% CNC milled,

N
LI
D
LL
they’re the most precise wedges money can buy. We love the straight leading edge and how the club sits

BA
at address, and the classy satin finish is as simple as they come. A huge sell is the ability to go lighter,
heavier, longer or shorter without changing the centre of gravity – no other brand can compete on that.

Ping Glide 4.0 | £160 (s), £170 (g)

TG VERDICT Ping’s fourth generation Glide 4.0 is a halfway step between a full-on blade wedge and a
much deeper traditional cavity back. By splitting weight low and high in the blade stability is increased,
which ups consistency, particularly when shots are hit high on the face. Blade length is slightly shorter
than in previous models, which improves cosmetics, and it’s generally just a more attractive shape.

Bettinardi HLX 5.0 | £219

TG VERDICT Delicious to look at and use, but until now Bettinardi wedges have had far too much of a
‘Marmite’ round leading edge to warrant a position among our favourite models. This year Bettinardi have T
straightened the HLX 5.0’s lines to acceptable levels, making the model much more attractive to a wider
EN
M
N

audience of golfers. We’d happily stump up our own cash to buy Bettinardi wedges in 2023.
N
G
LI
G
A
TT

Vega VWX | £225

PU
LI
D
N
A
A

TG VERDICT The VWX keeps coming out on top of the pile for producing the very highest spin numbers.
E R
RK

For our test pro it was the only wedge from 22 test models (52° lofts) to break the 10K backspin barrier
A
M
LL

(three did so in 2022), so Vega are onto something with this brilliant Japanese forged model. Expect a
BA

very sharp-edged wedge that will work best in the hands of reasonably confident short gamers.

Callaway Jaws Raw | £179

TG VERDICT It’s really easy to forget that wedge legend Roger Cleveland has loads of input into each of
Callaway’s new models. More so than most, there’s a very sharp leading edge, which for some will be
a benefit for nipping shots from the tightest of lies, but remember they’re also much more likely to dig
into heavy, damp turf too. We love how the Raw rusts only on the face – a very tidy option.

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L I F E T I M E G UARANT EE
 WHITTINGTON HEATH,
STAFFORDSHIRE

ENGLISH
COUNTIES
TH E MOST AUTHORITATIVE
R ANKINGS IN TH E GAME

205
COReUvieRwSeEdS
and rated

11 COUNTIES RANKED
The very best of Lancashire, Berkshire, Staffordshire, Somerset, Oxfordshire,
Cheshire, Shropshire, Leicestershire, Sussex, Northants and Essex
 WELCOME
This is our second batch of
English county rankings and it
is again packed with insight
and knowledge from golfers
who have incredible breadth
of experience in each one.
These lists please me
enormously because we are
shining a light on literally
hundreds of very, very good
courses that don’t often find
themselves in the spotlight.
The focus is thus on the entries
that don’t feature in our other
rankings, namely the GB&I and
England lists. The start of each
ranking is taken from the way
they fall in the GB&I/England
lists but, be assured, the quality
remains incredibly high as we
move through each county.
Numerous golfers – ostensibly
our GB&I and England panellists
– fed into the county lists but I
was also reliant on county experts,
who headed up the ‘local’ input.
I am indebted to them and proud
of what we have produced. They
were: Lancashire – James Reader,
Michael Barlow, Dave Truman, Peter
Scrivener; Staffordshire – Dave
Parker; Cheshire – Jon Lightfoot,
Peter Scrivener; Berkshire –
Stephen Vincent; Oxfordshire
– Adam Lawrence, Marcus
Lovelock; Leicestershire – Nick Formby Hall
Dungay; Sussex – Ian Poysden;
Northamptonshire – Peter
Bosworth, Joe Kingston; Somerset
– Jaime Acton; Shropshire – Dave
Parker; Essex – Daniel Godding.
Lancashire
In 2024 we will complete The stellar names at the top are matched by serious depth throughout the county
our English county listings by
ranking Dorset, Suffolk, Along with Surrey, Lancashire is England’s As a near-neighbour Lytham, there may be
Durham and Northumberland, most star-studded county. Its two Open no sight of the sea but there’s still a strong
Derbyshire, Buckinghamshire, hosts are part of a six-strong contingent that links feel. Play there and you’d forgiven for
Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, are established in the Great Britain and thinking there must be more than the actual
Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Ireland Top 100, in order: Royal Birkdale, 118 bunkers, because there are occasions
Worcestershire and Hereford.
Royal Lytham & St Annes, Formby, when they seem to be everywhere.
Work is already well under way
on these but if you are well-versed Hillside, West Lancashire and Southport Next is Manchester (No.10), and in a
in the courses of any of these & Ainsdale. Add in England top 100 county renowned for its links, Lancashire’s
counties, do please get in touch. entries Formby Ladies (No.7) and St Annes finest inland course is an expansive
For now, enjoy learning about Old Links (No.8) and this is clearly one of moorland situated to the north of the city.
those featured in this month’s list. England’s strongest areas for golf, and its As you’d expect from a Harry Colt design,
Chris Bertram, strongest area for the links game. ‘Hopwood’, as it is also known, is a
Top 100 Courses Editor Fairhaven sits at No.9 in Lancashire. challenging test with a great mix of holes.

Fairhaven

108 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM


Pleasington is at No.11, a position
enhanced by an ongoing renovation
programme. Already one of the very best
inland courses in the county, it is benefitting
hugely from the work of Ken Moodie,
featuring major improvements to the
bunkering and work to regain its original
heathland character. Expect it to challenge
for a higher position in the rankings as the
work is completed over the next two years.
Next is Ormskirk, a classy wooded
parkland in a tranquil setting just 20
minutes from the Southport links. Its many
tree-lined holes are never claustrophobic
but demand straight hitting from the tee if
you are to score well.
Hesketh is at No.13, and if all of its holes
were as good as the seven on the clubhouse
side of Fleetwood Road, it would hold its
own with the very best of the county’s links.
As it is, the rest of the holes are on flatter
land of more parkland character, and while
by no means weak, they don’t quite reach
the same sublime heights.
Fleetwood slots in at No.14, due
recognition of a course often over-looked
among the county’s stellar collection of
links. It is the claimed site of the first links
in England, in 1861, and the Muirfield-like
routing, with the front nine surrounding
the back, means constant changes of
direction in the ever-present wind.
Bury (No.15) is a well-preserved Alister
MacKenzie design laid out on undulating
moorland which deserves to be much better
known. Recent tree clearance has helped
reveal the undoubted quality of the good
doctor’s work, with the par 3s and short par
4s particular highlights.
Next comes Bolton Old Links (No.15).
In spite of the name, this is another
MacKenzie moorland, featuring fabulous
views across four counties from its highest
point. The exposed location and regular
changes in elevation add up to a strong test
over its 6,500 yards.
Burnley is at No.17, a moorland located
well above the town that boasts that
winning combination of fun and a good test
of golf, particularly when the wind blows.
The £12.50 for their regular midweek opens
may be the best value in English golf – and
are there any other courses where a
Premier League football stadium provides
your ideal line off a tee?
The parkland by the sea of Morecambe
(No.18) is more evidence that MacKenzie
knew a thing or two about designing fun
and challenging courses. Just 5,800 yards
and par 67, it still presents a stiff test.
Clitheroe (No.19) is a picturesque James
Braid parkland that can be stretched to over
6,500 yards and has hosted Open Regional
Qualifying. Ditches threaten on a number
of holes, including the delightful par-3 17th.
Rounding off the top 20 is Saddleworth.
As you’d expect of a course set high in the
Pennines, there are plenty of elevation
changes to deal with and stunning views.
However, the clever routing ensures that
steep climbs are minimised and the demands
are more on your game than your legs.
TOP
Playing the fine, undulating parkland of
Grange Park (No.21), you’d never know
you were not much more than a mile from
the centre of St Helens. Its greens are noted
for being among the best in the county.
Preston, at No.22, is a fine tree-lined
parkland, with the pick of the holes playing
into, across and along a steep-sided valley.
At No.23, Whitefield’s five par 3s are the
undoubted highlights of this par-69
parkland to the north of Manchester, taking
full advantage as they do of the steep-sided
ravines that cut across the course.
Worsley, at No.24, is a James Braid-
designed parkland just six miles from the
centre of Manchester, although you’d never
know it. Well-placed, mature trees mean
you’re likely to have to shape your shots to
score well on a number of holes.
Beating off stiff opposition for a place in
the top 25 is Bolton. It is the town’s second
course on the list and is a 6,200-yard
moorland/parkland draped across a hillside
and crossed by a number of ravines.
Formby Hall at No.26 is a modern
parkland in super condition and with water
hazards to sate the appetite of the thrill seeker.
Lancaster is a Braid woodland-parkland
with notably good greens, while Childwall,
at No.28, is another superb piece of Braid
architecture in Liverpool – with especially
outstanding short holes.
Ashton-under-Lyne is beautifully
presented with some fine green complexes,
while North Manchester (No.30) is a
mature parkland with interesting holes.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 109
 A Memorable Heathland Experience

www.whittingtonheathgc.co.uk

Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club

Discover our two classic courses designed by nature…

www.royalashdown.co.uk Tel. 01342 822018 E. office@royalashdown.co.uk

RAFGC, Chapel Lane, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5LR
 TOP

Berkshire
A high-class mix of heathland and
parkland courses
Swinley Forest is Berkshire’s clear No.1,
a course of mesmeric charm by Harry Colt.
It is accompanied in the GB&I Top 100 by
the two courses at The Berkshire, one of
the great clubs of England. The Red
(No.2) is an enjoyable mix of six par 3s,
six par 4s and six par 5s. The Blue begins
with an awesome par 3 and offers a
consistently strong test of your game.
Bearwood Lakes, at No.4, is one of
Britain’s finest modern courses. It is an
entertaining parkland-woodland that is
Wokefield Park
in exceptional condition. A strong surge
up the England list in 2023 is testament
to its class.
East Berkshire (No.5) has been in the Sand Martins (No.11) is a course of two for the higher handicapper. Set down on
conversation for the England Top 100 and unusually distinct nines: a typical English the Berkshire Downs, West Berkshire
some feel it has been slightly hard done by parkland through the front half, followed (No.19) plays along tree-lined fairways,
in not making it in. It’s short, tight and by an inland-links look to the back nine. while Bird Hills (No.20) is a good public
always in good condition. The common theme is fun. course with a solid design. Expect a variety
An interesting variety of holes that At No.12, The Downshire is the best of holes at Donnington Valley, which is
combine to make a course that is always public course in the county, a nice mix of playable by all standards and has an epic
fun gets Temple to No.6. Expect lots of holes in good condition and, not that it four-hole climax.
elevation changes and a blind par 3. influences this ranking, great value. Royal Ascot (No.22) was originally
Highly recommended. The Caversham’s routinely excellent located on Ascot Heath in the centre of the
At No.7 is Calcot Park, a parkland classic condition helps it to No.13 and then comes racetrack but moved in 2005 to a parkland
with many undulating greens and excellent Wokefield Park, a characterful hotel with site in Windsor Great Park.
short holes. Sonning (No.8) is a beautifully a course to match. The standout play-and- Mapledurham (No.23) is an open
conditioned traditional parkland that is stay option in the county, it has many parkland that tracks the natural contours of
consistently good in its design, even if the interesting holes. the Chiltern Hills countryside, while No.24,
18th is a little out of keeping. Mill Ride (No.15) is modern golf with Billingbear, is another impressive public
Next is Newbury & Crookham, an excellent greens while No.16, Winter Hill, course that always has fabulous greens.
enjoyable parkland with quality greens and is a strong parkland. Castle Royle (No.17) Hennerton was a good nine-holer and
enough interest to play it regularly. has lots of bunkers on a generally open, perhaps should have stayed as such as the
Goring & Streatley rounds off the top 10, American-style course that sits on flat land extra holes have added little.
set down on hilly terrain that means it is but with large, undulating and slick greens. n Maidenhead would have featured in the
quite quirky at times – and usually very Donnington Grove (No.18) has nice top 20 but there are suggestions it may close
well presented. views although is perhaps a long way round in the near future, so it was left out.

Bearwood Lakes

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 111

 4UBêPSETIJSF
Packed with England Top 200 entries, perfect for an inland golf break
You won’t have heard Staffordshire
mentioned in the same breath as the likes
of Surrey, Yorkshire, Kent or Cornwall,
but it is quietly one of England’s most
appealing counties.
That quartet and a few others like it have
quality at the top of their list and incredible
depth even as you approach No.20.
Staffordshire doesn’t have that sort of
depth but its top 15 will disappoint no-one.
The opening of the JCB Club added an
instant high-calibre attraction, even if it is a
very private club. Robin Hiseman’s design
tacks over undulating terrain with a wealth
of entertaining holes. It has successfully
hosted the Legends Tour and is a beast off
the backs, but JCB is fun and playable off
the appropriate tees.
Beau Desert at No.2 is one of the handful
of courses that will vie to come into the
GB&I Top 100 this spring – it’s that good.
This heathland is set down on sloping
fairways that lead to exacting greens. From
the sporty opener to the thrilling finale, it is
112 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
pure class. If it was located in Surrey its
green fee would be double.
The county’s No.3, Little Aston, is
another GB&I Top 100 contender and is
one of the finest parklands in these islands.
This historic course plays down avenues of
trees to slick, pure greens.
Enville has been around since 1935 but
is enjoying its highest profile only now,
with two fabulous courses. The Highgate at
No.4 is a quality heathland-woodland hybrid
which is No.109 in our England ranking,
while The Lodge (No.5) is shorter but some
enjoy it even more. It’s No.135 in England.
Harry Colt’s Sandwell Park is our No.6
here and also in the England Top 200. This
West Bromwich-based course is another
mature part-wooded heathland.
There is yet another England Top 200
entry at No.7. in Whittington Heath,
reworked by Jonathan Gaunt to allow for
the routing of HS2. It, too, meanders
through heathland and woodland.
Trentham (No.8) is set on part of the
former Duke of Sutherland’s estate, with
tranquil wooded areas and lakes. Driving
is a challenge on this Open regional
qualifying course.
South Staffordshire, at No.9, sits in
Wolverhampton parkland and is the home
club of former Ryder Cup player Peter
Baker. It is a very high-calibre test of
driving and iron play.
Harry Vardon’s Brocton Hall at No.10
combines testing hazards and lovely
scenery as you move along rolling fairways
towards well-guarded greens.
Walsall is an Alister MacKenzie design
with tree-lined fairways, small, sloping
greens and extensive bunkering.
Penn (No.12) has nine seasoned holes
that were the original course of South
Staffs before they moved, while Leek
(No.13) was formed in the 1890s but moved
in the 1920s to Big Birchall, where Tom
Williamson laid out this parkland.
Bloxwich (No.14) has five par 3s and four
par 5s but it might be the par 4s that live
longest in the memory – including the
448-yard 18th over water. Trentham Park,
meanwhile, is laid out in part-wooded
parkland with plenty of hazards.

Somerset
Stellar links mix with seasoned parklands in a county of historic clubs
Somerset of course has its superstar in
Burnham & Berrow, but its strength really
lies in a support cast that remains
consistently good deep into this ranking.
Burnham & Berrow is a world-class
links with one of the finest five-hole starts
anywhere in Britain. It needs very little
introduction as a World Top 100 entry and
fixture in the heart of the GB&I ranking.
At No.2 is another wonderful traditional
links, Weston-super-Mare. Designed by
Alister MacKenzie, its sandy base makes it
as good in December as it is in July. There
are excellent views in the middle of the
front nine, while the 15th was modelled on
the iconic ‘Road Hole’ 17th at St Andrews.
Heading inland for No.3, Bath – or ‘Sham
Castle’ as it is known locally, because of the
adjoining ancient ‘castle’ facade – is a
downland that was designed by Harry Colt.
It offers countryside and city views, with a
couple of risk-reward holes its highlights.
Enmore Park is No.4, a pretty, tree-lined
parkland set in the foothills of the Quantock
Hills that is noted locally as being in good
condition from spring to autumn.
At No.5 is Minehead & West Somerset.
This ancient course is another classic links,
set against the Brendon Hills and with
captivating sea views towards South Wales.
The back nine has the coast running along
its right side.
The Mendip in Shepton Mallet is
renowned for spectacular countryside views
because of its elevated location. Our No.6 is
Burnham & Berrow
a downland course set on the undulating
Mendip terrain at around 1,000 feet.
TOP
Orchardleigh, at No.7, enjoys a beautiful
setting in a private country estate and is
an enjoyable place to play with some
fabulous holes.
Taunton & Pickeridge (No.8) includes
wonderful rumpled fairways caused by old
limestone mine workings and has a strong
middle section to a Tom Simpson design.
At No.9, Clevedon is more than 130 years
old and JH Taylor’s design remained largely
unaltered until the 1990s, when this
woodland was lengthened.
Wells, at No.10, was founded in 1893 on
the outskirts of the eponymous historic city.
It’s a well-presented parkland nestled in the
Mendip Hills.
Saltford (No.11) opened in 1904 and the
initial course was later revised by Harry
Vardon. Expect quick greens with
movement in them, well-placed bunkers
and tree-lined fairways with some notable
changes in elevation.
Farrington is our No.12, and 27 holes
set within 200 acres of the former Duchy
of Cornwall estate. The 18-hole Duchy is
the main course, winding between trees
and along undulating fairways.
Mendip Spring, No.13, opened as a
nine-hole course in 1908 but is now 18
and delivers an enjoyable test on springy,
downland turf.
Oake Manor (No.14) is barely 6,200 yards
but with water hazards featuring on 10 of
the 18 holes, you have to hit it well to score,
while our No.15 is Yeovil, a seasoned
woodland-parkland with a number of
dog-legs to analyse and execute.
JCB Club
113
 The Wilmslow Golf Club
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Established in 1889, a James Braid designed course that has a rich history and is
a top choice for golf in Cheshire, especially during the winter months.
Nestled in the heart of Cheshire, the Championship course is a testament to the
timeless beauty of parkland layouts. The legacy of Sir Nick Faldo's 6th European
Tour win in the early 1980s is interwoven into the very fabric of the course.
Wilmslow also hosted Open Championship Qualifying in the early 2000s and
more recently, a European Tour Legends event that marked the return to golf
after the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic.
Measuring close to 6700 yards, the course offers golfers an almost heathland feel
as they traverse the fairways and embrace the gorgeous Cheshire countryside.
The jewel in the crown is the 18th hole, a risk-and-reward masterpiece that runs
alongside the meandering Mobberley brook, which weaves its way through the
whole course. But that's not all; the collection of four fantastic par 3s, with two
on the front nine and two true crackers on the back nine, sure to delight and
challenge golfers of all levels.
Convenience is key The Wilmslow Golf Club is just 15 minutes from the M6
motorway and a mere 10 minutes away from Manchester Airport. You can tee
off and touch down without a hitch, making your golfing journey as smooth as
a well-struck putt!

COME AND EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF CHESHIRE'S

GOLFING WORLD AT THE WILMSLOW GOLF CLUB
www.wilmslowgolfclub.co.uk | 01565 872148 | admin@wilmslowgolfclub.co.uk

The JCB Golf and Country Club reflects the bold, ambitious vision of Lord Bamford, Chairman of the iconic construction
and agricultural equipment manufacturer - JCB. Set amid the lush green rolling countryside of Staffordshire,
the 7308 yard, par 72 course has been designed and constructed to the highest specification, challenging elite golfers at full distance.

T: 01889 593564
JCB Golf and Country Club W: www.jcbgolfandcountryclub.com
Hollington Road, Rocester, Uttoexeter. ST14 5HY F: www.facebook.com/JCBGolfCC

Oxfordshire
A landlocked county that is sprinkled with England Top 200 courses
The courses of Oxfordshire comprise
distinctive and entertaining holes, a wealth
of quick-draining soil, a mix of traditional
and modern styles, and natural experiences.
A golf break here is one that gently charms
rather than being an assault on the senses.
Huntercombe is one of the most clear
No.1 courses across all the English counties.
A fixture in the middle of the England Top
100 and a contender for the GB&I list, it
was laid out by Willie Park Jnr in 1901,
shortly after he created Sunningdale Old.
It is not an onerously long course, so it is
the strategic and creative golfer who will
most likely prosper here, and anyone with
an ounce of affection for traditional
architecture and courses will relish a game
on its gorgeous turf. Park used the natural
terrain beautifully, so expect awkward
stances and lies in the many grassy hollows
that are so prevalent.
Tadmarton Heath, at No.2, is short at
6,043 yards from the tips, but this tight,
clever, par-69 heathland brings gorse and
sand into play over its 18 charming holes.
We have it ranked No.113 in England.
Frilford Heath
Frilford Heath (Red) is our No.3 and is
No.122 in England. Considered the ‘best 18’
of the 54-hole complex, the Red combines
long, sweeping dog-legs with big greens and
strong bunkering throughout.
The Oxfordshire is a Rees Jones design
that gives the golfer wide target fairways,
big bunkers and water that comes into play
on eight of the 18 holes. A true test.
Burford, at No.5, is as pretty as a picture.
This tree-lined test combines a gentle walk
with fine turf and all year-round
conditioning. Great fun.
Next it’s Henley, a James Braid design
from 1907 that is full of thought-provoking
holes. Six par 3s get your attention, as do
the four very ‘gettable’ par 5s.
Frilford Heath (Green), at No.7, is the
shortest course at Frilford but is packed full
of character, with many changes in direction
and some of the best holes on the estate.
Tom Mackenzie did a fine job at
Heythrop Park and this gentle stroll
through the mature estate in north
Oxfordshire has a good number of holes
that will live long in your memory.
TOP
Our No.9, Oxford, also known by its
former name of Southfield, is a terrific
Harry Colt routing among mature trees.
This undulating parkland, which opened
in 1922, has super views of the city.
Frilford Heath (Blue) opened in 1994
and was laid out by local designer Simon
Gidman. It features sweeping fairways
among mature trees, bold bunkering and
large greens.
Studley Wood, at No.11, is a modern
design with wonderful conditioning and 14
lakes across the course, while The Springs,
designed by former Ryder Cupper Brian
Huggett, is set in 133 acres of outstanding
parkland where red kites soar and
kingfishers dive. It’s very nicely presented.
North Oxford, at No.13, was established
in 1907 and this mature parkland requires
brain not brawn to score well on. Drayton
Park is an original James Braid design in
easy-walking, tree-lined parkland.
Hadden Hill opened in the early 1990s and
is a tree-lined, undulating parkland with
excellent views over the North Wessex
Downs on the back nine.
 Cheshire
Think Cheshire is all about Hoylake? Think again…
Royal Liverpool is Cheshire’s obvious
standout course and its No.1, but the fact
this ranking extends down to No.30
demonstrates this is one of England’s
premier counties.
Hoylake needs no introduction so let’s
move on to No.2, Wallasey. A true links test
that has improved notably in the last three
years, it will be a very strong contender to
come into the GB&I Top 100 in 2024.
The same can be said of our No.3,
Delamere Forest. Its unique topography
was so well used by Herbert Fowler and
although it is not a long course and the
heathy turf can be fast-running to give you
value for your shots, you must think
carefully about every one of them. Ranked
No.58 in England, it is in better shape than
ever in its tees, greens, aprons and approaches,
thanks to a new irrigation system.
Prestbury, now a fixture in the England
Top 100, is a rolling parkland that has
benefitted from a recent overhaul. It is full
of character and entertaining holes.
Our No.5, Sandiway, is another to enjoy
an adventurous terrain that makes for
memorable holes. It’s a Top 200 England
entry, as is Cheshire’s No.6, Stockport.
It’s being continually improved and this
pine-lined parkland with clever greens has
hints of Sherwood Forest, Hollinwell and
Beau Desert.
Reddish Vale is an Alister MacKenzie
design squeezed into a compact site.
Residential development around its edge
Carden Park
116 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
gives a less sparkling setting than some in
the list and it has a lower maintenance
budget, but it has lots of truly fabulous holes.
Wilmslow (No.8) brings to Cheshire’s list
some very well-groomed, spacious, tranquil
woodland golf. A quirky start and finish,
plus some interesting dog-legs, work
through and around the woodland.
Caldy has great views of the Dee Estuary
and some lovely holes. It’s hard to pinpoint
its character – links, parkland or woodland
– but what is very easy to be certain about
is its quality.
At No.10 is Heswall, which sits on the
Wirral Peninsula with views across the
Dee Estuary. Designed by Harry Vardon
and with a notable revision by Mackenzie
& Ebert, it is a stellar parkland despite
having front-nine holes down to and parallel
with the estuary.
Carden Park (Cheshire) is at No.11, the
more established of the two courses at this
impressive resort. In superb nick once again,
the front nine lets you open your shoulders
while the final six holes are made more
scenic by the presence of sandstone outcrops.
A fun course.
The Mere (No.12) has admirably tried to
emphasise its heathland roots and the back
nine moves up a gear as it skirts the side of
the main lake.
Next it’s to Warrington, set on the side of
a hill close to Stockton Heath and the town.
Expect fine countryside views and a test
along its well-kept fairways and greens.
Dunham Forest was initially created as a
nine-holer on land that had been, until 1961,
used by the US army and as an Italian
prisoner of war camp. Six holes were added
four years later and it eventually became 18.
A delightful, densely tree-lined parkland
that starts and ends in style.
Opened in 1998, Vale Royal Abbey (No.15)
was designed by Simon Gidman in the
grounds of the eponymous parkland estate.
Lots of fun holes and it sits on free-draining
ground so is in good shape all year round.
At No.16 is the Harry Colt-designed
parkland of Ringway. Founded in 1909,
it is a neat 6,482-yard examination, while
MacKenzie’s Bramall Park (No.17) works
a triangular parcel of land superbly. It has
a feeling of maturity, with fairways lined
with mature native trees, and some
intriguing risk-reward holes.
Wychwood Park at No.18 winds its way
around a large housing estate. A long way
round at more than 7,000 yards, it is quite
undulating and a good test.
Bromborough has hosted several leading
championships in the recent past and is
another parkland with some tricky holes.
Its par 3s are especially good.
Crewe (No.20) is a seasoned parkland that
enjoys well-presented fairways and greens,
while Mottram Hall is a part parkland-part
woodland that definitely steps up a gear on
the back nine as it uses the terrain’s
undulations well.
Eaton is relatively new – the Duke of
Westminster had it built for members when
security issues caused the closure of the
original Eaton club – but it has matured
nicely. Its presentation is always good.

Church Stretton
Bramhall comes in at No.23, the club
founded in 1905 when the 1902 Open
champion Sandy Herd did much of the
layout. Alister MacKenzie revised this
Stockport parkland soon after.
Vicars Cross is always well presented,
with fast greens that have notable movement
in them, delivering a real challenge.
The Nicklaus course at Carden Park is
at No.25, laid out by the great man’s design
firm. It’s 7,045 yards off the Blacks and
requires strategy and execution to avoid
the many hazards. Expect some fun at the
twin-fairway 7th and 15th.
Portal (Championship) was created by
Donald Steel at the start of the 1990s and
is a fantastic layout that is part of a very
comprehensive resort.
Shrigley Hall is our No.27, set among
woodland and open parkland with a fine
short 8th that features a stream and
greenside ponds. The climax from the 16th
is particularly memorable.
Lymm was founded in 1907 and combines
a heathland feel on the upper holes and
tree-lined fairways on the parkland level
down below.
The Tytherington sits in gently rolling
parkland punctuated by more than 100
bunkers and eight water features.
Congleton, meanwhile, is celebrating its
125th anniversary this year yet its layout is
developed for the busyness of 21st century
life; you can play three, five, six, nine, 12,
15 or 18 holes and finish outside the
clubhouse every time.
TOP
Shropshire
A collection of intriguing holes on
entertaining terrain
Church Stretton features in both our GB&I
Fun Top 100, the GB&I Under £65 and £30
lists, and inside the Top 200 in England. It
comes in at No.136 in England, in and
around stellar names such as London Club
and Coxmoor. That’s how good it is.
Laid down amid the hills of Carding Mill
Valley, it starts with three uphill par 3s and
is just over 5,000 yards, but it’s in fabulous
nick with gorgeous moorland turf. The
views on the highest course in England are
predictably superb.
Llanymynech is the home club of Welsh
legend Ian Woosnam. So how does it feature
in a Shropshire ranking? Because the
course straddles the countries; tee off on the
4th in Wales and putt out in England. The
5th and 6th are in England, then you are
back into Wales on the 7th tee. Fabulous
views and holds your attention throughout.
Like Llanymynech, Oswestry would have
been a fine No.1 in Shropshire, an easy-
walking James Braid parkland on rolling
ground in Aston Hall.
Shifnal (No.4) is a tree-lined course with
an exacting finish, and then comes the first
of Hawkstone Park’s two courses. The
Hawkstone, at No.5, meanders past the
famous neighbouring follies before and
after the turn, with some of the finest holes
in Shropshire.
The Astbury was designed by its owner,
the former Judas Priest guitarist KK
Downing. It makes the most of its tranquil
setting and offers plenty of dramatic
moments courtesy of several water hazards.
Ludlow (No.7) has the well-known horse
racing track running through it and is a
good year-round course with superb
greens, while Lilleshall Hall is a Harry Colt
design with a compact front nine then a
really interesting back nine on super turf.
Shrewsbury is home to arguably the best
greens in the county and includes a tough
back nine, while Hawkstone Park
(Championship) is the more recent
addition and is a proper test off the backs.
TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 117
 Goring & Streatley THE MENDIP GOLF CLUB
Golf Club AN INCLUSIVE AND FRIENDLY CLUB
WHERE GOLF IS THE PRIORITY

Mendip Golf Club is a superbly

designed golf course and,
together with its magnificent
views and tranquil setting, it
must surely be one of the finest
places anywhere to play golf.

Rectory Road, Streatley-On-Thames, Berkshire RG8 9QA

Established in 1895, and

with over 100 years of
history, Goring & Streatley
Golf Club is an award
winning 18 hole, par 71 golf
course much of which
is laid out over free draining chalkland, with a newly
installed state of the art irrigation system.
The course is set in an area of outstanding natural
beauty in Berkshire with stunning panoramic views of
the Thames Valley, the Ridgeway and the River Thames. The Mendip Golf Club
T: 01491 873 229 Gurney Slade t: 01749 840570
W: www.goringgolf.co.uk Somerset enquiries@mendipgolfclub.com
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www.piltdowngolfclub.co.uk
 TOP

Rothley Park

Leicestershire border. There are a couple of great par 3s,

the 6th and 10th, as well as two consecutive
water hazards play a significant part in
numerous holes. Glen Gorse, a parkland on
A series of well-groomed parklands short holes at 16 and 17. A very tough the southern outskirts of Leicester,
dominates this top 15 finishing hole sees no coasting home here. improved with the purchase of extra land in
Lingdale is located in the heart of the early ’70s. Our No.10 is a fine example of
Rothley Park just gets the nod as Charnwood Forest. The opening nine is the medieval ridge and furrow across a lot of the
Leicestershire’s No.1. A lush, beautifully- most attractive and includes some awkward fairways. It has three tough par 4s to finish.
maintained parkland where the most dog-legs as well as the 3rd, a lovely par 3 set No.11 is Kilworth Springs, which sits
charming section is from the 5th to the 7th; hard against a dry stone wall bordering the close to the Northamptonshire border.
a risk-reward par 4 with out of bounds all course. The back nine, a more recent design, Founded in 1993, it is an American-style
down the left and a water hazard behind is a little less interesting. course and one of the longest in the county
the downward sloping green, followed by Our No.6, Kibworth, in a pretty south at 6,697 yards, with some attractive holes
a long, testing par 4 where the second Leicestershire village, is an easy-walking framed by water hazards.
shot must carry a stream to benefit from parkland with some attractive holes, while The Leicestershire is a mile from the city
a downslope leading to a sunken green. Lutterworth (No.7) is a pleasant parkland centre and is one of the oldest clubs in the
The 7th is an attractive par 3 playing uphill in rolling countryside. county. Until recently it was a par 68 with no
to a tiered putting surface with bunkers Kirby Muxloe (No.8) is a suburban par 5s and an array of difficult long par 4s.
awaiting any errant strike. parkland with a nice variety of holes. The The 6th and 9th have recently been extended
Longcliffe would also have been a redesigned 11th and par-5 17th holes are very to par 5 length, taking up to a par 70.
well-deserved No.1. While the springy turf challenging, with water hazards guarding Leicestershire’s ranking is rounded off by
indicates a heathland heritage, it plays the front of both greens. Hinckley is set Nos.13-15, the well-groomed parklands of
more as a parkland, with trees lining most among lakeland parkland and that means Market Harborough, Birstall and Cosby.
fairways. The round starts with an uphill
par 3, but there are only two more in the
round. Both are attractive, with the downhill
15th, tightly defended with a pond on the
left and bunkers and trees on the right,
being particularly memorable. The high
course and slope rating indicates its
difficulty, but two short par 4s, the right-
curving 6th and the left dog-leg 14th, offer
a very pleasing counterpoint.
Charnwood Forest is No.3, despite
having just nine holes. The county’s oldest
course has no bunkers and sits in a Site of
Special Scientific Interest on a rocky outcrop
overlooking Loughborough. Small greens
protected by steep slopes, fairways with
substantial cambers (often adverse) and
considerable length make it a real test. The
elevated 6th tee offers a spectacular view.
Willesley Park is a very scenic,
Market Harborough
undulating course near the Derbyshire

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 119

 Northamptonshire
A variety of inland courses decorate the county where Charley Hull grew up
Northamptonshire County is in our
England Top 200 and is the clear No.1 here.
Renowned for being the county’s toughest
course, it is a good test, especially in the
summer when it runs enjoyably firm and
fast. A class act.
Wellingborough is at No.2, a long,
undulating and tight course but with some
short par 4s to potentially drive. The final
five holes are truly risk and reward.
Next comes Collingtree Park, an
American-style course principally designed
by a young David McLay Kidd when he was
working for Johnny Miller. Water features
on 10 holes, most notably the 18th with its
island green. A British Masters host.
Our No.4 is Northampton, whose three
opening and closing three holes are simply
sublime. A very fair course and one that
mid to high-handicappers will enjoy.
Charley Hull’s home course of Kettering
is No.5. Beware the out of bounds to the
right on the opening holes. Always in good
condition and with quite possibly the
fastest greens in the county.
120 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
Brampton Heath is a relatively new
heathland but is developing and maturing
really well. A good combination of short
and long holes on undulating terrain.
Northants’ No.6 is superb in the winter.
Staverton Park (No.7) has some excellent
holes requiring lengthy tee shots to leave a
long or mid-iron into the green. Undulating
fairways ensure accurate approach work is
no easy task.
Kingsthorpe is at No.8, a short but fiddly
course with slender fairways and many
small greens. It’s almost always in
immaculate condition.
Overstone Park (No.9) is a fine layout
with some intriguing signature holes. Its
lack of distance makes it easier for the big
hitters in places, but it remains a very
solid top 10 entry.
Finally, Cold Ashby used to be three
loops that combined to create a first-class
composite course, but the Elkington no
longer exists. The remaining Winwick
and Ashby loops are demanding, with Staverton Park
considerable elevation.
Sussex
A rare mix of GB&I Top 100 quality
inland as well as beside the sea
Sussex has three staples of the GB&I Top 100
at the top of its pile, each a sublime test.
Rye, Harry Colt’s design round and on top
of the dunes, is great fun. West Sussex is a
gorgeous and strategic heathland with a
notable short hole, the elevated par-3 6th of
222 yards over water, in among the heather-
lined tests. And Royal Ashdown Forest
(Old) has no bunkers but many interesting
holes… and a drivable par 4 to start. Narrow
fairways and streams are a particular feature
of this inland delight.
Elsewhere, Piltdown (No.4) is an England
Top 100 entry and has nice variety, including
the long par-4 17th with a downhill tee shot,
then your second to an elevated green.
Crowborough Beacon, designed on the
Sussex High Weald with fantastic views, is
at No.5. In many other counties it would be
vying for top spot, and accuracy is more
important than length here.
East Sussex National (West), at No.6,
has some standout holes, the 10th being an
excellent par 4 with your second over water
to a well-protected green.
Goodwood (Downs) is packed with
interest and is very firm and bouncy in the
summer. A nice all-round experience with
lovely views over Chichester.
Cowdray Park comes in at No.8, usurping
some notable names. It is a characterful,
undulating course with a great mix of holes
and elevation changes. In superb condition.
Next comes Mannings Heath (Waterfall),
a mixture of parkland, heath and downland.
It has a pleasant design, with most of the
Royal Ashdown Forest
trouble off the tee down the left-hand side.
 TOP

The par-3 10th drop hole is the standout and

the one the course takes its name from.
East Sussex National (East) rounds off
the top 10 and, as on its sister course, there
are some really good holes; the 10th being
a very good risk-reward par 5.
At No.11, Royal Ashdown Forest (West)
is the epitome of the charming short course.
Still no sand, as on the Old at this historic
club, but still plenty of challenge – though
mostly fun – as it travels over entertaining
terrain to well-crafted greens.
Littlehampton, at No.12, is mostly a
pleasant flat links with a couple of holes
inland. It has some good tees set back in the
dunes on the front nine.
Herbert Fowler’s Cooden Beach has five
par 3s and five par 5s. It’s a relatively flat
course but nevertheless has some interesting
holes and sits at No.13.
Seaford Blatchington, at No.14, is a solid
downland with some great views over the
South Downs Way, while No.15, Worthing
(Lower) is highlighted by its second hole, a
very tough par 4. During the summer you
need to keep out of the rough – full stop…
Copthorne (No.16) is an underestimated
Ham Manor
tree-lined course that asks you to shape the
ball both ways, while the Dyke is a nice test
on the Sussex Downs with three par 5s in the parkland that opened in 1992 and has water The River Rife runs through our No.26,
first four holes to excite the longer hitters! in play on half of the holes. Bognor Regis, which is a pleasant layout
Nevill (No.18) is a tight, interesting course The Ian Woosnam course at Dale Hill is with arguably the hardest opening hole in
near Tunbridge Wells, while No.19, Mid at No.23. It opened in 1997, sits on the High the whole of Sussex.
Sussex, is usually in super condition during Weald and is in its best condition ever Brighton and Hove (No.27) is a distinctive
the summer and has a fine par 5 at the 9th, thanks to recent drainage work. downland nine-holer and is followed by East
with water up the left for the second shot. Cottesmore (Griffin), at No.24, is a Brighton, a James Braid designed-
Ham Manor is at No.20, a Harry Colt pleasant parkland with water in play on downland-links that is very playable all year
parkland that is a lovely walk and a fine some holes. It gets quite tight in places. round. Ifield, an easy-walking parkland near
all-round experience. Then comes It is followed by West Hove, a well- to Gatwick and Crawley, is at No.29, while
Sweetwoods, a parkland on the East draining downland, good all year round and Royal Eastbourne – with interesting dog-leg
Sussex/Kent border. It is followed by with a 600-yard finishing hole after some holes but a few weaker ones – rounds off the
Chartham Park, a Neil Coles-designed decent risk-reward par 4s. best of Sussex.

TODAYS-GOLFER.COM ISSUE 446 121

 Essex
An impressive mix of mature and
modern parkland courses
Thorndon Park, nestled two miles from
Brentwood, is a beautiful parkland by
Harry Colt that is No.144 in our England
ranking. Spread across 240 acres of an
ancient deer park, it is surrounded by
nature and is overlooked by the magnificent
Thorndon Hall.
It’s closely followed by our No.2 in Essex,
Abridge, a classy parkland five miles from
Loughton and Brentwood and a host of the
PGA EuroPro Tour in 2022.
Stoke by Nayland is one of GB&I’s top
resorts, with a hotel and 36 holes. The
Gainsborough is the pick of the two courses
Colchester
and is our No.3 here. Created in the early
1970s, it features lakes, streams, and
woodland. That it hosted the PGA EuroPro expect tree-lined fairways, beautiful greens Bentley, five miles from Brentwood,
Tour and European Senior Tour, among and a number of notorious bunkers. comes next at No.9. A 6,703-yard test over
other events, is evidence of the quality. At No.7, Orsett is an Essex treasure. It undulating terrain, our No.9 features a
Chelmsford (No.4) boasts a magnificent has hosted Open Championship regional wealth of mature, mixed-species trees along
layout and some of the best greens in the qualifying on 11 occasions and is evidently with many water features.
country. Home club of the European Tour’s an excellent test. Just 20 minutes from the Toot Hill is the youngest course on our
James Allan, it is a great test for all levels. Dartford crossing, it has a links look to it. list, having opened in 1989. It is an enjoyable
Colchester is a par 70 of 6,357 yards that Just north-east of London, Chigwell has experience with rolling hills, cleverly placed
was founded in 1907. It is a beautiful one of the highest slope ratings in the bunkers and water hazards – including the
tree-lined course designed by James Braid county. Our No.8 boasts a unique set of spectacular island green on the par-3 12th.
and is followed at No.6 by Romford, challenges and obstacles, making it a fun, The condition and maturity of the trees give
another Braid design. Founded in 1894, interesting and challenging course. the impression it is much older than it is.

Stoke by Nayland

122 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM

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TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 446 125

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126 ISSUE 446 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK

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TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 446 127

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128 ISSUE 446 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK

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 BARE
MY
SOUL
GUIDO MIGLIOZZI
‘A BABOON CAME INTO MY
GIRLFRIEND’S ROOM WHILE
SHE WAS SLEEPING’
Everyone has a strange story from their
life on tour. What’s yours?
There’s so many. Well, something happened
to my girlfriend when we were in South
Africa a few years ago. A baboon came into
the room when she was sleeping. It was,
like, a metre and a half from her. That
wasn’t a very good morning for her!
What has been your closest brush
with death?
Probably skiing as a kid. One day I broke
an arm but I was very close to doing much
worse. I was doing back flips and just flying
around everywhere.
What’s been the hardest day you’ve
ever had on the golf course?
Probably last year in Sun City. In the second
round, I had a putt on No.16 to go second
solo. I missed that putt and after that I
made a 10 on No.17. I dropped down to
40-something. I was like, “Oh, f*ck.” That’s
how a golf round can change in one second.
130 ISSUE 446 TODAYS-GOLFER.COM
Name: Guido Migliozzi
Nationality: Italian
Age: 26
Tour: DP World
Pro wins: 6
We know you’ve lived in Dubai for a
while. Why did you relocate there?
It makes it very easy to travel. The winter
season is beautiful here. There are so many
golf courses in great shape as well. And it’s
tax free. There’s so many good reasons!
What’s the most embarrassing moment
you’ve had on the course?
(Laughs) As an amateur, I had to go to the
bathroom and there was no toilet roll. I had
to clean a sh*t with a towel!
When did you last break a golf club?
This year. In Germany. I broke my driver
around my neck. Bang!
Have you got any hidden talents?
I like to cook. I like to eat, honestly.
What would be on your Masters menu?
A risotto.
When were you last starstruck?
Last year when I was playing the Alfred
Dunhill Links. I was with (Andriy)
Shevchenko. He was one of my heroes
growing up because he was playing for
AC Milan and I am a fan.
Who is the most famous person in
your phonebook?
Probably Niall Horan.
Did he recruit you to Modest Golf!?
They contacted me. I was the first
professional golfer to sign with them and
I’m still there.
What’s the most outrageous autograph
request you’ve ever received?
A young lady asked me to sign the inside of
What about the best day? her shoulder. She had no paper, nothing, so
Last year at the French Open when I made she asked me to sign her body.
nine-under par on Sunday to win by one
shot. Good memories. What’s the oldest or coolest piece of
golfing memorabilia you own?
What would you prefer to do: Win I have some hickory clubs which I bought
a Major or win a gold medal at the in Scotland a few years ago.
Olympics next year?
Win a Major. If I had to say which, the Have you hit them?
Masters or the Open. But if I were to win I’ve tried, but I’d like to try with the old ball
the US Open or PGA, I’d be happy as well. as well. It’s not the same with the new balls.
Where’s your favourite city to Given the power, what one thing
play golf? would you change in golf?
Dubai is a great city. But my I’d like to see golfers play
favourite during the with fewer clubs. The
European skills are being
Tour year reduced. I’d go putter,
is Crans- lob wedge, pitching
Montana, wedge, 8-iron, 6-iron,
because 4-iron, a wood and
I like a driver. That
being in the would be cool.
mountains.
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