Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 21 April 2016
Of all the ideas proposed to shorten the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf, one has the potential to make by far the biggest difference: reducing the number of holes played from 18 to nine. It doesn’t take a professor in mathematics to realise that without changing anything else, that one simple move would halve...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 19 April 2016
The first time the world saw Tiger Woods’ golf swing was when he was two years old. A young Woods appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, and demonstrated a pretty impressive swing for someone who may still have been wearing nappies. But Woods’ swing at that age looks messy when you compare it to Juan Ignacio, a two-year-old from Chile, taking...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 18 April 2016
Show us a golfer who doesn’t want to hit the ball further and we’ll show you a liar. Distance not only makes the game easier, enabling you to reach par-5s in two and hit shorter irons into par-4s, it is, quite simply, fun. Not many feelings can match the sensation of hammering a drive miles down the middle of the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 14 April 2016
61.7% of adults in Britain are overweight. 24.8% are obese, meaning their weight is likely to have an adverse effect on their health. Britain has the highest levels of obesity in Europe. In short, we need to do something to get people in shape. Could golf be the answer? “The health benefits are clear for so many who take part,” says Conservative...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 12 April 2016
“There are three kinds of lies,” said Mark Twain. “Lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The sentiment was echoed by another of the world’s great thinkers, Homer J. Simpson: Unfortunately, I’d wager that well over forfty per cent of people don’t realise that traditional golf statistics are at best useless and, at worst, downright harmful. Allow me to explain. Putts per round “I putted terribly today.
Written by Staff writer, Today's Golfer on Monday 4 April 2016
Every birdie or better that Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen make during this year’s four majors will earn kids clubs thanks to UPS. #bags4birdies is designed to support golf’s future talent, giving them the kit they need to succeed on the course. Ping will partner with UPS in this initiative, developing PING Moxie G junior clubs and other golf gear for the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 31 March 2016
One of the many unique things about Bubba Watson is that he says he’s never had a golf lesson. Whether that’s strictly true – Bubba played college golf, which normally involves regular coaching – is a debate for another time. What’s interesting is that the rest of the world’s best players have golf lessons all the time. These are the most naturally...
Written by Michael Catling on Tuesday 29 March 2016
First Luke Donald dabbled in the world of fine wines. Now the former world number one has opened his first-ever golf course in Asia. Ba Na Hills Golf Club, which was designed in collaboration with IMG, officially opened on Good Friday and completes a grand slam of designer courses in Vietnam which have been built in the last seven years. The...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 29 March 2016
We’ve found ourselves talking about golf-related robots an awful lot lately. First, there was the RoboGolfPro, which you hold onto while it makes the perfect swing, allowing you to copy the movements of whichever top pro you choose. And then there was the robot called Eldrick that made a hole-in-one to the delight of thousands of watching spectators during the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Saturday 26 March 2016
Golf balls are having a pretty tough time of it lately. Only recently they were being fired at the sharp edge of an axe, and now one with a smiley face is being subjected to torture by a welding torch. This time the torment was being adminstered by YouTube channel ‘LET’S MELT THIS‘, which, as the name would suggest, specialises in...
Written by Rob McGarr on Saturday 26 March 2016
It’s a golfer’s worst nightmare. You lose a ball, reach into your bag for another, and realise that you’re down to your last. Running out of balls – be it due to losing a hatful or simply not having enough in your bag at the start – is about as embarrassing as it gets. But what are the repurcussions if you’re...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 24 March 2016
Slow motion video has been a fantastic addition to golf. It enables us to analyse swings in frame-by-frame steps, revel at the explosive power as the world’s best players make impact, and wince as balls virtually disappear before lipping out, dimple by dimple. It also allows us to witness the answer to that immortal question: what happens when you hit a...
Written by Rob McGarr on Wednesday 23 March 2016
How do you choose what golf ball you use? For most amateurs, the answer is: “I don’t. I use whatever I find.” It’s often said as a statement of pride. “I haven’t bought a ball in three years. I just find them and use them.” It’s understandable. Golf balls can be expensive, and most of us are looking ways to make the game...
Monday 7 March 2016
Adam Scott is the hottest player on the planet right now after bagging the WGC Cadillac Championship last night for his second win in as many weeks. The win will lift the Aussie from No.9 to No.6 in the world and makes him the favourite to win a second green jacket at Augusta National next month. “I’ve used my experience to my...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 21 March 2016
Should golf be compulsory in schools? That might sound like a strange question, but consider this: 1. Many people agree that golf is a good sport for all people, but especially youngsters, to be involved in. Among the many benefits of golf, it teaches self-discipline, instills fair play, helps with mental arithmetic and can be a useful tool in career progression. 2.
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Fantasy Golf is back for a sixth season and it promises to be bigger and better than ever. Thousands of you signed up last year, with Shane Mills claiming top spot and a holiday to La Manga Club in Spain. This year, we’ve revamped the rules and have some bumper prizes, including trips to Majorca, Sicily, Belek and La Manga. To...
Thursday 17 March 2016
It’s massive! Our new issue is so thick, it stands up on its own – and comes with a free 2016 R&A Rules Book What Gear 2016 Your guide to more than 300 new clubs on sale this year. Beat your slice for good It’s the ultimate slice guide – why it happens, key moves to sort it and reader swing flaws...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 18 March 2016
It seems barely a week goes by without sport being dragged into the mire of another cheating scandal. Thankfully, golf tends to be largely immune from the issues facing tennis, athletics, cycling and football at the moment, but it’s still nice to have moments that reassert golf’s position as arguably the most honest sport going. The latest involves seven-year-old Yago Horno...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 18 February 2016
Getting custom fit for golf clubs is a bit like upgrading to Sky HD from the standard resolution. Everyone who has done it will tell you that the difference is remarkable, it’s well worth the money, and that once you’ve done it you’ll never be able to go back. But when you’re sat there, watching the perfectly acceptable standard definition, it...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 3 March 2016
Bunking off school always seems like a great idea, but the reality rarely lives up to the expectation. You spend the whole day on edge, worrying that your teacher is going to realise that the note you wrote from your mum has suspiciously similar grammatical errors to your homework, or that when your dad innocently asks how your day went...