Crater might be a bit of an exaggeration, but pitch marks are certainly a lot bigger in the winter, when the greens tend to be softer and more receptive.

It’s this time of year when we get reminded at just how big a problem they are.

The issue of pitch marks varies from club to club. I’ve played a lot of golf in the UK this year, however, including during a fairly wet autumn and early winter, and there’s no doubt it’s a widespread problem.

If you repair a pitch mark straight away, instead of leaving it to someone else (greenkeepers/other players) it will start to recover within 24 hours.

If that indent is left unrepaired for 24 hours, however, it can take as long as three weeks to repair itself. During that time, a nasty-looking scar develops on the putting surface.

This, quite understandably, drives greenkeepers and your fellow golfers mad.

The former are usually the first to get blamed when the greens aren’t perfect. I’ve seen many players throw their toys out of the pram after missing a short putt, directing their rage at the quality of the putting surface, of course.

We can and should be doing better. Most of the greenkeepers I’ve chatted to this year have been pretty stretched. Although many will repair pitch marks, they don’t always have the time. Really, they shouldn't have to.

In short, don’t point the finger at the greenkeepers. Are you guilty of not repairing pitch marks? Do you even carry a pitch mark repairer? Perhaps you do, but you’re not repairing pitch marks correctly, which can actually cause more harm than good.

WHO'S TO BLAME... AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

What’s the solution? One golfer, so enraged he was by the lack of green etiquette, told me the only solution was CCTV! Just joking about using such extreme measures highlights how difficult it is to find a solution.

Polite notices on the course help, as do email reminders to the membership, although they can lose their effectiveness. Golfers don't tend to like being told off.

Could the pro/shop assistant issue reminders? I can’t recall ever being told by someone in the pro shop to be mindful of pitch marks.

Perhaps they’re worried about how this might come across. I’m not sure - I’m kind of playing devil’s advocate here.

Just recently, I played in a competition. I was in the third group off. Throughout the whole round, I found myself repairing pitch marks that had clearly been left by the two groups in front. What do you do?

I’ll tell you what I did. Nothing. Swearing underneath my breath, I just repaired the damage and carried on. I would have emailed the secretary or spoken to the pro if I felt it would have done any good. It never does.

Perhaps I should have confronted the group in front? To be honest, I really don’t like confrontation. Safer to moan to those in your own group!

What this latest example of poor golf etiquette did underline, though, was that this issue cannot just be pinned on visitors and golf societies, as it often is - club members are just as culpable.

I’ve been playing the game for over 40 years now, during which time I’ve been a member of five different golf clubs. I’ve yet to come across an initiative that seems to work and significantly reduce the number of pitch marks over a long period.

Maybe you have, in which case please leave your comments in the box below.

Ah, yes, I did say there are cases where golfers should be afforded some slack.

A couple come to mind: you lose your ball in the sun and don’t see where it lands (I'm being generous, you should be able to locate it) and some kind of injury (also a stretch) that prevents you from bending down, much like some golfers struggle to pick their ball out of the cup.

If you’re scratching your head with this one, bear with me. I’ve witnessed a lot of senior golfers tap down pitch marks with their putters because bending down causes a bit of pain.

Maybe there’s an opportunity here for a new tool that can be attached to the end of the putter, allowing the golfer with a stiff back and dodgy knee to carry out the required maintenance!

Let’s share the best ideas/solutions, and keep our greenkeepers happy and our putts rolling nice and true.

As I’ve said before, WHS isn’t suited to the competitive culture of club golf that’s long established and deeply engrained in the British Isles. The feedback from golfers on articles I’ve written suggesting ways WHS could be altered and improved has been heavily in favour of what I’m saying.

I recognise the echo chamber effect, and that there will be golfers in the UK and Ireland who are delighted with WHS. Indeed, there are some people who are happy with the system are are sick of scratch golfers complaining they can't win handicap competitions.

If you are one of those people who think WHS is tip-top, then please do leave a comment in the box below the article… Do that if you have any thoughts on the subject, positive or negative.

I’m quietly confident that the overwhelming consensus on WHS among club golfers in the home nations is that it doesn’t suit us very well. But the governing bodies are either not listening or are in denial.

I think the best way to clarify the golfing public’s view on WHS would be to conduct a nationwide survey – all four of our home golfing unions should collaborate to ask the 4 million golfers across our Isles specific questions on WHS.

Is it fit for purpose? Do you enjoy golf more or less since its introduction? Is it fair? Is it being manipulated? Basic questions and on to more detailed questions with options for clarifications and suggestions.

'Not Just A Few'

If the response showed (as I very much think it would) that people are not happy with WHS – especially low-handicappers – then the powers that be would have an obligation to make some changes.

Currently, they can just swat away objections by saying it’s the loud voices of an angry few and the majority are having a great time under the new system.

I don’t think it’s just a few who believe WHS is not working for regular golfers in this country. A recent bit of correspondence from my club demonstrates it.

As from next year, if you want to enter one of the main club knockout tournaments at Banchory, you will need to have completed at least four counting rounds towards handicap throughout the previous season.

The email went on to say that although WHS has no set rules on this, we as a club can set the criteria for players to compete in certain competitions and we want to make sure the comps are fair for all players.

The club is having to take matters into its own hands to prevent players with inflated or incorrect handicaps from entering and winning the most prestigious club competitions.

I’d love to know if other clubs are being forced to take such drastic action to add criteria to competition entries because they believe WHS is not working sufficiently well. If your club has done something similar, please let us know in the box below.

I think we have given WHS a fair shot. It’s been in place for five years now and the hope, my hope at least, was that it would bed in and be tweaked where necessary to deliver a better golfing experience for all of us who enjoy playing competitive amateur golf on a weekly basis.

It hasn’t for me and, increasingly, I believe it hasn’t for the majority of established club golfers in the UK and Ireland. With individual clubs now having to deal with member disaffection at WHS at ground level by putting in caveats and extra criteria for key competitions, it’s surely time for a proper review.

Let’s have that full and specific WHS survey. Give golfers their say. If the results show that we’re all happy and content with the new system, I’ll eat my golf cap and accept defeat. If it shows we’re not, then can we make some changes please?

Quiz: How Well Do You Understand The World Handicap System?

When the very best players strike a ball, the sound is just a little different, purer, cleaner and louder. It’s an authoritative crack. It’s a resonant thwack that basically says, “take that, ball.”

At an elite event, if you walk up and down the range and know what to listen for, you can identify the very best ball strikers in the field just by hearing them hit.

Sound is important to us mere mortal amateur golfers too. A good sound at the strike gives us positive feedback that we are doing something right. It builds confidence.

When choosing a golf club, from driver right down to putter, sound is a hugely important factor to consider.

The acoustics of a strike and the associated vibrations give you a feeling for a club. If they are positive, you are more likely to feel positive about playing shots with that club.

If the sound is clanky and the vibrations through your hands and arms are unpleasant, you’re going to feel that the club isn’t performing correctly.

The sound a club makes may have no direct effect on its performance, but it will influence your, the player’s, performance. If you like the way a club sounds, you will enjoy using it, you will commit to shots hoping to experience that satisfying percussion.

If you’re testing drivers or irons and two models perform relatively closely but one sounds great and the other sounds a little dead, there’s only going to be one winner. Sound is a crucial component of getting the right club to suit your game.

Can the sound be misleading? You bet. As mentioned above, the sound a club makes does not directly impact upon performance. A great sounding driver might produce more spin and less distance than one that sounds like you’re ringing a cowbell at the point of strike.

Irons that sound clicky and clumsy when struck correctly might deliver a perfect, consistent ball flight while the forged blades that sound so pure when you hit the middle might produce a decent result one in every 10 shots.

The sound a club makes will undoubtedly influence you but don’t let it hoodwink you. If the results aren’t good, it doesn’t matter how amazing it sounds.

When it comes to the sound a club makes, it’s really a matter of personal preference what is desirable. With a driver, for instance, some prefer a dulled impact, one that feels you’ve barely touched the ball as it sails away into the deep blue yonder.

This is common on the best golf drivers that use a lot of carbon fiber, like the TaylorMade Qi35 or Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max.

Others might prefer a far more kinetic noise at the strike, one that gives the feedback that, yes, you’ve really nutted that one. Drivers like the Ping G440 Max and the Mizuno ST-Max 230 give your ears a little more to go off.

We each know what sound we like to hear with each club in the bag. For me, I prefer a pistol-shot like crack with the driver and steadily duller sounds all the way down the bag, with wedges delivering a swoosh rather than a hit and the putter making pretty much no noise at all.

A shorter sound is generally considered preferable over one that reverberates for a long time, relatively speaking. When comparing clubs and assessing them for sound, be sure to do this outside as the acoustics can vastly differ when hitting indoors on an echoey, enclosed simulator, which is not where you will end up playing most of your golf!

What’s your preference? Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below.

I think sound will always play a part in club selection and a positive noise greatly helps you gain confidence and to play in a positive way. But I also think sound can be misleading. A tractor has an engine that’s as loud as a Ferrari, but it can’t get round the Nürburgring quite so quickly!

Firstly, I'd like to say welcome to those who are new to the sport. I hope you are enjoying it, especially as, for me, it has provided some of my best ever memories.

Nothing beats a round of golf and a few beers with your buddies, that's all I'll say!

Secondly, like when taking up any new hobby, it can be difficult to know where to start, especially when there are so many coaches, equipment and influencers at your disposal.

With the rise of social media, everyone appears to be an expert and, although I wouldn't say I fall into that category, I'd like to think I know a little bit about the game of golf, since I've played it for 20 years.

Therefore, if I were starting the game fresh with what I know now, I would avoid these mistakes and focus on these areas to get better and fulfill my enjoyment.

Would you add any other tips to the ones below? Let me know via our comments section...

Get Golf Lessons

The first thing you should do, and I can't stress this enough, is to get a lesson booked in with a professional.

If you're about to venture into golf for the first time, why would you not go to someone who is literally trained to speak about and analyze the golf swing? Too me, it's a no-brainer. No matter how good you are, a lesson is the most cost-effective way to improve your game.

Obviously, the question then arises of which professional do I go with? Although it definitely helps, you can do more than just research them online and I would recommend visiting local golf clubs in your area and chatting to the professionals face-to-face.

Like a job interview, you can gauge an individual better when you speak to them in person, especially as every coach teaches the game differently and every coach communicates in a different way.

You're new to the game, therefore you want someone who you can connect with, someone who has a genuine interest, and someone who won't rush you.

Don't Be Influenced By Online/Social Videos

When you've had your lesson(s), and you're comfortable with your swing, don't ruin it by watching online videos of others and be influenced by what they're doing!

You've been given something to work on that is specifically designed for your game and swing. Why oh why are you copying someone who is doing something that is completely different to what you're doing? It doesn't make sense.

A good friend of mine has taken up the game in the last six months. He's had a few lessons and his swing has come on in leaps and bounds but, one night at the range, he turned to me and admitted that he had watched this video and wanted to try a particular motion.

Instead of telling him it was wrong, I let him carry on and, sure enough, he started topping it and couldn't get the ball off the tee. Following 15 minutes of madness and frustration, I then gave him the blunt truth that, instead of trying something different, he should stick with what his coach has told him to do.

When you're starting out keep the game as simple as possible, don't start adding fuel to the fire when you're head is already ablaze.

You Don't Need A Custom Fitting

I'll admit this is something that can be beneficial when you're further down the line of your golfing journey but, for now, a new set of clubs costing thousands of dollars isn't worth it.

At the start, I would recommend either a package set or second hand clubs, as they provide better value and give you the basics for when you're wanting to strike the ball consistently.

What's more, if you play the game and don't get the bug as we have, then it gives you peace of mind knowing you haven't splashed out a considerable chunk of cash to find out.

The important thing is you have the basics you need to start. A package set provides you with a bag and around seven clubs, which is plenty. When you become a more competent ball striker, then think about investing. For now, you don't need to.

Play Off The Front Tees

Bryson DeChambeau, who is a two-time Major winner, recommends this so, if it's good enough for him, then it's something I would definitely incorporate if you're new to the game.

Admittedly, this may not be a viable option for a few, as ego gets in the way and some don't want to go off the front tees; however, it's something that will help your enjoyment when you first go out on the course.

I'll give you a further two reasons why going off the front tees is perfect for a beginner golfer. Firstly, you're starting nearer the green and, therefore, will likely need fewer shots to get it into the hole.

Secondly, following your tee shot, you'll be far closer to the flag than if you went off the back tee. This is where the scoring section of your bag comes in, which is your wedges.

If you're able to use them regularly and learn how to play different shots while using them, then in the long run you'll gain more confidence knowing you're capable of pulling off various shots.

On The Greens Is Where You Save Strokes

When venturing out onto the golf course, putting is the area that's the simplest and quickest way to save strokes in your game. This doesn't just apply to newcomers, but all golfers.

If you think about it, the putter is the most used club in the golf bag and it can be the difference between a good round and a great one.

Also, unlike the long game, where you have to either have space for a home set-up or use a golf range, putting can be practiced in the comfort of your own living room, as all it requires is a golf ball, putter and, if you have one, a putting mat.

Holing a couple of 10-footers when you're a new golfer is a thrilling feeling and a big confidence booster. There's no correct way of putting, everyone is unique, so if you can find a stroke that is comfortable and works then it's a quick way to save shots.

Try And Play With Better Players

Okay, this is one that will divide opinion but, for me, if I played with a better player, I feel it would improve my game.

Admittedly, playing with better players can be an intimidating experience, especially when you're new to the game and you're watching them hit the ball so high and far, as well as holing putts from here, there and everywhere.

But the reason I suggest playing with better players is that you can learn a lot from them. Whether it's watching their pre-shot routine, how they play different shots, or even how they grind a round out, it's a great learning experience watching a good player on the course.

I'm not suggesting you hound them with questions when playing, but just ask them odd things here and there. Why did you hit an iron off that tee? Why are you playing that chip with that club? Just little insights can make a big difference.

Rein In Your Expectations And Enjoy It

My final point is just enjoy it!

You're potentially embarking on a new hobby that will keep you entertained for life. A hobby where you can meet new friends, go travelling to new places or earn valuable life skills.

When starting your golf journey, don't expect to master it and play like a professional immediately. That's what's great about our sport, it can never be completely mastered.

One minute you're trying to hack it out of the rough, the next you're producing a shot that even the likes of Rory McIlroy would be proud of.

Hone in your expectations, don't lose your rag and, most importantly, enjoy it.

Later, when I spent time at a resort style course abroad, it was a similar story. Golf lived within a wider experience. You met people by the pool, or at the bar, and only afterwards realised they were also members of the golf course. Golf did not have to be the starting point. It could grow naturally out of everything else that was going on at the resort.

For younger women especially, like myself, that kind of environment is a gentle way in. The setting feels modern and relaxed. There is less sense of walking into “a golf club” and more sense of joining a lifestyle.

So where does that leave the more traditional member clubs that do not have spa facilities, hotel rooms or a long list of other activities on offer? Can they really compete for broader demographics, or are younger women always going to lean towards the resort style option?

Rethinking What A Traditional Club Looks Like

When I came back to the UK this summer and joined Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club for lessons, I will admit I had some assumptions. On paper, it is the sort of place I might once have written off as too traditional. I imagined strict dress codes, older members who did things a certain way and not much interest in bringing in younger women who travel a lot, work remotely and are still finding their place in the game. What I actually found was very different.

The atmosphere in the clubhouse was relaxed and friendly. Members smiled and said hello. There was music playing, changing rooms with female products, and a general feeling that people were there to enjoy themselves rather than maintain a strict atmosphere.

One day, I turned up in a short skirt in what was probably too cold for British weather and braced myself for a comment. Instead, I got a few jokes about being brave, some encouragement and no judgment at all. Little moments like that quietly challenge the idea that traditional clubs are automatically stuffy or unwelcoming.

Encouraging New Players Into The Game

Aspley runs a “Journey Into Golf” pathway that is designed to help new players ease in, rather than commit all at once. It starts with coaching, moves through a flexible “New to Golf” stage, and then into a “Get into Golf” membership that sits just before full membership.

On paper, that looks like a fairly standard development programme. In reality, what makes it work is the way the women running it show up for people.

When I spoke to the Aspley Guise Club President Malcolm McGregor, Lady Captain Jane Drake and Ladies Commitee Lead Jo Harrison, they kept coming back to the same themes: connection, community and giving people time to develop a relationship with golf that works for them. Instead of just handing over a leaflet or pointing someone towards the website, they are physically present.

They meet new women in the car park and walk them to the shop so they do not have to come in alone. They organise group sessions and then follow up with WhatsApp chats so people feel connected. They pair beginner golfers with experienced members who are happy to walk them through the first few rounds, offer guidance and answer the small questions that feel too silly to ask a professional.

Those gestures sound simple, but they are powerful. For someone who is new to golf, or coming back after a break, that first experience can be the difference between signing up and never returning.

What Modern Clubs Do Well

I do not think this means modern country clubs or resort courses are doing it wrong. Far from it. At Foxhills, for example, the variety of spaces made it easy to bring friends along who did not play golf at all. You could go for lunch, a walk, or just sit on the terrace and chat. Golf blended into all of that, making the sport feel enticing.

For women who want a full lifestyle offering and are happy to stay mostly within their own age group or ability level, that kind of set up is ideal. Many of the events I joined at Foxhills and at Pitch in London were built around younger women who were relatively new to the game. It felt social and fun.

The difference at a more traditional club is that you are more likely to end up playing with people who are older and more experienced, and that can feel intimidating at first.

Why Playing With Older Members Helped

In Costa Rica at Los Suenos Resort, I often found myself playing with men much older than me, plus the occasional older female member. At first, I found that dynamic quite daunting. They were all longer off the tee, more strategic and more settled in how they carried themselves around the course.

Looking back, that experience was one of the most valuable parts of my golf journey so far. Playing with experienced golfers forces you to pay attention to course management. You learn when to talk, when to focus, how to recover from a bad shot and move on.

At Aspley, that same benefit is present, but within a structure that protects newer players from feeling overwhelmed. The older members are not just there by default. They are actively choosing to support newcomers. They turn up to the taster sessions, volunteer to play with new women and genuinely want to integrate them. That intent is what makes the difference.

So Which Would I Recommend?

When Golf Monthly's women’s golf editor asked me which type of club I would actually recommend to a younger woman, my honest answer is that both have their place.

If you are drawn to facilities and a setting that feels chic, a modern country club or resort course can be a great introduction to golf. It feels light, flexible and easy to fit around a busy life.

But if you are looking for somewhere to feel valued and learn from people who have been playing for decades, I think traditional clubs deserve more credit than they often get. Provided the club culture is right, they can offer a depth of support that modern facilities alone cannot match.

At Aspley, the women leading the “Journey Into Golf” pathway are not waiting for someone else to fix things. They are the ones standing in the car park, sending the WhatsApp messages, checking in after a tough round and celebrating the small wins. That kind of involvement from members, captains and presidents is where traditional clubs can really compete.

Giving Traditional Clubs A Chance

It is easy to assume that older clubs are automatically too strict or too serious for younger members. I thought that once. Spending time at Aspley has shown me that a traditional golf club can still feel relaxed and welcoming.

If anything, the experience has reminded me that what matters most is not the building, but the people inside it. For women, and for anyone new to the game, the feeling that a place genuinely wants you there is often most meaningful.

So if you are a younger golfer deciding between a resort style club and a more traditional one, my advice would be this: look past the facilities for a moment and pay attention to how the members behave. That is where you will see what the journey into golf at that club really looks like.

We’ve been reporting on the rise of the mini driver for most of the year. As my colleague, Joe Ferguson (aka ‘Kick Point Joe’), said in the summer, it’s not been so much of an explosion as a growing trend among the world’s best players.

How big a trend are we talking about? Well, according to SMS on TOUR, 16% of the field put a mini driver in the bag at the DP World India Championship in October, and almost one in four players carried one at Wentworth the previous month.

We're talking about the professionals playing in the BMW PGA Championship, of course, not the amateurs who teed it up in the pro-am, although we can expect this current trend to have an impact on the game at club level, can’t we?

You'll see a few more down your club, of course - and you'll no doubt ask to have a hit with if your friend pulls one out the bag - but we probably won't see quite the uptake at club level as we saw with white drivers, even if most major brands have now released a mini driver.

Just to clarify - in case you hadn’t worked it out from the name - this club is a smaller version of the driver - roughly a third smaller in volume.

Basically, it's a club that sits somewhere between a traditional driver and a 3-wood. This means a smaller head, typically with more loft, and a shorter shaft length.

Joe’s written about (and talked about in Kick Point) the best mini drivers and his love of the new TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini. The brand released its first mini back in 2014.

Typically, professionals will put them in the bag when they are faced with tight fairways, when a premium is placed on finding the fairways.

For example, Scottie Scheffler was seen testing a TaylorMade model at the RBC Heritage Classic earlier this year, with Hilton Head being one of the tightest courses the players face on the PGA Tour.

The list of players now using a mini driver - not that the World No.1 can be credited with starting this boom - is becoming longer, with Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Marco Penge and Rory McIlroy among those to have used this club in tournament play.

And that list of pros seems to be growing by the week.

Does this mean we should all go out and buy one, or are they a better players club?

“Just because we’re seeing tour pros use them, it doesn’t mean they can’t serve a purpose for higher handicap players,” says our resident equipment expert, Joe, also a former PGA professional and club fitter.

“But if you struggle with accuracy off the tee, the shorter shaft length that mini drivers have might actually help you to reduce your number of off-center strikes and find more fairways.”

WINNING EXAMPLES

We’ve been monitoring how successful this club has been on tour. If we measure success in terms of wins, it’s proving to be quite a weapon, with three victories on the PGA Tour for the mini driver this season, all of which have come in the last 10 events.

Put this one in your Christmas quiz: Which three players won on the PGA Tour season in 2025 using a mini driver?

The answer - and we gave you a little help by naming two mini driver users above - is Fleetwood (Tour Championship), Rose (FedEx St Jude Championship), and Sami Valimaki (RSM Classic).

More players have won on the PGA Tour using a mini driver, the gear nuts reading this might be shouting.

Maybe you’re thinking of Karl Vilips (Puerto Rico Open) and Garrick Higgo (Corales Puntacana Championship). Correct, they do have mini drivers, but they didn’t have one in their bag when they won.

Even so, the trend is clear: mini drivers are back and growing in popularity - and the general consensus from a range of the leading brands is that they’re here to stay.

I've always wondered what percentage of experienced golfers truly understand the difference between red and yellow penalty staked areas. In this instance, how many golfers drop in an area that feels roughly equitable to the other players in the group versus dropping in the exact correct spot? This sort of lack of widely held understanding is what often creates an unfair playing field. And if this is as widespread as I suspect, then it's only right to question whether the rules book is fit for purpose.

On the other hand, golf is one of the few self-policing sports (at least at club level which accounts for most of us). The rules have to provide a very clear set of procedures for everything a golfer might encounter. Given that we play on vast natural landscapes that range from windswept links courses to treelined parkland layouts, the number of likely scenarios is huge. And, of course, the main purpose of the rules is to ensure the game is fair. It follows that inequity would thrive within the grey areas created by an oversimplified set of rules.

About 20 years ago, I went through the process of getting an R&A certified golf rules qualification. At the end of the rules school, I took an exam and, despite being the least knowledgeable pupil in the class, I somehow managed to pass. However, before anyone asks me for a ruling on what to do if your ball comes to rest next to a bunker rake, I need to emphasise that most of this knowledge is long forgotten.

My abiding memory of that experience is how the complexity of the rules, whilst unhelpful in a number of ways, is unavoidable if fairness is your main priority. What do you think? There is a comments box below and I’d love to hear from anyone with a smart idea on how we can reduce complexity and retain fairness.

The World Handicap System, slow play and the cost of golf are the obvious contenders for the ‘most-discussed topic’ winner, but dress codes is definitely in the conversation (excuse the pun).

It’s a tricky one, because while most people recognise the need for evolution and modernisation, history, traditions and idiosyncrasies help to give golf its identity. Acknowledging the former while respecting the latter is a difficult balancing act.

Some golf clubs and facilities have eschewed tradition when it comes to dress codes, though, and it’s a movement that’s seemingly gaining more and more traction.

As examples, The Bristol Golf Club removed its dress code last year and GM Top 50 Coach Anders Mankert’s Leicester Golf Centre encourages patrons to wear whatever they want.

Even if you disagree, there is logic to it. Golf is undoubtedly seen as stuffy and stuck in its ways and doing something to dispel that notion creates a point of difference and a promotional narrative. And, whether you like it or not, fashion tastes have shifted and youngsters don’t like being told what to wear.

Last year, Golf Monthly ran a junior golf survey and one of the key findings related to fashion and clothing. One of the questions was: ‘Do you think non-golf-playing friends would give golf a go if they could wear what they wanted on the course?’ Some 26 juniors answered ‘yes’ or ‘strong yes’, so it’s clear dress codes do present a barrier to participation.

“People think golf is really uncool, mainly due to the clothes you have to wear,” said one reply. “All my friends at school think it’s weird that you have to wear a shirt and smart trousers and hats aren’t allowed in the clubhouse. They say golf is for old people,” read another.

Golf has a habit of not paying youngsters much attention, so in many ways it’s pleasing to see some clubs making an effort to understand modern tastes and act accordingly.

A couple of weeks ago, GM editor Neil Tappin penned an article pondering whether abandoning dress codes is the way to go after he was called out for wearing an unsanctioned colour of sock (which, I agree, is ridiculous).

“My hunch is that if we removed dress codes entirely tomorrow, the majority of golfers would neither notice nor change the way they dress,” he said.

I tend to agree with him on that, and such a move could make the game more enticing to newcomers, youngsters or those who are considering it as a new hobby, particularly if they’re fashion-conscious or keen to express themselves sartorially. I also highly doubt established golfers would turn their back on the game in protest.

However, I don’t think it’s the direction we should be going in.

Where does it end?

To be clear, I don’t particularly care what people wear – it doesn’t impact me or my enjoyment of the sport. It’s more what removing dress codes represents.

Standards are on the slide in many areas of life and I don’t believe adhering to certain aesthetic principles – which are often broad enough in scope to afford plenty of personality, colour and pizzazz – is asking too much.

If someone is so adamant they must be allowed to wear jeans, leggings or football shirts to even consider getting involved then perhaps golf isn’t for them. I’m not sure we should be compromising standards to chase people who show no interest in respecting the game’s customs.

Of course, these can be adapted and relaxed, but, for me, completely disregarding dress codes doesn’t pay sufficient homage to the history and traditions of the sport.

Owners of golf facilities are welcome to do what they want, though, and I understand why many have made this move – modern society is increasingly self-centred and the individual is seen as more important than the collective. People don’t like to be told what to do or how to act.

But the ideals of golf are incongruous with this way of thinking. It’s a sport that places the highest value on etiquette, respect for others and respect for the rules. This should remain sacrosanct and we shouldn’t dumb things down to get a few more people through the door.

Clearly it’s important to encourage and attract the next generation, but we can’t cast aside all principles in doing so. Otherwise, where does it end?

Have a view? Leave your comments in the box below

I was keen to sit down with her and find out how a focus on modernity and diversity has fuelled such massive, profitable growth.

"I was an athlete growing up, and I swam in college, so to be able to combine my retail experience with my love for sports, it was perfect," recalls Spiegel. She joined the company over a decade ago to run merchandising before being appointed President in 2022.

Since then, the growth has been nothing short of astonishing. Spiegel shares that when she started, the company was growing, but not profitably at the time. After a few years of the team putting the right structure and organisation in place, the trajectory changed and Spiegel cites this turnaround and seeing the company grow profit as one of her most rewarding achievements.

Store support centre staff has grown from 30-something people to about 200 today, a foundation that allowed PGA TOUR Superstore to capitalise fully on the pandemic-era boom. "Since COVID, we’ve more than doubled our business," she says, a feat achieved through growth in existing stores, not just new ones.

“The beautiful thing about it is not just our growth... is that the golf industry’s maintained that. It has not gone backwards. We’re seeing record numbers in golf participation.”

The question of challenges faced in the male-dominated industry is one Spiegel is asked a lot. She reveals that she was the only woman on the leadership team for a long time and when she first attended meetings, it was a little intimidating.

“I was the only woman in the room, but I always reminded myself, ‘I’m here because of my retail background and my experience,’ and then I made a big effort to start playing and to really, really learn the sport."

While golf is still male-dominated, that is changing within the organisation. The senior leadership team now features four women, and store support is close to 50% female representation.

Still, the need for diversity is a priority, particularly for customer-facing roles. "We do need more female fitters," she says, wanting the associate base to reflect the growing female golf population.

Spiegel is particularly excited about who is driving this growth. "The largest segment of golfers in the US is young adults, 18 to 34, with the youth category and people of color being the fastest-growing segments," adding that this shift moves away from old stereotypes. "It was a middle-aged white man’s sport, but it's changing."

This dramatic demographic shift is what Spiegel mentions as one of the biggest changes she has witnessed over the last five years, along with the subsequent "cool factor" the sport now has.

The modernisation of golf is perhaps most visible in the apparel business. Women’s golf fashion is very large for PGA TOUR Superstore, doing a disproportionately high percentage of the industry's business, particularly in their resort stores.

This success is directly tied to the store’s depth of brands and sizes and its commitment to the customer. "Female customers come into our stores and are like, ‘Oh my gosh,’" says Spiegel, who also explains the need to stay current. "A young girl doesn't want a 17-inch skirt... she wants something a little shorter."

This retail modernity often clashes with club tradition. Spiegel, who belongs to a private club in Atlanta, laughs as she describes advising older friends who complain about modern apparel. "Look at what they wear on tour. You guys need to lighten up a little bit," she tells them.

While she acknowledges the emerging trend of crossover golf lifestyle apparel, Spiegel insists that the core of the women’s business is still golf. "You’re never going to see 50% of our women’s assortment as lifestyle," she says.

The rise of off-course golf at places like Top Golf and Five Iron has equally transformed participation, with the store heavily leaning into the technology space. The company is leveraging the off-course trend, which contributed to a record 47.2 million Americans playing either on-course or off-course in 2024.

The strategy is to make in-home simulation affordable and accessible to fit any space and budget, recognising that leagues, like TGL, drive a visible spike in their in-home simulation business when they air.

Currently operating 80 stores across 30 states, the company's ambition is clearly set far beyond its immediate goal. "We're looking at that 100-store mark, but we're not going to stop at 100. There’s still a significant amount of white space available in the US," Spiegel confirms.

Under her guidance, the retail giant is actively leading the way into a future where the game is more accessible, more relaxed, and growing faster than ever before.

And this problem is so big and so “dangerous for golfers” that Golf Monthly’s Kick Point hosts, Dan Parker and Joe Ferguson, have dedicated a whole 10 minutes to it in one of the latest podcasts (watch in full below).

This episode is not to be missed, especially if you’re a beginner, because you could be making this game a lot more difficult than it is already.

WATCH: Dan and Joe from Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show discuss the issues surrounding total distance measurements (from 19:18)

Dan and Joe might not always agree on everything, but when it comes to total distance, both believe that this number is near “pointless” at best.

Total distance. It’s the number that a lot of us are guilty of gravitating towards when we’re at the range or on a launch monitor because, basically, it’s a nice big number and many mistakenly assume this is what we should be taking note of.

If someone asked you how far you hit your 7-iron, what are you going to tell them?

A lot of golfers - and again, especially those who are new to the game - go by the total distance. Not good.

“I see why launch monitors have it, because they want to give an overall projection of where the ball might end up,” says Joe, a former playing professional and custom fitter.

Launch monitors are clever. Very clever. They’ll generally use the descent angle, what angle the ball is going into the ground, how much spin it has, and how much ball speed there is at that point to predict how much further the ball will travel.

Granted, thanks to the quality of hardware and software that goes into producing these devices, the prediction is pretty darn accurate. So, while total distance is a nice number to keep an eye on and is useful in some scenarios, it certainly isn't a number amateur golfers should prioritise.

At this point, Joe picks on his dad, although Ferguson Senior probably represents about 70% (a bit more guesswork there) of recreational golfers.

Let’s say Joe’s dad has been down the range and Toptracer (or whatever technology he’s using) tells him his 7-iron has travelled 150 yards.

The next day, Ferguson Snr is playing a par-3 in a competition that measures 150 yards to the pin - so he pulls out his 7-iron.

There’s a deep bunker in front of the green. What happens? Yep, you guessed it, he dumps his ball into the face - and walks off with a six.

This will be happening everywhere, simply because a lot of golfers focus on total distance.

“Not a single elite-level player operates with total distance,” explains Joe.

CARRY, CARRY, CARRY

What number, then, should golfers be paying attention to, if not total distance? Simple: carry distance.

When you’re next watching the golf, listen to the conversations between player and caddie.

All players want to know - pretty much prior to every shot they hit - is how far they need to carry the golf ball.

Take the recent Ryder Cup for example, where Bethpage was playing like a pudding, and it was nigh on impossible to take spin off the ball.

If a player had 100 yards to the pin, a lot of the time they’d have been hitting their 110-yard shot because they knew it would pull back 10 yards or so.

Conditions at somewhere like, say, Pinehurst, are always going to be very different - firm and bouncy whereby you’d need to hit a shot short and allow for the ball to hop forward a touch.

Again, this stresses the importance of knowing the total carry distance, and then doing your homework on what the ball will do once it hits the ground.

As a former professional competing on various tours, Joe says it would be standard practice in warm-up rounds for players and caddies to pace distances between where a ball landed and where it finished to help them with strategy.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to work out if you can reach a bunker on the corner of a dog leg.

You know you carry your driver 290 yards and the bunker is at 320. It’s your responsibility to know from the practice ground and from previous drives whether that bunker is in play.

It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s incredible how many recreational golfers get fixated on total distance.

WHAT IF I USE SENSORS IN MY CLUBS?

Dan’s worried now, because he uses tags in his golf clubs. If you use Arccos, Shot Scope, Garmin or any sensors that use distance measuring technology, there’s a fair chance you’re getting presented with total distance yardages.

This is because the technology works by tracking a shot from point to point. It doesn’t know what the conditions on the course are like, whether it’s soft or firm, whether there’s a helping wind or whether you pitched into an upslope.

What you get is just an average total distance. Of course, this does have its uses. For example, take the longest total distance drive you've ever recorded and note that down. If the front of the fairway bunker sits at 265 yards away, but your longest ever total drive was 255, yards you know that bunker is out of reach even on your best day.

While not ideal to really get a measure of your carry numbers, these distance-measuring tags are incredibly useful to better understand other parts of your game, such as up-and-down percentages, fairways hit, where your typical miss is, and other Strokes Gained measurements.

WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

If carry numbers are what you need, how do you go about getting those? Unfortunately, it’s not always quite as simple as going down to your local driving range.

Some facilities will have a couple of cameras installed that do a fairly decent job of ball tracking, but you want better than decent - and you absolutely must hit your own golf balls, not range ones.

So, here’s the answer.

Firstly, borrow a launch monitor and go to the practice round with the balls you play, so it’s relevant.

Then, go through the process of hitting every club in the bag (after a warm-up, of course), making a note of the carry number for at least half a dozen good strikes for each one. Finally, work out your average.

Remember, these numbers are likely to change from winter to summer, as the core doesn’t react the same when the ball is freezing (golf balls travel further when it’s warm) - so it’s an exercise worth repeating at least a couple of times over the course of the season.

Maybe it’s not so easy for you to just borrow a launch monitor, so speak to your local PGA professional.

Spend $50 or so on a session with your pro - just working on your carry numbers and nothing else (not even swing mechanics) - and your game/course management will improve massively.

It's something that hurts my golfing ego, especially when I see players with far less experience making them... but I guess that's the nature of our great sport!

I'm proud to say that, in my years on this planet, I've made two albatrosses, but they aren't holes-in-one, despite being more difficult to do as they require two good shots, not just one.

Coming close on multiple occasions, I've always wondered where I would like my first ace to be.

Obviously, I would like it to be at a course with sentimental value in front of a group of my best pals, but there are also certain golf holes that would provide me with some excellent bragging rights.

Shane Lowry is a prime example. Not only is he a Major Champion and holed the winning putt at a Ryder Cup, but he also has a rather good CV when it comes to making holes-in-one at iconic venues.

In January 2025, he made an ace at Pebble Beach's 7th, which is one of the most famous in golf.

On top of that, the former Open Champion has also produced an hole-in-one at the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, as well as one at the 16th at Augusta National during The Masters.

Personally, I think it's a bit selfish making a hole-in-one at so many iconic venues, which is why I've created this list of golf holes where I would like to make my first...

Where is the one place you would like to make a hole in one? Let us know in the comments below...

17th - TPC Sawgrass

I'm beginning with one of the holes where Lowry has made an ace and that's the 17th at TPC Sawgrass.

One of the most famous par 3s in golf, it has decided The Players Championship on a number of occasions, with the island green surrounded by a body of water which provides an intimidating tee shot.

Even casual golf fans can pick out this golf hole and, at TPC Sawgrass, you reportedly receive a free bag tag which is inscribed with your score on the 17th. If that's not two reasons to make an ace, I don't know what is.

16th - Cypress Point

Firstly, just take a look at that golf hole! Teeing off over the Pacific Ocean, the incredible 230-yard layout was showcased at the Walker Cup this year and provided a stunning backdrop to the team event.

Obviously, I would like to make an ace at the 7th at Pebble Beach but, if I wasn't able to do that, the 16th at Cypress Point would be an equal first prize.

Back in November 2022, a college golfer named Christian Clark made a hole-in-one at the 16th, sparking incredible scenes. Being a bucket list golf course, it would be a special place to do it.

15th/16th - Cleeve Hill

For those who have never experienced Cleeve Hill, I would highly recommend it, with it being one of the most traditional and best value rounds of golf you'll ever experience.

Firstly, the views are out of this world and, being an Old Tom Morris designed course, there are some spectacular holes, especially the par 3s.

I've picked the 15th and 16th at Cleeve Hill, but I would also put the 6th into that category, which is played over a deep ravine to an unsighted green. It's one of my favorite golf courses and, having gone close to an ace on many occasions there, one I'd love to tick off the list.

12th - Augusta National

Just playing Augusta National would provide you with bragging rights, let alone if you were to make a hole-in-one at one of the most special places in sport.

The Georgia venue has four par 3s and, although the 16th has had the most aces, for me the 12th is the stand-out on the course, as it's the place where players struggle in tournament play.

Despite being the shortest hole around the layout, the wind causes havoc in terms of club selection and, as we've seen in plenty of Masters, it plays a big part in deciding who slips on the Green Jacket come Sunday evening.

10th - The Belfry

Okay, it's not a par 3, and the chances of this ever happening are even slimmer than normal, but producing an ace at a par 4 would be a special way of making your first hole in one.

Scene of four Ryder Cups, the 10th hole at The Belfry's Brabazon Course became famous when Seve Ballesteros drove it in 1978 and at the Ryder Cup in 1985.

Now, whenever you stand on that tee, the majority of players are itching to have a go at the narrow green surrounded by water and bunkers. A hole in one on a par 4 is even rarer than one on a par 3, so not many could ever say they've done that before.

7th - Las Colinas

This a sentimental one for me, as my first game of golf abroad came at Las Colinas in 2010. The one stand-out memory came at the par 3 7th, where I made my first birdie outside of the UK.

A downhill par 3, a full pitching wedge pitched on the middle of the green and span back to a few feet, with the resulting putt making a 12-year-old Matt very happy.

Looking back on it with a more experienced head, that pin position was in a prime spot for a hole-in-one, so it would only be right for the hole where I made my first birdie abroad to be followed by my first ace.

Setting Goals Is The Easy Part

Setting goals is fun, they provide meaning and purpose and give you that instant surge of excitement and optimism for the pending new and improved version of your game. The trouble is writing ‘break 90’ or ‘hit longer drives’ can make you feel like you have already achieved them.

The real challenge isn’t dreaming big but building the habits and actions that carry you from the excitement of January into the reality of July.

Less Is More

You went too big! We are told to dream big and shoot for the stars, but from my experience when it comes to setting goals, it’s best to opt for stepping stones rather than huge milestones.

Aim to break your goals for the year down into quarters, as what you work on throughout the seasons will likely look different. Ask yourself, what I can do over the next 12 weeks to help me achieve this goal and then review and plan your next quarter.

You’re Not Realistic

Now this is a biggie and is something we are all likely guilty of. The goals people often set themselves while sitting comfortably do not reflect the reality of the work that their future selves will have to do.

It’s no good saying you want to be the best golfer in the county if you are not even the best golfer in your club. Just as it’s no good saying you want to be able to drive the ball 250 yards when you have a swing speed of 80mph.

That’s not to say you are incapable of hitting the ball further, you just need to have a different strategy to make marginal gains to improve your distance, like firstly working on your efficiency, then your speed and striking.

Misplaced Focus

You lost sight of the purpose of trying to improve, which is to play better golf, and playing better golf ultimately means shooting lower scores.

As mentioned above, a common goal is to hit the ball further. Let’s say you gain some yardage, now what? Are you going to be able to convert that into hitting more greens and lowering your scores?

Think about your whole game and where you’re losing shots. Would your time be better spent working on your chipping and putting?

Focus is also lost when comparing yourself to others, which again is a waste of time and energy. Our golf swings are unique, and real progress comes when you learn to work with what you’ve got, rather than what you think you should be doing.

Systems Create Outcomes

All goals but no process. Let’s say you set the goal to practice three times a week through the winter months, but practice day rolls around and it’s cold, you’re tired after work and you don’t feel like it. That is completely normal, which is why you need a system in place.

Checking the weather the night before and packing appropriate warm clothing can remove that friction point. Having a practice session plan of 30 minutes minimum means your session is achievable.

Removing guesswork to your practice and planning properly are essential tools to develop, and all tie in with focusing on the small things that compound to make the big differences.

Your Environment Didn’t Support Your Goals

You can’t grow flowers in the wrong soil and if you have a highly demanding job and family commitments, making big improvements may not be possible right now. Consider your environment and if it supports your goals or makes achieving them more difficult. Then look at what you can change.

If your club has limited practice facilities you will need to find somewhere that has what you need and is convenient for you to visit. It may also be a case of right now you have a lot on in life that takes priority, but that likely won’t always be the case and when the time is right you will have more flexibility and opportunity to curate the right environment that supports your goals.

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

You bought the best women's golf clubs, you spent money on lessons, but there was one vital ingredient missing, work! Like a chick pecking out of its shell or a butterfly struggling to emerge from its chrysalis, it is the strength of the struggle that prepares them for life in the outside world.

To improve at anything, especially golf, there has to be a level of discomfort as you work on things that you find difficult, as that’s how you level up. Get nervous in matches, play in more of them to get used to feeling wobbly on 3-foot pressure putts. Practice having to make twenty in a row before you can leave the practice putting green. Embrace the nerves, embrace the discomfort that comes with true progress.

I’m a big fan of goal setting. Having aspirations for your life, work and hobbies isn’t just about productivity it’s about striving to achieve, which I believe is good for the soul.

Remember to keep things fun. If chasing your goals starts to feel like a chore or too much, change things up and create goals that excite and motivate you, because as frustrating a game as golf can be it is meant to be fun!

Let’s start by talking about shoes, because the last couple of weeks have mostly been about the new TaylorMade Qi4D and Ping G440 K drivers (more news on these in the new year).

Golf shoe nerds - of which we have a few of on the team (Dan Parker) - may have noticed Dustin Johnson wearing Under Armour footwear at the PIF Saudi International in Riyadh.

The LIV golfer wasn’t the only one. Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen - who recently completed a hugely successful maiden season on the DP World Tour by earning himself a PGA Tour card for 2026 - has also been wearing a yet-to-be-released Under Armour golf shoe.

They are the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone golf shoes, a model that won’t officially hit the shelves until early next year.

So, we can only judge the looks at this stage - and, well, they look rather nice.

We’re assuming two-time Major winner Johnson must be a fan, and that the American has promoted the Under Armour Drive Pro Clone shoes to first spot, ahead of his usual Nike and adidas footwear (he’s also worn FootJoy in the past).

We do know that they’re first choice for Neergaard-Petersen, who was fitted with the new model earlier this year at the Under Armour Performance Centre at Stoke Park.

The talented young Dane, who finished 15th on the Race to Dubai rankings, wore the shoes in competition for the first time at the Alfred Dunhill Links and continued to wear them right through to the season-ending Tour Championship.

We (Dan) look forward to receiving a pair shortly, at which point we/he will of course give you the full lowdown.

ALSO SPOTTED

We might be fast-approaching ‘new driver season’, but we’ve already seen a number of new putters released.

Earlier this month, Scotty Cameron joined the low torque market with the Phantom 11R OC and Studio Style Fastback OC.

At the weekend, several new Ping Scottsdale TEC putters were spotted in the hands of the pros.

The new line-up, which we believe includes the likes of the Anser and two new on set/low torque models, appears to have been seeded at the RSM Classic on the PGA Tour last week.

Extra points for anyone who spotted a new golf shaft in action at the RSM, Project X Golf’s new Titan wood shaft.

Talking of Project X, did you know equipment-free agent Sami Valimaki - the first ever Finn to win on the PGA Tour - has the same Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70 TX shaft in both his TaylorMade R7 Quad mini driver and Titleist GT3 driver?

SAMI'S SPECIAL ODYSSEY

We should also mention that Valimaki has had some work done on his putter - which is of course a legal equipment change.

The two-time DP World Tour winner currently plays with one of the most iconic putters in the history of golf, the Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball.

Those of you who listen/watch Golf Monthly’s Kick Point podcast (we recommend you subscribe to Kick Point so you never miss an episode) will know exactly what hosts Dan and Joe think of this model.

In that particular episode (playing above), Joe also discusses how golfers used draw on their own alignment aids - which is clearly something Valimaki still does.

And it seems to work nicely for him. He finished sixth in Putting at the end of his winning week at Sea Island Golf Club.

Additionally - and arguably most importantly - the quality and condition of course we play on can dramatically change from one week to the next, exacerbated if you're a nomadic player who journeys around from place to place.

Unlike touring pros, we're not often afforded the luxury of courses so perfectly manicured that you'd eat your dinner off of them. The courses, not the pros. Moving on.

Regardless, due to the variety of layout we often deal with, I think there is a cheat code of sorts which might help to lower our scores.

You may have read recently that I struggled initially when gaming a brand-new putter in an important round, and that's not something I'm keen to repeat any time soon for the reasons I highlighted.

My original flat stick featured an insert face which is really soft on contact and encourages me to be a touch more positive with my stroke. On the other hand, the newer putter is a milled face which was far hotter than I was used to and scared the living daylights out of me on slicker surfaces.

Despite very strong initial reservations, I stuck with said putter and have gamed it a few times since, slightly lessening the unadulterated hatred I felt towards it at first. A bit like a dad who says he doesn't want that new puppy, only to end up viewing it as his best friend a matter of months later.

While I might not be there quite yet, it was during a recent round on an inland-links-style layout with a green speed that barely registered on the stimpmeter that I realized the milled-face option was proving fairly successful.

Due to the particularly sluggish nature of the greens, I could maintain the correct putting technique and the club would do a great deal of the heavy lifting.

If I'd been gaming my old insert-face putter, I might have ended up bending it out of shape after thumping golf balls with it for hours on end. Not to mention, the quality of contact would have been pretty low and I would almost certainly have holed fewer putts overall.

It was during that round that I enjoyed something of an epiphany. What if I used the milled-face putter when greens are on the slower side, allowing me to remain positive with a good technique, and I swapped it out for the insert-face option when greens are quicker? Moving forward, I think that's exactly what I'm going to do.

In hindsight, my old putter would have worked much better in the big round I mentioned, not least because I was more familiar with it but also because it would have allowed me to remain positive while combining a degree of delicacy alongside.

I know golf clubs - and particularly putters - are not cheap, so I'm not suggesting you go out and buy a brand new option (unless you can afford to). But I do think it would be worth baring this suggestion in mind before you move on from an older club and donate it to pastures new.

A wise old owl named Joe 'The Pro' Ferguson once talked about putting two different drivers in his bag to suit whatever the course or hole presents him, and I think the same could well be true for putters as well in terms of green speeds.

Instead of trying to make wholesale changes to your technique which could lead to varied results, lean into the mass array of technology in modern putters and see if a different tool helps you out.

As amateur golfers, we all know that it's the club's fault and never ours. If we were using professional equipment, we would undoubtedly play better golf.

So, until you make it to the professional circuits, consider finding yourself a very different putter to the one you're used to. While it will certainly take some time to get used to at first, it could prove to be an extremely worthwhile investment in the long-run.

There you go... done it.

Players over the years have adopted all sorts of grip techniques to get the job done and here below we look at a selection of them, from tee to green.

Long Game

Vardon (or overlapping) grip – Its invention is credited to the great Jerseyman Harry Vardon, although sources suggest the grip was actually used before the six-time Open winner by a Scottish amateur called Johnny Laidlay.

Basically, it’s where the right forefinger overlaps the left forefinger. That’s for right-handed players… it’s the opposite for left handed players. Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer used the Vardon grip. Phil Mickelson is also a fan of the overlap.

After damaging his finger in a bike accident, 1996 US Open winner Steve Jones used a reverse overlap grip – left forefinger over right. That grip doesn’t have a moniker but surely it should be the “Steve Jones” grip. Maybe that will stick.

Interlocking grip – This is where the player interlocks the little fingers of both hands rather than overlapping.

It’s difficult to find data on which grip is favoured on tour but what we have suggests that a slightly higher percentage of players use the interlocking grip versus overlapping.

Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy all favour the interlocking grip – an impressive selection!

Baseball grip – This grip, also known as the 10-finger grip, is where there is no overlapping or interlocking of the two hands on the grip. It’s not common for pro golfers to use this method but it’s not unheard of.

The legendary Moe Norman used a 10-finger grip later in his career. Bob Estes was a "baseball" gripper. More recently Scott Piercy and Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey have put the baseball grip into practice.

Chipping

Conventional grip – Most players use the same grip for chipping as they do for their long game. It makes sense from the point of view of feel and consistency.

Some players who either overlap or interlock may choose to go for a baseball grip on short shots in order to gain a little more feel and touch.

Putting grip – Some players will use their putting grip for some short pitches and chips.

It gives a different feel and can help those who have trouble with twitches on shorter shots.

The putting grip can be particularly useful when playing a low running shot. Players may play chip shots with more of a putting stroke. Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood are known for doing this.

Cack-handed grip – This is another method employed by players who have a little trouble with the chipping yips. It’s swapping over the hands so, for a right-handed player, putting left hand below right. It's also known as the cross handed method.

Recently, Matt Fitzpatrick has frequently chipped cack handed.

Jason Palmer, a one-time European Tour player chipped with one hand (his right hand) in an attempt to cure his chipping yips.

Putting

It’s when it comes to putting that players utilise a dazzling array of different grips. Most players use a different grip to putt with than they do for long and short game shots. Here are a selection of the methods employed:

Conventional overlap, interlock or baseball – Some players will just keep their grip the same from tee to cup. See description of those grips above.

Cack-handed – As above, but much more common in putting. Jordan Spieth is known for this putting style.

Two thumbs – This is where the player uses a fatter grip and puts their hands on the club together onto the grip as if they were praying before perhaps overlapping some or all the fingers of one hand over the other at the same level at the back of the grip.

England’s Matt Wallace has used the two-thumb grip.

The claw – It’s become increasingly popular in recent years. The left hand goes onto the grip normally and then the right hand is loosely placed below with the forefinger and perhaps middle finger pointing downwards down the front or side of the grip.

When Mark Calcavecchia turned to the technique back in 2001, he faced derision but now a number of top players including Tommy Fleetwood (see pic above) use the claw.

Armlock – This is where the shaft of a longer putter is held up the inside of the arm. The grip used may be the same of any of the above. Matt Kuchar was known for the armlock and Bryson DeChambeau is a current fan.

The long stick – There are all manner of ways that players grip the long putter (not anchoring it of course as that would be illegal.)

The most common method is to hold it at the top with the left hand as if you were gripping a mug of beer then use the right hand midway down the club, either with another beer mug grip, or perhaps a “claw” grip. Bernhard Langer and Adam Scott are well known as long putter grippers.

If you’ve ever started the winter with big goals, only to lose motivation as the chilly weather kicks in, you’re not alone. The problem isn’t a lack of effort, it’s a lack of structure. When you try to do too much at once, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

But the beauty of these winter months is that we finally have time to work deeply on our game – not just chase a quick fix before next weekend’s Stableford.

Here’s how to create a winter golf plan you’ll actually stick to, so you can come out of it ready to play your best golf yet.

Step 1: Pick Your Purpose Project

I believe there are two key ingredients to building a plan you’ll actually stick to – focus and purpose. Instead of trying to work on a bit of everything at once, choose one area of your game that will have the biggest impact. Then commit deeply to improving it.

It might be a swing change you want to groove, a mental block you’re ready to work through or a targeted skill you want to build – like strike consistency, distance control or confidence over short putts.

Pick the one thing that you know, if you were to give it your full attention this winter, you could make real, measurable progress by spring.

Your purpose project is your why for the winter. It gives meaning to every session and keeps your motivation high, even when the weather’s against you.

This isn’t about chasing quick fixes – it’s about taking consistent, purposeful action that compounds over time.

Step 2: Build Your Mini Plan

Once you’ve chosen your purpose project, it’s time to turn that focus into a clear plan to follow. The secret is to keep it short and flexible because while winter might feel long, your training cycles don’t have to be.

Break your winter into two-week “mini blocks”, with each block acting as a focused training cycle. They’re short enough to stay motivated but long enough to see real progress, with one cycle naturally building on the last.

For each block, define two things:

The specific change you’re working on

The specific goal you’re working towards

Those two ingredients give every block a clear purpose and a simple way to measure your progress.

Breaking your plan into these mini blocks creates a natural rhythm for improvement. It helps you focus deeply, spot what’s working and adjust based on what you’ve learned before moving onto the next.

It also takes the pressure off. Instead of feeling like winter is a long slog before spring rolls around, you’ll have clear milestones that make every couple of weeks feel meaningful and productive.

Step 3: Plan Your Sessions

A plan is only as good as the week it fits into. Once you know your focus and mini block goals, the next step is to decide how you’ll bring them to life week by week.

Start by defining what a “good week” looks like for you. Maybe that’s two range sessions or a daily visit to the net in your garden. The point isn’t to cram in as much as possible – it’s to create a simple structure you can stick to consistently.

Depending on your purpose project, your sessions might focus on:

Technical work – drills that improve your mechanics, sequencing or strike.

Skill training – challenges that simulate on-course shots and pressure.

Mindset work – exercises that build focus, confidence or bounce-back ability.

When you know exactly what each session is for, it’s much easier to stick to your plan, stay motivated and leave with a sense of progress.

Step 4: Create Feedback Loops

Without feedback, practice can quickly turn into guesswork. You might hit balls and feel like you’re improving but without a way to measure progress, it’s impossible to know what’s actually working. After all, “feel” and “real” can be worlds apart in golf.

That’s where building a simple feedback loop comes in so you can see what’s working, what’s not and adjust accordingly. Instead of spending a whole range session wondering why something isn’t clicking, you’ll have the data to understand why and find a way forward.

As awkward as it might feel at first, I highly recommend filming your swing when you’re working on a technical change. Seeing your swing on video gives you objective feedback and stops old habits from sneaking back in.

If your purpose project is more skill or mental game based, your feedback might be tracking how many targets you hit, how often you commit fully to your routine or how confident you feel over each shot.

Either way, creating a feedback loop takes the guesswork out of improvement and gives you real data to learn from and that’s what turns practice into progress.

Step 5: Track Your Progress & Celebrate It

When you can see your progress, it’s so much easier to stay motivated, especially through the colder months. There’s nothing quite like noticing a swing change start to click or seeing the number of targets hit steadily rise.

Tracking your progress doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be reviewing the swings you’ve filmed over time or making a quick note on your phone after each session – capturing one thing that went well and one thing you want to carry forward.

But it’s not just about tracking your progress, it’s about celebrating it.

At the end of each mini block, take a moment to reflect on the work you’ve put in and the impact it’s had. The gains might feel small but those small gains compound. And by the time spring arrives, they’ll have created a big shift in your game and your confidence.

You don’t need a complicated plan or endless hours on the range to make this winter count. You just need a clear focus, a structure that fits your life and a way to adapt as you go.

If you want a structured plan to follow this winter, my monthly training plan is designed to help golfers go from tinkering on their game to training with purpose. And if you want to see how I’m working on my game, follow me on Instagram.

One that irritates him a little more than me is the use of “quite the” rather than “quite a” as in, “He’s become quite the player over the last couple of years.” Nick Dougherty, from the Sky Sports and PGA Tour commentary teams, is very much a fan of “quite the”.

While researching this article, I actually did a quick Google/AI search to see if “quite the” is merely annoying to Rob rather than grammatically incorrect and it seems that is probably the case, with AI telling me that “in most contexts, both phrases are understood to mean something similar, but using ‘quite the’ adds a specific stylistic nuance that relies heavily on context and delivery”.

So, there we are. Another colleague admits that he gets miffed by Nick Dougherty (again – sorry, Nick!) insisting on calling them loblolly pines rather than just pines every time Masters week rolls round.

I know where my colleague is coming from. Technically, Dougherty is, of course, correct, but “loblolly”, through no fault of its own, is a mildly irritating word that becomes all the more irritating the more often it is repeated.

Anyway, I digress a little – here are a handful of phrases that grate on me to varying degrees in TV commentary and/or social media usage, which may, or may not, offend or irritate you to the same degree...

“Frozen rope"

Shot-tracking technology is largely to blame for the proliferation of this one, which is uttered far too often for listening comfort every time someone hits an arrow-straight, piercing drive that displays no hint of lateral deviation.

Unbeknown to me, it appears it is a baseball term that has now progressed into golf, but I wish it would retreat just a little.

“Throws a dart”

This is now an all-too-frequent reaction to any approach shot that lands and stops extremely close to the flagstick. It annoys me not only because of overuse but also because I think it’s only half right, for surely it is possible to throw a dart inaccurately just as much as it is to throw one that hits the target?

Yes, Mr Picky, I know – but once something has irritated you it’s unlikely to ever be able to redeem itself.

“Full send”

This has now become the go-to phrase applied to any shot where the player has put absolutely everything into it from a power perspective to hit a long drive.

That’s all well and good, and I’m told there is a YouTube channel called Full Send Golf, but it is the frequency of usage that infuriates, especially when there are ample alternatives to convey the same meaning – flat-out, all-out, don't spare the horses, full throttle, everything in the tank and so on. Let’s just mix it up a little more.

“Straight down the hey diddle diddle"

You don’t hear this one so often these days, but it was very much an overused favourite of Howard Clark in his early days behind the mic every time a player split a fairway.

I believe it does still slip into the vernacular of Ken Brown every now and then, suggesting that it was very much of a particular era as their tour careers largely overlapped.

“Dialled in”

A player doesn’t have to “throw a dart” too often before someone in the commentary booth will refer to them as being really “dialled in” with their irons and wedges. Nothing wrong with it per se – again, just overuse gradually dulling the senses.

“Dodo Molinari’s data”

Finally, and not really a specific phrase as such, but I have to admit I got thoroughly fed up with commentators (Paul McGinley in particular) mentioning Edoardo Molinari’s data and stats every other hole at the Ryder Cup.

We got the message – the Italian has come up with stats and data to help give Team Europe the edge when it comes to pairings etc. I’m sure it’s true and played a part in their success – I just didn’t want to hear about it every five minutes!

That’s it – six bugbears of mine that will no doubt differ to yours. Why not join the conversation and let us know what phrases rub you up the wrong way in the comments section below.

And I do appreciate that commentators have an awful lot of time to fill on air and have come up with many classics over the years. So sometimes, when I’m feeling in a particularly generous mood, I’m willing to just let it go and look the other way... or at least, listen the other way!

As subs increase, membership numbers are falling as more (particularly younger) players are struggling to justify the expenditure in a challenging economic climate.

As membership numbers go down, the shortfall in income must be covered. At my club, we have worked hard to increase visitor numbers, but we’re not a prestigious venue so green fees can only do so much. The hole in the finances has to be plugged by the members so subscriptions go up further.

That leads to more members saying it’s just too much and giving it up. It’s a vicious cycle.

But I don’t think it needs to be. We just need to stop spending so much money. All I want from my club is a course that’s playable with decent greens and a functioning bar and kitchen. I would happily tighten my belt, pay less for membership and accept a very basic product.

Those in charge, though – the committee members, many of whom are retired with whopping great pensions and assets coming out of their ears – just seem to think they can spend their way out of trouble.

We don’t need new carpets in the dining room. We don’t need to paint the clubhouse windows a different colour. We don’t need to rebuild the whole green complex at the 15^th. We don’t need to employ an extra greenkeeper and have three members of admin staff.

All those things cost extra money that we as members are being asked to stump up.

The well-off few who have the time available to go onto the committee are spoiling it for the less well-off with stressful jobs and busy family lives who just want somewhere to play golf and go for a quick coffee and a bacon roll on a Saturday or Sunday.

Speaking to friends and colleagues in other parts of the country, it would seem I am not alone in feeling that the average working person is being priced out of club membership.

If you agree or disagree with that, please do let us know in the comment box below.

If you only have a chance to play a couple of times a month, the cost per round means membership is simply not worth it for an increasing number.

I say that this should be a time of austerity for the average second-tier local golf club. At my club, I would love to see a radical shift to reduce budgets and move to more of a skeleton operation with lower subscription charges.

I think a hold should be put on any costly course improvements right now and greens expenditure should purely be for maintaining the current layout in the best possible condition that the closely monitored budget allows for.

When it comes to the clubhouse, again, it should be basic maintenance only. Any suggestions of improving aesthetics or adding facilities should be dismissed. If the lights are on and the bacon is frying, that’s just fine with me.

Unfortunately, the committee doesn’t see it like that, and they continue to spend money we don’t have, making unnecessary changes and supposed improvements.

As a result, the subs continue to rise inexorably and the (often) younger, less wealthy members continue to be squeezed out.

We need more of the younger, less wealthy members to get onto the committee to put their feet down, but it’s a catch 22 because they tend to be the busiest with the least time to spare and committing to a committee is a commitment too far.

Club committees must consider all members from different economic backgrounds. The wealthy few might not blink at a 15% increase in subs, but there are plenty of members at many clubs across the country for whom that type of increase is a step too far.

To protect our golf clubs and maintain healthy and diverse memberships, cost reduction should be the order of the day. Save some money, save golf clubs.

Quiz: Can You Even Call Yourself A Golfer If You Can't Answer All These Questions Correctly?

For those who don't know, the honor in golf is the golfer who has the right, or obligation, to tee off first.

In stroke play, who ever has the lowest score on the hole will usually tee off first on the next hole, while in match play, who ever wins the previous hole has the luxury of going first. If there's a tie, the player who teed off first on the previous hole continues to lead off.

Many will argue it should remain in our sport because of etiquette and the tradition but, for me, I really don't see why the honor system is still a thing within golf.

Picture the scene... You're playing a match and you come to a par 3 over water. The wind is causing havoc and you don't know what direction it's going in or what club to hit.

Why is it that, after winning the previous hole, you have to be the guinea pig and tee off first on the next? Why can't you have the choice to put your opponent in to bat first so that you can learn what the ball might do when it's in the air.

Yes, the flipside is that if they hit a good shot then the pressure is back on you, but that's the risk you take. Match play is all about the momentum shifting so, if you make the wrong call and are put under pressure, then tough...

It can work the same way in that they hit a shot that gets hounded by the wind and comes up short. All of a sudden, you now know you need to hit more club than required.

What's more, it's not just learning off your partner where it's beneficial. Slow play is becoming more and more of a big factor in the sport at both amateur and professional level.

For me, I've always been an advocate of ready golf and, under "Rule 6.4 - Order of Play When Playing Hole," it states: "The order of play from the teeing area depends on who has the honor, and after that is based on which ball is farthest from the hole."

However, it then goes on to say that: "In stroke play, there is no penalty for playing out of turn, and players are both allowed and encouraged to play “ready golf” – that is, to play out of turn in a safe and responsible way."

This begs the question of why they mention having an honor in golf at all, when there's no penalty in stroke play for playing out of turn. The Rules of Golf encourage a 'ready golf' approach, which almost makes the honor redundant.

If your playing partner has the 'honor,' but is not ready to play, whereas you are, it's only logical you step up to the tee and play your shot to help the flow and pace of play.

Constantly waiting around and losing your momentum and rhythm is a big killer in golf. If you're happy to go first when they're not ready, it speeds up the process and helps the pace of play around you. I don't see why people want to stand around on the tee for an extra five minutes while their partner dilly dallies about in their golf bag.

One other reason is, simply, common sense. As we know, golfers hit the ball various lengths off the tee and, chances are, the longest hitter in the group is also going to have the lowest scores.

If this is the case, that means that player has to wait on the tee for the group ahead to move on. For me, if a player in your group can go because they can't reach the players in front, why don't you let them? Again, it keeps the pace of play moving and gives the group in front time to walk on.

Golf is special because it still has its value, traditions and history but, for me, the honor system is something that shouldn't be present in our sport.

Personally, in stroke play, if you're happy to tee off first and your partners are okay with it then carry on. In match play, where it's a one-on-one environment, the player who wins the hole should decide on whether they go first or not.

Do you agree with me that golf should get rid of the honor system? Or that it should be updated to better reflect the modern game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

“Levi is such a sweet baby,” she said, smiling. “I couldn’t say the same for the first three months, but now he’s six months, he’s a dream. He sleeps 12 hours, which changed my life. I was playing golf again, travelling again, living my dream and being a mum. It’s really rewarding.”Lee's return to competition, following an emergency C-section, was anything but easy. The physical toll had been immediate. “The first few days, I couldn’t walk,” she recalled. “

At six weeks I started putting and chipping, then swinging at eight to nine weeks, and drivers around week ten. I lost a ton of power, my ball speed dropped nearly 20 mph. I cried some days, thinking I was so far behind.”

Watch the full interview with Alison Lee on motherhood and her return to competitive golf

Despite the physical and emotional toll, the two-time Solheim Cup player’s determination never wavered. “I’ve been a pro for 11 years,” she explained. “I’ve won on the LET, but not yet on the LPGA, and that dream keeps me going.”

The challenge, she admitted, was balancing athletic ambition with motherhood: “Some days I didn’t want to practise, but I pushed myself. Still, I often felt like I wasn’t practising enough and not being the best mom. I’m still figuring out the balance, and it’s getting easier.”

Crucially, Lee was quick to credit her extensive support system, particularly her mother and Levi’s father, for helping her navigate the unique demands of elite sport and new motherhood. “Having help has been huge,” she said. “You can’t do everything alone.”

Lee also drew inspiration from successful athlete mums like Stacy Lewis, though she acknowledged the path was personal. “Every woman and every baby is different,” Lee reflected. “Some people say you should stay home longer, others say the opposite. I’m just doing what works for me.”

As a proud Golf Saudi ambassador, Lee had found a dedicated partner in her journey. She deeply values the organisation's massive investment into the women's game. “They’ve stayed committed to women’s golf,” she noted. “Purses have grown, production is better, and there are more events.

To grow the game, you need investment, and they believe in us.” This support, she added, went beyond simple sponsorship. “It’s meaningful,” Lee said. “You feel the investment, the care, the intention behind it. That kind of support makes a difference.”

Golf Saudi has invested heavily in the Ladies European Tour, funding 30 events with prize funds totalling $45.5M, sponsoring 14 female professionals, and introducing golf to thousands of women and girls across the Kingdom.

For Lee, success is no longer measured solely by trophies; it’s about legacy. “I want Levi to see that hard work pays off,” she stated. “My mum was a full-time working mum who did everything for me. She’s my role model. I want to be that for him.”

Her message to other women in sport considering motherhood was both honest and empowering: “Give yourself grace. Only a few come back and instantly play great, and usually they have help. To be a great athlete, sometimes you have to be selfish, and that’s okay. Take breaks, ask for help. It makes you a better mum too.”

Looking ahead, Lee’s goals remain ambitious. “I don’t want to just make cuts, I want to contend. This year was about seeing where my game is after taking time off. I’ll work hard this off-season and hope for a big 2026.”

Lee’s story is a blend of strength, vulnerability, and unwavering ambition. With her family’s support and the backing of Golf Saudi, she’s redefining what it means to be a modern elite athlete and mother.

www.pifglobalseries.com

There was, of course, the ‘consolation prize’ of another Race to Dubai title, a seventh for the Masters champion, who will just have to wait a little longer for DP World Tour victory number 21.

Enough about that - old news already. What you really want to know is, what’s going on in the equipment world?

Last week, the big gear story was Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood playing the new TaylorMade Qi4D drivers, the former with a standard version and the Englishman with the LS model.

Charley Hull, a player known for producing explosive speed, has also been pictured hitting the new model.

Hull fans will know that the TaylorMade player has been playing with the Qi10 LS, although the England star had the Qi4D in the bag during the penultimate event of the LPGA Tour season, The Annika.

As well as the brand-new TaylorMade drivers, the Ping G440 K - another model to have appeared on the USGA Conforming List recently - has been spotted, which appears to be the next iteration of the G440 range.

Thriston Lawrence is one of the latest Ping ambassadors to try the new Ping G440 K model.

The South African, a five-time winner on the DP World Tour, was seen using the new driver in Dubai, where he finished tied 24th.

We believe this to be a new high-MOI model, similar to the G430 10K driver, which proved very popular and is still among the best golf drivers nearly two years after its release.

We’re expecting a flurry of more new models as we approach ‘new driver season’, although it’s always just as interesting to see older gear in play - and there can’t be many players using an older driver than Aaron Rai, who took the Abu Dhabi title at Yas Links recently playing with a TaylorMade M6 driver, which was released back in 2016.

Well, maybe one or two.

A MIXTURE OF OLD AND NEW

This brings us to Adam Schenk, winner of the weekend’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship, a victory that helped the American save his card.

That crucial win, his first on the PGA Tour at the 243rd time of asking, was secured using an eight-year-old driver - the Ping G440, the model that replaced G.

It’s certainly not unusual to see old equipment out on tour. At the DP World Tour Championship, Fitzpatrick had his trusty Ping irons in the bag - i210 3- and 4-irons, and S55 irons 5-PW, a 10-year-old set that the former US Open champion won’t be retiring any time soon.

What was slightly more unusual was seeing Schenk putt one-handed.

Although we are digressing slightly at this point, Fitzpatrick has attracted a lot of attention for his cross-handed chipping action.

No doubt the two recent winners could have an interesting chat around their choice of equipment and why they don't follow convention.

Back to the latest equipment news, and it was interesting to see Ping brand ambassador Tyrrell Hatton with a brand-new TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood in the bag.

The LIV golfer was one of only two players who could prevent McIlroy from winning the Race to Dubai at the weekend - the other being Marco Penge - but, in truth, the Northern Irishman rarely looked like losing his grip on the season-long title.

Now, after a short rest, attention will soon turn to the 2026 season.

And with the PGA Show in Orlando just around the corner, like the pros, we’re looking forward to getting our hands on plenty of new equipment.

Stay tuned.

If you’re struggling with your flat stick and are open to trying something new, we highly recommend watching the Kick Point episode below (all of it, of course, but this particular discussion starts at 5.24).

After listening to Dr MacKenzie on No Laying Up, our very own PGA professional and Kick Point host, Joe Ferguson, is up for changing the way he putts.

Is it time you did the same. Let us explain…

First, bring out the violins. Dan is struggling with his new zero torque putter.

Despite getting fitted at PXG HQ in Scottsdale, Arizona for his PXG Mustang ZT putter, whilst “bullet proof” from eight feet and in, it is performing miserably from long range. “Horrible,” he says.

Dan is in what’s known as the “reverse honeymoon period”, where instead of enjoying immediate success and joy, he’s experiencing the exact opposite - at least so far as long distance putting is concerned.

“You’ve come from a putter with a bit of toe hang,” Ferguson says, reassuringly (Joe is a big advocate of the zero torque putters).

“What zero torque does, in my opinion, when you remove that torque force, you can lose a bit of awareness.

“You’ve got to get to the point where you trust it. You don’t need to manipulate it or refind it with your hands - you just let it swing and do its thing.

“Once you understand that the clubface is going to do its thing and stay square, it’s a genuine phenomenon.”

Dr Sasho MacKenzie: Debunking Myths

Now for something quite thought-provoking, which might get you to try something totally new with your putting.

Dr MacKenzie, one of the smartest minds in golf, recently appeared on the No Laying Up podcast to discuss a piece of putting research that he had conducted.

As Joe explains, one of the most important elements of putting that we’re constantly reminded about is that you have to get your path nice and square, and a centered strike is crucial.

MacKenzie’s research suggests that neither appears to be quite so important, for he was able to show that when you moved the impact location, even by a centimeter, the change in direction and pace was minimal.

“Lots of golfers spend a lot of time on putting gate drills to work on centering the strike, and using putting mirrors to perfect the path,” says Joe. MacKenzie is saying that maybe it’s not so crucial, and he has the evidence to back it up.

Here’s where the debate gets super interesting.

There appears to be less of a focus on pace control. As Joe says, we might rehearse a hands-to-shoulder back and through for a 60-yard shot to give us a framework of how far to hit a wedge, for example, but this kind of method is largely ignored on the putting side.

Bryson DeChambeau and a number of other tour players have their various systems, the two time US Open champion being big on the length of his backswing and using different ratios to get his pace spot on.

However, MacKenzie believes that more golfers have room to improve their putting by learning how to control their clubhead speed.

Looking At The Target

Interestingly, many of those he tested were more successful when they looked at the hole rather than the ball.

“Think about playing pool and snooker. You’re not looking at where you’re going to strike the cue ball are you? You’re looking at the object ball and the pocket,” says Joe, who's also fairly handy on the baize.

“If you’re not even looking at the stroke, you can get that out of your head and not worry about how strike and path.

“It makes sense. You’re focusing purely on the target and not worrying so much about the stroke.”

Have you ever gone through your routine, looking at the ball, back at the hole, the ball, hole again, over and over, and then, as you’re about to pull the trigger, just wondered how hard you should hit the ball?

Yes? So has Joe. We all do it. Maybe it’s time, as Jordan Spieth has to known to do on occasions, that you looked at the target when taking your putting stroke. There can’t be any harm in trying, can there?

In case you’re concerned for Dan, he’s going to persist with his zero torque PXG Mustang ZT putter.

“I want to see if I can get out of this reverse honeymoon period and actually get into the honeymoon.”

Good luck, Dan, and good luck to those of you who are going to try looking at your target when you putt.

Let us know your thoughts using the comments box below. We'd love to hear from you.

With 19 wins, including four Major Championships, there have been plenty of comparisons drawn between the red hot form of Scheffler and the famous period of utter dominance from Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods is currently the record earner on the PGA Tour, banking more than $120 million in prize money in his career so far, but Scottie Scheffler is now lurking and ready to overtake one of the best golfers of all time.

The question is... when will Scheffler accumulate enough funds to overthrow Woods in top spot?

When Will Scheffler Pass Tiger Woods' PGA Tour Earnings?

With the rate that Scheffler keeps winning appearing to gather speed rather than be slowing down, it's hard to predict exactly when he will overtake Woods at the top of the career earnings list on the PGA Tour.

It's pretty clear that it will happen relatively soon, barring a cataclysmic drop off in form or a significant injury, and if I was to hazard a guess I would say by the Masters in 2027 (at the latest).

There is a way that we can use some of his historic earnings to make a loose prediction, so stick with me while I talk you through my theory.

Scheffler has earned just over $99 million dollars since turning professional in 2018. He didn't earn over $1 million in a season until the 2019-2020 season, so we will take an average based on the past six seasons including that one.

Doing some very basic maths tells me that Scheffler has averaged around $16.5 million a season for the last six seasons, so based on that calculation it would take him just two more to eclipse the figure currently held by Woods.

That theory is based on the notion that Woods doesn't add significant sums of prize money to his own total, which looks unlikely following Woods' recent surgery and his history over the past few seasons.

There is another way to look at this, however.

Scheffler has earned at least $20 million in each of the last three seasons, with the biggest income seen in the 2024 season ($29 million), so based on that trajectory he will surpass Woods by the end of the 2026 season.

Either way, the rate at which Scheffler has pulled alongside one of the greatest players of the modern era in terms of career prize money is simply ludicrous and a damning inditement on the state of the men's professional game.

Woods, who earned an average of $4.5 million per season using the same parameters as above, has a massive 82 PGA Tour wins.

Those victories were recorded over almost 30 years as a professional, but Tiger is about to be passed by a player with 19 wins in just seven years as a pro.

I'll let you stew on that concerning stat for a moment, then I want to hear your thoughts.

Drop me a comment below and tell me your opinion on the financial state of the game, the sums of money earned by players and anything else that peaked your interest in this article.

While You Are Here... Have A Go At Our Multiple Major Winner Crossword

A recent Instagram post from gears.sports has our PGA professional and co-host of Golf Monthly’s Kick Point podcast, Joe Ferguson, a little concerned.

For the full discussion, fast-forward to 21:20 on the video below (we actually recommend listening to the whole episode - it’s a cracker) for a more detailed explanation.

But here’s a summary...

Gears is a golf motion analysis and body tracking system used by PGA pros, club fitters, and club manufacturers to measure and analyze every nuance of a golf swing.

If you’ve been for a thorough custom fitting session - the kind of which is available at the TaylorMade fitting center at Wentworth, for example - you’ll be familiar with the little balls that get stuck on your body.

These stickers capture lots of important data, and they’re also attached to golf clubs to see how the clubhead and shafts react.

Recently, Joe says, research carried out by Gears has revealed something very interesting about lie angles - and it would be remiss of us not to pass this on.

At this point, if you haven’t done so already, we really would recommend watching the video above, because you need a basic understanding of shaft droop.

Traditionally lie angles have been set to progress gradually more upright from longer irons down to the wedges to factor in the change in length between the clubs, which changes the pitch of the shaft at address and impact. Or so we thought...

Basically, the longer the shaft gets, the more the shaft droops. Think of drooping as the toe of the club going down - so a pitching wedge, which is shorter and stiffer, will not droop as much as a 3-iron.

What Gears has done is flattened the wedges, with the long irons being made more upright to compensate for the shaft droop that happens during the golf swing.

“It feels like we could have been doing it wrong for years,” says Joe.

“This isn’t conjecture. All the tour pros they’ve worked with have bought into it.”

According to Gears, these PGA and LPGA Tour professionals have all witnessed Strokes Gained in greens in regulation.

In theory, the shot dispersion becomes a lot tighter. No more long irons going way right or pulled wedges - or at least a lot fewer.

“What Gears is suggesting is that you’re better off having one standard, constant lie angle,” explains Joe.

Quite simply, if you were fitted in a 7-iron for a 62° lie angle, you’d want to be 62° in everything.

Interestingly, despite this being a ‘new’ way of thinking, through talking to current and retired professionals, Gears has discovered that a number of players have always subscribed to this theory.

Six-time Major winner, Lee Trevino, is one of these. “Super Mex” played with flatter wedges and his longer irons were more upright, with his lie angles working out to be around the same number for the entire set.

“I’m going to get a set with a standard lie angle and measure my dispersion,” says Joe.

How about you? How well do you know your specs?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Worm casts are the excreted soil left on the surface by burrowing earthworms. There are most prevalent in spring and autumn, particularly in damp conditions.

The Rules of Golf forbid players to ‘press down loose soil”. So if you encounter a worm cast you cannot simply flatten it.

However the Rules of Golf do allow ‘Loose Impediments’ to be removed and the definition of these includes: “Worms, insects and similar animals that can be removed easily, and the mounds or webs they build (such as worm casts and ant hills).”

Therefore a worm cast on the fairway or green can be brushed away, or lifted and removed.

Rule 15.1a states that: “Without penalty, a player may remove a loose impediment anywhere on or off the course, and may do so in any way (such as by using a hand or foot, using a club or other equipment, getting help from others or breaking off part of a loose impediment).”

But, if the action of removing a loose impediment causes the ball to move then the player incurs a one-shot penalty, unless the ball had been at rest on the putting surface.

Local rules

Players should check before starting their round whether a local rule is in place which allows them to pick and clean balls on the fairway. Such rules are often colloquially termed “winter rules.”

Two types of ‘winter rules’ regard cleaning a ball which is on the fairway. The less common local rule is based on Model Local Rule E-2, which says that a ball’s position may be marked and the ball then lifted, cleaned and replaced in the exact same spot.

A more common winter rule, often known as Preferred Lies, allows a ball to be picked up, cleaned and replaced no nearer the hole. But it does not have to be on the exact same spot as before, merely within a defined distance of where the ball was.

It is up to the committee to determine this distance, but typically this is six inches, although the R&A suggests “one club-length, one scorecard length or 6 inches” as options.

It is recommended that you mark the position of your ball before preferring your lie, but there is no penalty if you fail to do so.

So if Preferred Lies are in operation and your ball has ended up in a worm cast, the ball can be cleaned and replaced outside of the worm cast.

But if they are not, and you ball ends in a worm cast, it’s just tough luck. Golf’s overriding principle of “play the ball as it lies” applies.

As this shows, mid handicaps encompass a wide range of abilities. The best mid handicappers get a shot on only around half the holes in a round; the worst get them on all holes, and probably will even get two shots on the lowest stroke indexes.

Mid handicappers’ histories in the game also vary. Some will be on an upwards path, part of a progression from beginner to single-figure golfer. Others may be former single-figure golfers where age has reduced some of their effectiveness. Others are simply those who have found their level and will play most of their golfing lives as mid handicappers.

This will affect their equipment choices - we've outlined some considerations below.

Balanced Drivers

Mid handicappers will almost certainly have their own equipment that they are used to. But if they are on an upwards or downwards path should they think about adjusting this equipment to reflect their changing abilities?

For example, the ex single-figure player may find that their low lofted, low-spinning driver may no longer be the best option for them.

If age has slowed the swing and reduced the drive length, maybe a driver specifically designed to add distance through extra launch and stability would now be a better option. There are also drivers specially designed for slow swing speeds.

But others in this category, with quick swing speeds, may benefit from selecting one of the best drivers for forgiveness, as accuracy, not length, is their main challenge. They could be tempted by drivers such as the Tour Edge Exotics E725 or the Ping G430 Max 10K, the latter of which blends modest spin with ample playability, meaning it suits a broad range of abilities.

Compact Distance Irons

The mid handicapper will likely be wanting a set of irons which balances forgiveness and speed with a hint of feel and workability. The very best golfers tend to use bladed irons, the most workable type of iron, but mid-handicap golfers rarely get the best results from using blades, as they don’t offer the degree of forgiveness a mid handicap player sometimes needs.

Yet the cavity back game-improvement irons designed for high handicappers, which offer plenty of forgiveness at the expense of workability, may not suit them either.

The solution is found in compact mid-handicap irons as these aim to balance workability and forgiveness. Excellent sets in this category include the TaylorMade 2025 P790; Ping i530 and Srixon ZXi5.

Or our ageing ex single-figure player may now be well advised to check out one of the best distance irons, such as the Ben Hogan Legend or the Cobra DS Adapt, which are designed to maximize ball and clubhead speeds in order to generate the longest carries.

Chipper

Yes, they don’t have the best reputation as “isn’t that what bad players use?” But this used to be said about hybrids, which are now a standard part of a club golfer's equipment set up.

Designed to help golfers playing from around the green by allowing them to use their putting stroke, chippers are more player-friendly than even the most forgiving wedges.

Chippers are designed to give another option to those who lack a total mastery of wedge shots. Phil Mickelson is never going to need one, but Phil Mickelson isn’t a mid handicapper. Models like the Odyssey Chipper and Ping ChipR have impressed us in testing, and aren't as one-dimensional as you might think.

Bunker Club

Getting out of bunkers first time can be a tough ask for some mid-handicap golfers, which is why some brands offer a very specific solution from the sand to help.

Clubs like the Ping BunkR wedge are specifically built to extract your ball from the sand more often than not, and can be a great addition to the bag should this particular shot become a nuisance for you. Failing that, adding one of the best lob wedges with plenty of loft (58° or above) would be a good starting point.

Vis-Tech Balls

Among the best golf balls there is plenty of assistance available to help with your aim and alignment, arguably more than with any other part of your equipment.

Be it lines or stripes, triangles like on the TaylorMade TP5 Pix or split color blocks like on the Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide, there are a host of options worth trying if you're a mid-handicap golfer looking to hole more short range putts - which lets face it, is every mid handicapper!

Accessories

The difference between a single-figure golfer, mid handicapper and game improver is not visible in the accessories, but if you're missing some of these items below your performance and enjoyment is almost certain to suffer.

The first is some sort of distance measurement device, be that a golf GPS watch or one of the best golf rangefinders. These will provide the crucial information you need to make better decisions before each shot and select the appropriate club. Models like the Shot Scope G6 watch and Bushnell Tour Hybrid rangefinder have stood out to us in testing recently.

Mid handicappers get just as wet as any other golfer when it rains, so waterproofs, wet weather gloves and so on are just as appropriate for them as any other. As is the rest of the paraphernalia.

Perhaps if the mid handicapper is an ex single figure golfer, maybe he or she should make sure a towel and perhaps even a grooves brush are in the bag, as they may be playing from, and hitting to, less congenial places on the course than they once used to. Perhaps also, whisper it, a ball retriever could make it into the bag, or an extra sleeve of the best mid-price golf balls should they be having a particularly off day.

There are many things that divide opinion in the game of golf, from major topics like dress code and slow play to minor issues like changing your shoes in the car park - but suggesting an adaption to the format has also garnered similarly strong opinions.

We received a number of comments from readers, covering the full spectrum of responses you might expect to see when broaching the subject of change in golf, but one particular comment resonated with me.

I actually totally agree with Neil, in that reducing the number of holes would encourage more people to play and make the game accessible, but I also liked the perspective of one of our readers, who suggested 14 holes could be the way to go...

Would 14-Hole Golf Really Be That Bad For The Game?

Often, when sharing our opinions on the state of the game, we get a broad spectrum of really valuable feedback from our audience - and this issue is no different.

I am going to share some of the comments from the article written by Neil Tappin, but if you have an opinion on this that hasn't been covered, or you want to discuss a particular theme, drop me a comment in the box at the bottom of the page.

Weighing in on the aforementioned article, a reader by the name of 'Chase J Sanders' eloquently shared a view on the benefits of 14-hole golf - and I am totally on board with it.

"In my view the ideal course length would be 14 holes, not 12, which would still allow for two meaningful sides of 7 and allow the game to look exactly as it does today.

"Anyone looking at the sport objectively knows that 18 is too long. By the last 3-4 holes, everyone except perhaps the most elite golfer is dragging.

"It's really is hard to justify maintaining 18 holes of manicured, watered golf acreage in a climate changing world that needs to monitor its energy and water usage.

"But alas, this change will never happen because, as illustrated in the comments below, golf is a sport of traditionalists who hate change, no matter how sensible."

Some of the comments referenced in Chase's response also made interesting points.

Ron Danklefs and Chasgolfer both referenced the fact that golfers do have the option to play nine-holes if they want a quicker round of golf.

There were some that agreed with this sentiment, but claimed it was difficult logistically to regularly play nine-hole golf - as outlined by Nero M.

"12 holes is an interesting option, that said - we currently have the 9 hole option. I almost always play 9 holes, as the needed time frame [approx 2 hrs] fits my life schedule better than 18.

"What would be helpful is a more positive reception at golf courses for those of us wanting to play 9. When trying to book on line - some courses seem to make it difficult to book only 9 holes.

"Sometimes I've called to inquire about 9 holes, to be advised there weren't any slots available for that - but I could book 18. Courses could be more creative about integrating 9 and 18-hole players into their schedule."

Other readers stated that the number of holes wasn't the issue, instead suggesting that elements such as the length of golf courses, player's pace of play and playing from the wrong tee box could be part of the problem.

There are those who also believe that a change is not necessary at all, as explained by another of our readers.

"Why do individuals feel the need to alter our great game to suit their own needs, you can play as many holes as you want if you are time restricted.

"It's a game that can be played from young to old and everone can be competitive by having a handicap, lets enjoy our golf for life is far to short."

What Does Baz Think?

Similarly to Neil, I have increasingly found it difficult to get out onto the golf course for 18 holes - especially with a young family and finding the time to squeeze in a five or six hour hobby over the weekend without feeling selfish.

In recent months, I have headed out before work or over lunch to play nine holes and even put in a few nine-hole cards which has been a refreshingly positive experience.

Spending an hour and a half in the fresh air, not feeling particularly tired after and conveniently fitting a game that I love into my busy schedule has helped me to get out on the course more - but I'd love to see a few 12- or 14-hole competitions running throughout the year.

This sometimes occurs in the winter, when the courses close a few holes for maintenance or to protect them from the elements, and I must admit I often enjoy those more due to the appeal of a three-hour excursion.

Even if courses kept 18 holes open and rotated which 12 or 14 holes were in play on that day, there could be a benefit to course maintenance and protection while also improving the pace of play.

I realise this might not be a particularly popular opinion, as highlighted by some of the comments above, but I do believe that golf has to adapt in order to progress.

There is no reason why some days/competitions couldn't be played on an 18-hole course, but introducing the option of a reduced length round could be a great way to become more accessible while also shaking the tag that golf is overly traditional and showing that the game is prepared to evolve.

When those physical limitations are removed or improved that doesn’t necessarily mean that the swing fault disappears. In fact, our minds hold on to the blueprint of our golf swing more than we think.

Just because your back doesn’t hurt anymore doesn’t mean that you’re not going to extend early in your golf swing to protect it.

It’s really interesting that muscle memory or the blueprint of our golf swings is so ingrained into our subconscious that even when there is no pain present, in the mind the body still tells us to “be careful, don’t overdo it, this hurt last time.”

Former Olympic javelin medalist Goldie Sayers said, “There’s definitely a return to the competition phase of rehabbing an injury that’s a bit of an art, as not that much actually mimics the skill you’re returned to when done at speed. I always found visualisation overcomes a lot of the subconscious self-protection of operations and injuries.”

Sayers attributes a higher percentage of fellow athletes not returning to compete due to the fear of re-injury, lower confidence, and decreased motivation.

I find this fascinating and often it’s a journey of rebuilding the trust within us that helps get a golfer back on track. Many golfers assume their golf will immediately return to its best when the pain is gone.

This isn’t always the case. Like having physiotherapy and rehabilitation exercises to get your body back in shape after an operation or an injury, the same will apply to your golf swing.

You need to not rush in. You need to rebuild it as physical capability has changed. There’s a chance you’ll have to make some substantial changes. Potentially you’ll swing it totally differently.

That’s why lessons are so important. Your PGA professional can give you drills to help to rebuild confidence, and this isn’t about rebuilding the muscles. This is about regaining the trust in your body's ability to move better.

Now we are not all Tiger Woods, but he's a great example of an athlete who has come back after multiple surgeries and smashed it out of the park. Most famously returning after a spinal fusion surgery to win the 2019 Masters.

I asked a few golfers whether they’d experienced the best golf they’ve ever played once they’ve come back after injury. Or did they decide not to come back at all?

One of my pupils had such a sore knee before having major surgery. His game was really suffering so he quit and hasn’t hit a ball since while he rehabilitates. He admits he’s scared of hitting his first ball as it has skewed his swing so much and resulted in not just pain but poor shots.

Memories of his worst playing season is still there, he's trying to distinguish between the correct alignment and posture from his pain avoidance improvised version, which is fuelling his self.doubt. Compounded with does he swing safe or swing normal and the fear factor of not incurring further injuries is immense.

He’s being careful not to dive in headfirst, managing his expectations is high on the agenda. Almost starting from scratch to get back down to scratch.

Juliet Braxton was a single figure golfer who was a keen skier as well as a great golfer. Then her body decided to throw her a curveball and her golf took a back seat. But after 15 years of various surgeries and operations and being recommended not to play any sports other than walking, Braxton is back playing golf.

“My first few games were truly dreadful as I think I was nervous of harming myself and I was also not as fit as I previously was. I came remarkably close to giving up.

“I decided to have lessons and although there was a marked improvement I found it extremely hard to regain my confidence. My previous handicap was 7 and I was very consistent, but now some of this consistency seems to have left me.

Three years on, I am playing off 15 which is fine, but I still feel I have more to give. During my lessons, my confidence is good, but when I’m on the first tee I feel shaky and unsure of myself. I am hoping time and practice will help to improve my confidence and my consistency will return.”

Jo Florance is back playing golf after her second knee replacement and admits she feels as good as ever. Her golf hasn’t deteriorated and she doesn’t feel phased about playing 18 holes anymore.

Florence’s friend is waiting for a hip replacement. She’s in visible pain walking, but just loves being out on the golf course. Her husband hasn’t looked back since having knee replacements, and although he’s not playing better golf, pain-free golf carries so much more enjoyment.

People with different mindsets come back from injury differently. Are you a golfer who has found new joy after returning to the game after injury, not just because you are pain-free, but because your approach to the game has changed? Are you playing better since having surgery? Let us have your comments below.

More reserved golfers, those who aren’t risk-takers will hold back and perhaps be more cautious. The confident, determined and more bullish players will say, “Hey, I’ve got a new knee. I’m invincible.” They’ll commit to their swing and trust new joints without worrying about doing themselves damage. These golfers will fly after surgery, but can also come back too soon.

The golfers I know who have returned to the game after injury have been through extensive rehab and many have worked out more than they’ve ever done before.

We know that exercise releases happy endorphins and these comeback kings and queens have a big smile on their faces. Those natural painkillers (endorphins) are at work and let’s face it, when we’re fit and healthy we feel great so the chances of coming back after injury and playing better golf could actually be quite high.

It's not because I'm a miserable so and so. Far from it. Aside from my general frustration at the rising cost of golf club membership - which I detailed last week - I'm a pretty happy-go-lucky person.

I really enjoy socializing and going to bars or watching sport with a big group, and I love to laugh - ask any of my friends. OK, well, you'll just have to trust me on that.

The point is, playing golf on my own is something I've really come to appreciate. A lot of people might think I'm strange even for going against the popular view, but allow me to explain...

If you can think of any other positives to playing alone or you vehemently disagree, pop your thoughts in the comments box below this article.

NO FEAR OF EMBARRASSMENT

With no one else watching over you like a hawk, there's no fear or shame if you duff a chip or slice a drive out of bounds. You can just carry on your merry way while taking a lesson from it. Friends or family might make a joke at your expense and, while no harm is meant or taken, it's often a comment you could do without.

On the flip side, should a playing partner make a mistake, you don't have to either pretend you haven't seen it, try and make light of the moment or suffer that awkward pause before they mutter something about never doing that at the range.

To be honest, all of the aforementioned scenarios work both ways, but playing on your own avoids any kind of social embarrassment. Ideal.

YOU CAN LISTEN TO MUSIC OR A PODCAST

Playing golf alone doesn't mean you have to walk for hours in silence, unless listening to the sounds of a golf course or appreciating the natural surroundings is something that appeals.

Quite often, I'll listen to music or a podcast - depending on the kind of mood I'm in - via a golf speaker rather than headphones so I can listen for shouts of 'Fore!'

A podcast is the usual choice because it's like two or three people are having a conversation to keep you company but they can't see what you're doing (see earlier post).

Having songs or a podcast playing along quietly in the background avoids disturbing other golfers on the course and can keep you nice and relaxed as you stripe your way around nine or 18 holes.

YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TIME

Playing golf on your own can take up as little or as much time as you want (within reason). It's possible to high-tail your way around a full 18 in roughly two-and-a-half hours if the course is quiet or you're let through.

Conversely, a four-to-five-hour round is perfectly acceptable as well, providing you're not holding anyone up behind you and you don't have a dinner reservation to keep.

Should your buddies be hell-bent on finishing a round as quickly as possible, it can take away some of your enjoyment. But guess who's in charge of time management if it's just you?

One of the key advantages of flying solo in this regard is that it allows you to take your time over shots and go through a proper pre-shot routine without annoying or disturbing others. As long as you're keeping up with the group in front and you aren't delaying the group behind, knock yourself out in terms of the time it takes.

CONCENTRATE ON YOUR GAME, NOT HELPING OTHERS

On a similar note to the above, taking your time over shots allows you to really focus on those one or two swing thoughts that you've been desperate to put into action. Other people might try to help you, and that can cloud your thought process.

Similarly, if you're trying to help someone else with their game, that can end up taking away from your own efforts. Then, when you've left the course, it can be a case of wondering where the holes went and realizing you didn't really achieve what you wanted.

GIVES YOU THE CHANCE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE

I do realize that this last point goes against my original stance somewhat, but signing up to play alone initially means you might have the chance to meet new people from time to time. And - at least for the extroverts among us - this can be a good thing.

I can't tell you the number of times I've begun a round alone, listening to my podcast and working on my game, before I've bumped into another solo golfer and offered to play together until the clubhouse.

Personally, I love meeting new people and finding out random things about them and their life - how long they've been playing, what they do for work, what they think is the biggest problem in the game right now.

If you're with anyone else, I've found chatting to fellow golfers doesn't happen as much unless you make a stop in the clubhouse afterwards.

THE ONE DOWNSIDE

There is one clear downside to playing golf alone, though, and this enters my mind every time I stand on the tee box of a par 3.

Should you manage to achieve every golfer's lifetime ambition of a hole-in-one and you do it without company, no one will believe you...

The best golf balls offer a wealth of graphic options and other visual stimuli to help golfers gain an advantage in this area - be it lines, crosses or something a little more elaborate. I’ve tried pretty much everything, experiencing success as well as failure without reaching any concrete conclusions, so I wanted to conduct a test to determine with some certainty which is the most effective graphic for me on the greens.

So I hit 12 putts from six feet on a flat portion of green with three different options - no line showing at all, a ‘solid’ line (traditional Pro V1 sidestamp) and a stripe design (specifically the TaylorMade TP5x Stripe), which you can watch in the video above. The results were interesting.

No line: 8/12
Single line: 11/12
Stripe: 6/12

Before you all get at me in the comments at the bottom of the page (I’m still expecting a few) about the nature of the test and how it lacks scientific credibility (for the record, I agree it does) please keep in mind it was just a fun experiment more to satisfy my own curiosity.

The scores reveal that the solid line worked best. But over the ball, there was no doubt I felt much more confident with the added visual stimuli I got from the Stripe - it felt like I could see the orientation much clearer. But the counter argument, which is perhaps reflected in the scores, is that the stripe design is quite distracting - especially when making a stroke - taking the focus away from what the putter is doing.

I’ve tried the TP5x Stripe during multiple rounds and had amazing performances from short range and some abysmal ones. Some days it felt like cheating I was so prolific, on others it made me feel completely lost, second guessing my reads and generally lacking faith in the process.

The other problem with the stripe (and the line to a degree) was the extra time it took to get it aligned correctly. Placing the ball down, stepping back and looking at it from behind, holding the shaft up to check, making adjustments if needed - it all added a good 15 seconds at times to each putt.

I felt conscious of this during the test, perhaps to the point that I put rushed strokes on the ball, potentially contributing to the lower score. I appreciate this makes little sense given I was under no time pressure, but this was something I definitely felt subconsciously.

The line feels like a good middle ground - providing some help without overwhelming the senses and the results proved that. Although in competition rounds I’ve often diverted away from using a line to no line to free up my stroke and mentally focus on putting a committed stroke on it.

As someone who aims right and pulls putts online, the line when pointing at the middle of the hole on a straight putt looked off. I felt like I was having to push putts online, which admittedly worked, but it was an uncomfortable process I’d be hesitant to commit to long term.

In summary, there is unquestionably some merit in utilising the assistance golf balls can provide when it comes to alignment. Starting putts online is a critical skill and most golfers could and should take advantage of the assistance on offer.

What will work best is likely to be player dependent. The only way to know with any certainty is to try as many as you can, ideally on the course during a round to get a sense for what works under pressure.

The ‘it looks weird’ phase is one golfers often grapple with initially, to the point where they give up and revert to what they did previously. My only comment on this would be that you’re using a line because you need help to aim, so the short term pain of getting used to it should lead to long term gains.

Golf ball manufacturers acknowledge the potential benefits, which is why there’s a whole host of great options to choose from, be it the Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Track, Titleist AIM 360 or even the Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide outside of the balls featured in my test.

For me, I’ll be persisting with the standard Pro V1 sidestamp given the my results. But who knows, I may well have moved on to something else in a few weeks time.

Even if you find yourself baffled a little by the science, it'll at least get you thinking about whether you're using the right golf ball for your game - and, if you're not, what your options are.

So, Nick asked: “Given the data available to us regarding golf balls, I was wondering how we can interpret driver backspin and, in particular, how it links to lateral dispersion?

“I realise spin axis tilt is a variable within this but surely a high spin ball will lead to greater dispersion. Does the choice of ball even influence spin axis tilt?”

Over to you, Joe.

“I have a couple of schools of thought on this,” he says. “I’ve always said that spin is your friend. The more backspin you get on your golf ball, the straighter it’s likely to fly.”

Basically, the more time the ball spends spinning backwards, the less likely you are to tilt that spin axis. As Joe says, “it’s why your pitching wedge goes straighter than your 3-iron.”

Let’s quickly talk about spin, and clear up a myth. There’s no such thing as sidespin in golf. The ball is always spinning backwards. “Never sidespin,” stresses Joe, “just a tilted spin axis with the ball spinning backwards.”

It’s this that will cause your ball to go left or right. Of course, it will vary. A 20-something spin axis might be fairly extreme, but the ball is still going more or less end over end, backwards.

“The conventional thinking has always been that the more it's spinning, the less likely it is to go off line,” explains Joe, former Head Professional at The Celtic Manor Resort.

“However, in theory, once that spin axis is tilted, if you do tilt that off, then the more revolutions you have on that golf ball and the more that will enhance that curvature.”

So, here’s a question, one a lot of slicers out there may be asking. If you’re trying to straighten out that left-to-right shot shape (for a right-hander), do you want a golf ball that spins more?

“If you’re someone who does tilt that spin axis, the spinnier ball you use, in theory, the more curvature you’re going to get, unfortunately,” says Joe.

“If you’re trying to neutralize that shot shape, then the lowest spinning golf balls you can find will certainly be beneficial.”

Here’s the caveat. A lower-spinning ball is going to give you less greenside control and stopping power, so it’s a bit of a balancing act.

Of course, let’s not forget that the delivery of the clubface can also tilt the spin axis - and, believe it or not, the inner material of the ball may not be centered properly.

The level of detail that goes into golf ball production is mind-blowing. Ball thickness, centering, the thickness of the paint to ensure the aerodynamics are the same… take it from Joe who recently visited the TaylorMade ball factory in South Carolina, we’re talking microscopic detail.

Back to the original question(s) from Nick. Does the choice of ball influence spin axis tilt or is that purely on your delivery?

“Purely on delivery,” says Joe, “unless there’s a manufacturing fault.” This has given the Kick Point team an idea (ball cutting episode coming soon).

Another science lesson. This is where things get a bit heavy, as the conversation moves onto the Magnus effect. You can watch Joe’s explanation above, but here’s a basic example.

A guy drops a basketball from the top of a dam (you can find this on YouTube) with no spin. It wobbles a little bit in the air but more or less just drops straight down.

Then, he drops a basketball with a little bit of backspin. It travels for about 40 yards or so and then all of sudden it takes off and ends up about 300 yards away from where it started.

What does this mean? This is all about resistance, and it’s basically what’s happening to your golf ball in the air. So, again, if you want to straighten out your ball flight, playing with one of the best low spin golf balls might help.

We can’t have a technical chat like this and not mention the ‘Scientist’ himself, Bryson DeChambeau, a player who gives the golf ball more attention than anyone else.

In his quest for marginal gains, DeChambeau has been known to dip his golf balls in Epsom salts in order to find their natural center, marking the point on the golf ball where it’s perfectly balanced.

He’ll also look at certain dimple patterns on the ball. In the past, he’s spoken about trying to avoid striking the edge of the dimple with the putter blade, because that can make the ball move off line.

Neurotic? Maybe, but who are we to criticize the two-time Major winner?

And if you asked someone like Robert Rock, who we spoke to recently, whether this was excessive, the Englishman would most likely be of the opinion that golfers of all levels should take more time to learn about the equipment they use.

Rock takes the tools of his trade very seriously, to the point where he’d go out and get his own loft and lie machines, swing weight machines, and gripping station.

Sorry, Nick, we’ve digressed a little. Have a watch of the video above, and keep your thoughts and questions coming in.

However, the stress and time away from family can be a difficult one, especially when a worldwide schedule requires you to fly from time zone to time zone, all around the globe.

As we've seen throughout golf's history, there are hundreds of tournaments cropping up in every corner of the world, as well as numerous events appearing on the various Tours available.

For me though, one particular player has represented the global game, tournament-wise, more than anyone this year...

He may not be everyone's favorite, but you can't deny that Patrick Reed has done his fair share for global golf, especially in 2025, which is why I think he deserves a bit more respect.

A member of the LIV Golf League, the 2018 Masters winner has also ventured out to the Asian Tour and DP World Tour once again this year, with the Texan not just competing in the blue chip tournaments of those circuits, but also the more 'standard' events.

Away from the Rolex Series of the DP World Tour, in which he has played at the Dubai Desert Classic and BMW PGA Championship, Reed has also entered tournaments like the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Bahrain Championship, BMW International Open and Open de Espana.

It's a similar story on the Asian Tour, where the 35-year-old is one of the more notable names from the LIV Golf League that you'll find in the fields regularly, making appearances in Macau, Philippines and Hong Kong.

Featuring in 14 LIV Golf League events for 2025, Reed, who is an honorary lifetime member of the DP World Tour, has currently played 10 tournaments on the circuit this year, as well as three Asian Tour events.

Certainly, I'm not disputing that there are players who haven't earned their due this year. For example, in 2025 alone, Ben Griffin has played 30 PGA Tour events, while some players on the DP World Tour have travelled from country to country to play a similar amount of times.

What I'm saying is that there are only a handful of players who have the accolades that Reed has who are still competing with a global schedule in 2025 and, despite their history, the most notable, apart from the American, is Rory McIlroy.

I won't mention their past, as this is purely from a golf perspective, but both Major winners have featured in tournaments worldwide this season and have made their efforts to represent golf on the global scale.

Again, I'm not implying other players haven't but, in my opinion, these are the two highest-profile players in the game right now who are representing the sport worldwide in terms of tournaments.

Outside of LIV Golf, Reed continues to play on both the DP World Tour and Asian Tour, while outside the PGA Tour, McIlroy has been present in India, Ireland, the Middle East and, in December, Australia.

In fact, McIlroy has even claimed that he plans on playing a more global, yet slightly lighter, schedule going forward, despite the fact that, in 2024, he played a total of 27 events, his highest since 2010.

Over the last few years, the emphasis has been on playing the PGA Tour and, specifically, competing in the USA, as seen with the handing out of 10 PGA Tour cards from the DP World Tour.

For me, I've previously stated how national opens should be given more priority and, for me, I'm glad to still see the likes of Reed and McIlroy compete worldwide and not limit their schedules to just American events.

If golf is to continue getting bigger and bigger, you need these caliber of players in worldwide tournaments, which is why I think more respect should be given to those who aren't afraid to venture out afar to represent the sport we all love.

Patrick Reed's 2025 Events

Whether immersed in the world of golf or simply spectating from a distance, these men have some interesting things to say about women’s golf at club and tour level.

Mark Slater: The Gap Between Golf And Other Sports

The initial reason for writing this piece is that one of my pupils, Mark Slater, recently returned from a golfing trip around the North of England with some eye-opening reflections on how it might feel to be a female golfer.

It’s interesting to note how other sports have significantly increased female players in the past ten years, football and rugby to name two. Football in particular has attracted many thousands of new players whilst in my local golf club there’s no noticeable increase on the course over the same period.

I was fortunate to play at Formby a couple of months ago and couldn’t help being impressed by the magnificent clubhouse and superb course. Then I learnt this is the men’s clubhouse and the ladies have their own clubhouse obscured by the single storey pro shop, and a separate course to play on. I was oblivious to the fact that there are still ladies-only golf clubs.

On the positive side, I know several fellow players whose partners are now actively learning the game. Maybe it just takes more time than other sports, so more of an evolution than revolution.

Eddie Bullock: Redefining The Culture

Eddie Bullock runs a golf consultancy and has worked in the golf industry for a very long time. He sees a significant shift happening in women's golf, one that demands a complete cultural rethink.

It deserves attention… not as a side note, but a sign of where the game as a whole is heading. The traditional architecture of women's golf culture simply doesn’t match the lifestyles of today’s players.

More women entering the game are business owners, professionals, and multi-taskers whose time is precious. They’re looking at golf that fits life, not the other way around.

What stands out most is that the social value of the game now holds equal weight to performance. Many newcomers are discovering the sport through shared experiences: group coaching, social formats, and supportive peer circles.

The World Handicap System (WHS) has divided opinion, but it plays an important role for beginners, making progression easier to understand and track. Being able to monitor improvement digitally and relatively quickly has encouraged more women to feel a part of the golfing community from the start.

This isn’t about the women's game ‘catching up’, it’s about reshaping what golf can be … inclusive, enjoyable, and genuinely welcoming, which benefits everyone.

Dom Oxley-Thorne (PGA Trainee): On-The-Ground Atmosphere

Dom Oxley-Thorne, a first-year PGA trainee at Salisbury and South Wilts Golf Club has his ear to the ground when it comes to female members and notes some encouraging changes.

I’ve only been properly involved in the golf industry for about a year, but I have seen a definite increase in female participation across all types of events, not just the traditional ladies competitions. It feels like there’s a gradual shift towards a more inclusive environment where women are seen as an integral part of the golfing community rather than a separate section of it.

But what do female members tell him about how they feel within the club, do they feel valued?

This is a bugbear amongst many female members at a club, shaking the old aged feeling of being second class members has been a tough one across clubs. It can still be a little more difficult for female members to feel fully accepted within the bigger, mixed groups. Some women are hesitant to join in, perhaps worried about being judged or not fitting in.

However, I’ve seen a real positive shift, particularly on weekends, with more women playing alongside what might once have been seen as traditional men’s groups. The fact that these women return week after week suggests they feel welcomed and respected. There’s a strong sense of value and camaraderie within those circles, though I’m not always sure that same level of appreciation is fully mirrored across the wider membership. It’s improving, but there’s still room to grow.

Visibility On Tour

When it comes to professional women’s golf, Oxley-Thorne sees more of it and feels they’re beginning to be recognised, though there’s a long way to go.

The LPGA has made a real impact in recent years, particularly in changing how people view the women’s game. When it’s on the TV in the pro shop, there’s genuine respect from members for the standard of golf being played. That visibility is invaluable, as it gives female golfers role models to look up to and helps normalise the idea that elite golf isn’t just for men.

The one area still in need of improvement is the quality of venues used for some professional women’s tournaments. Too often, the courses don’t match the standard of play, which can unintentionally undervalue the level of skill on display. The women’s game deserves to be showcased on the same calibre of courses as the men’s, and as exposure continues to grow, I think we’ll see that gap close.

The Real Challenge: Mixed Play And Grassroots

Oxley-Thorne doesn’t often play golf with women, and when he does, it’s usually in a mixed competition or when he is paired with them in an event. He wouldn’t typically play social golf within ladies groups, mainly because his playing circles are quite separate.

This cultural separation highlights where the women’s game faces its biggest challenge: the pipeline of talent. The number of girls taking up golf at a young age is still relatively low, which means many women only start playing later in life, making an already difficult game even tougher to learn and stick with.

Oxley-Thorne adds: Increasing participation at grassroots level is easier said than done. There’s huge competition from other sports, and if golf doesn’t act decisively soon, it risks being left behind. Mainstream sports such as football and rugby are already attracting the majority of funding and media attention in the women’s sporting space.

There’s still a real opportunity for golf to stand out as a unique individual sport, but that window won’t stay open forever. Grassroots investment remains the key to building participation and improving performance across the board. The pathway from junior to adult golf is still some way behind where it needs to be, and strengthening that link will be crucial for the long-term success of the women’s game.

Your Thoughts

Such interesting insights from these three men. Are you a man who feels women’s golf is growing? Do you play mixed golf on a regular basis? What’s the biggest challenge women face? We’d love to know your thoughts and hear about your experiences, good and bad, by commenting in the box below.

The game is changing, but I feel there is a long way to go. Clubs and members need to embrace the different versions of golf on offer these days. Only then will we see true progress, as clubs adapt and remodel the game of golf to suit a variety of women. Here’s to evolution!

Let’s waste no time in addressing the most discussed gear topic of the weekend… Aaron Rai’s pink castle tees.

Welcome to another edition of the Equipment Debrief.

Rai's Old Favorite

The newly-crowned Abu Dhabi champ is known for doing things his own way - and with the gear he trusts the most, regardless of how old it is.

Many of you will have spotted the Englishman sticking to an old favorite at the top end of the bag - his TaylorMade M6 driver, a model that was released way back in 2019.

This is a player who currently sits second in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour, so we don’t expect to see him changing the big stick any time soon.

What about those tees, though?

Pink castle tees are a favorite with senior golfers, who sometimes struggle to put regular wooden tees into hard ground.

Due to how easy they are to spot and their durability, they’re also popular with golfers who - how shall we put this? - are not fond of spending money.

Rai, who’s also known for using iron headcovers, we would suggest, opts to play with pink castle tees not because he likes to keep the purse strings tight (Rai just won $1.5 million), but to ensure his ball is teed up to the perfect height every time in order for him to optimize his performance off the tee.

New TaylorMade Qi4D Woods

From one player still using a six-year old driver, to the Masters champion and World No.2, Rory McIlroy, who was spotted playing with brand-new TaylorMade equipment at Yas Links Golf Club.

McIlroy’s St Bernard headcover and Ryder Cup headcovers (very nice) were keeping his latest TaylorMade Qi4D woods in top condition, and the early signs are positive for the Northern Irishman, who ranked second in strokes gained off the tee in the desert (+1.79).

Both McIlroy and his Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood, who Rai beat to the title in a playoff, were seen playing with the new TaylorMade Qi4D drivers, the former with the standard version and the Englishman with the LS version.

The latest range, which we haven’t tested ourselves at this stage, has yet to hit the shelves, but we do know that, as with the current TaylorMade Qi35 range, there are three heads: Standard, LS and Max.

A statement from the equipment manufacturer, sent to Golf Monthly, read: “Following ongoing testing, our athletes have expressed a strong desire to play these products. In order for them to use these in tournament play, we have added them to the USGA conforming list.”

McIlroy, who charged up the leaderboard on Sunday with a faultless 62 (-10), has previously had a TaylorMade Qi10 in the bag, whilst Fleetwood, a winner in India last month, had been playing with a TaylorMade Qi35 Dot, the more recent model of the two.

New Ping G440 K driver (plus S259 wedges)

Meanwhile, a new Ping driver was also spotted at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. As reported last week, it looks like the latest iteration of the popular G440 will soon be available - after all, we are approaching ‘new driver season’.

Not a lot is known about the new Ping G440 K at this stage, although we’re expecting it to replace the G430 Max 10K as the most forgiving driver in the brand’s line-up.

New Ping wedges also appear to be imminent, which come in the form of the S259, another club that has recently found its way onto the conforming list.

Given the two-year product cycle (the Ping S159 wedges were released in January 2024), it will come as no surprise to see these beautiful-looking wedges arrive in January.

A couple of other equipment stories are also worthy of a mention, firstly a putter change made by Ben Griffin, who won the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico.

Griffin Finds Joy With TaylorMade Mallet

One of the biggest trends we’ve seen recently is tour players moving away from using blade putters - and Griffin appears to be among the latest to have made a switch.

The Ryder Cupper had been using a Scotty Cameron blade, but we wouldn’t expect to see this reappear any time soon, not after his victory at the weekend, where he was spotted using a TaylorMade mallet putter.

And finally, how about this for a statistic? Every player in Abu Dhabi shared one thing in common in terms of their equipment.

As reported by Matt Cradock last week, Golf Pride was used by 100% of the field.

We'll be heading to the PGA Show in Orlando in January, so stay tuned for all the latest equipment news - it's going to get very busy.

Since I could walk around the age of one, I kicked a ball. My eyes would always stare at a screen with soccer on and my dad and I formed our relationship going to watch all manner of matches from non-league to our hometown club.

At the same time, golf has always been firmly on my radar. I started with lessons before the age of seven and would venture out onto the course now and again, even taking up a club membership one year while at college.

I've watched golf in fits and starts all my life, too, and it has remained in my top-three favorite sports no matter what, even when American Football, cricket or ice hockey made a brave play for the top-two.

But, until a lot more recently, I hadn't really dived too deeply into the intricacies of golf as my previous job centered very heavily around soccer and my boyhood weekends had largely been taken up by trying to put the ball in one goal and keep it out of the other.

Consequently, when I decided to turn the tables on my main passions almost five years ago - shortly before a switch in career which fast-tracked the process - there were a number of strange quirks and oddities about golf that I'd never really considered and - to be honest - didn't really make any sense to me.

If you've entered into the world of golf from the starting point of another sport, you may also feel the same. Newbies or long-time players, feel free to use the comments box below and let me know what other aspects of golf make very little sense to an outsider.

As you may have deduced from the headline, one of the main peculiarities I really started to question is why irons - despite taking up so much of a golf bag and costing such a lot of money - go unprotected in terms of headcovers while drivers, woods and putters are nicely wrapped up?

If I've ever asked the out-and-out golfers in my life why irons don't have covers on, there is often a pretty snide and baseless comment about people who use them being uncool or how they "just don't look good." Failing that, it's simply a case of "I don't really know."

To me, it feels like the issue ultimately boils down to a certain level of snobbery.

Practically, there doesn't seem to be a good reason for NOT having them. Covers stop that annoying 'clink, clink, clink' as you're walking along the fairway and they protect the actual heads from damage. They take a second to remove and put back on again and customizable versions would allow people to add a degree more personality to their bags.

As plenty of fans will be aware, two-time PGA Tour winner Aaron Rai is almost the poster boy for using iron headcovers. Explaining his unique bag set-up, Rai has stated he uses headcovers for his irons because he wants to "appreciate the value" of what he has and ensure he never forgets where he came from.

While this is undoubtedly a wholesome and highly respectable move, should we not be wondering why more players - both professionals and amateurs - don't do the same? It's not uncool to look after your belongings...

And I'm not the only one who holds this view, by the way. PGA Pro and Golf Monthly equipment writer Joe Ferguson said: "Until I was asked about this, I had always just aligned myself with the mass opinion that iron headcovers are the ultimate faux pas in terms of golf equipment, but the more I think about it, the more ridiculous that concept seems!

"What is cool about spending over a grand on a shiny new set of irons and not looking after them?! I have seen the light, and am now a reformed supporter of the iron headcover.

"Having looked online, options are somewhat limited in terms of style, so this could potentially be a real growth area for an accessories company..."

Ultimately, golfers should be allowed to treat their equipment how they wish, and I've seen many a snapped shaft in a tee-box bin to know that they do.

All I'd ask moving forward is that, as a community of players who enjoy the game either every day or once in a blue moon, we do better in relation to these archaic and unnecessary views. And ask yourself this, 'what IS so wrong about having iron headcovers?...'

Fast forward to now, and my relationship with golf feels totally different. I’m no longer a complete novice. I know what works for me, what doesn’t, and how it feels when I strike the ball well. That understanding makes the process much more collaborative. Instead of placing all my trust in the coach as the expert and me as the student absorbing information, it feels like a partnership. We’re analysing things together, working out what’s happening, and why.

My Experience Playing Golf In Costa Rica

Over the past couple of years, I’ve spent a lot of time playing in Costa Rica, where I joined La Iguana Golf Club. I was playing regularly, surrounded by more experienced golfers, and I learned a lot just by watching how they managed the course. My etiquette improved, I became more confident with different players, and I found a rhythm to my game that felt calm and natural.

More importantly, I remembered that golf is meant to be fun. Somewhere in my beginner phase, I’d lost a bit of that: overthinking, chasing constant improvement, and worrying too much about my bad shots.

But while I gained confidence, I also hit a bit of a wall. I’d fallen into a pattern of relying on the same few clubs: my driver, 7 wood, hybrid, pitching wedge and putter. Occasionally, I’d throw in an 8 or 9 iron, but I was basically getting around the course with a half set. It worked, but it wasn’t complete golf. I couldn’t shape or control the ball the way I wanted. I couldn’t achieve my goal of breaking 100 and my scores were consistently sitting between 115 and 105. That’s when I realised it was time to invest in more coaching.

Why It Was Time To Return To Lessons

When I was playing in Costa Rica, I wasn’t able to see my swing and analyse it properly. I’d get feedback from more experienced golfers, but without being able to visualise it - and without knowing that the golfer fully understands the complexity of a swing rather than just an isolated glitch - you can get a bit stuck on how to improve. Having lessons again has been a great investment. Otherwise, you’re just trusting someone’s opinion without truly understanding what’s happening.

Having returned to the UK this summer, I started working with a local coach, Richard Lally, at Aspley Guise Golf Club. He offered me a package of both simulator lessons and outdoor sessions. I love this balance. The simulator gives you clear, visual, technical feedback, while the outdoor practice gives you the on course feedback you just cannot replicate indoors. It really does feel like the best of both worlds, and it has reminded me how valuable consistent coaching can be. As Richard put it, “The key is to stay on the lesson train. Ideally, golfers should keep having lessons. That is how you keep progressing.”

Lessons 1–2: Relearning The Fundamentals

In our first couple of sessions, we made small but important changes. I adjusted my grip, corrected my wrist hinge, and worked on rotating my hips more through the swing. I’d been hitting my irons a bit like a lob shot before, open faced and high, which was costing me distance.

We also discovered that what I thought was a half swing was actually a more controlled full swing. By staying more compact and controlled, I added around 20 yards to my 9 iron distance. The simulator helped confirm that improvement, showing cleaner strikes and better compression.

Understanding why each change mattered made a huge difference. It wasn’t just about copying movement anymore. It was about feeling the effect and seeing the results almost immediately.

Lesson 3: The “Golden” Piece

By the third lesson, everything came down to one simple thought: clubface, clubface, clubface.

The clubface is really responsible for the initial launch direction. When your clubface is open, that’s what’s causing your shots to go off. It sounds simple, but getting that awareness right changes everything.

My coach described integrating this change as “Tai Chi golf”, an analogy that really stuck with me. Slowing down the movement and not getting caught up in the anxiety of the outcome helped everything click. We worked on avoiding an early wrist release (or casting), which was stealing power and accuracy. Once I started holding the angles longer, my shots felt more compressed, more solid.

As Richard explained, “One of the secrets to lessons is finding that one thought that kills five birds with one stone. It’s not always easy - sometimes it’s trial and error - but every now and then you find the one thought that makes everything else fall into place.”

Lessons 4–5: Taking It To The Course

I really enjoy learning outside and feeling nature support me. At this stage, it’s been invaluable to take what I’ve worked on in the simulator and on the range and apply it to the course. Having a coach watch how those changes hold up under pressure is really useful.

These sessions also sharpened my short game awareness. My putting has been steady for a while; I’ve got a consistent stroke and read greens well, but maintaining a smoother tempo will make it even stronger.

Chipping, though, has become my main focus area. Improving my accuracy and distance control around the greens is where I know I can really start saving shots, something that’s key to achieving my goal of breaking 100.

The Mindset Shift

Another thing I noticed through this process is that now I’ve been playing for a couple of years, my mindset on the course has completely changed. I remember feeling intimidated by everything going on around me: the group behind, the players watching, the pressure to keep up. That feeling has shifted from “I must keep up” to “I’ll show you how good I am.”

One of the main things you’ve got to do is just breathe. Slow down. Take a deep breath. Concentrate on your own game. You’ve got to put yourself in your own bubble.

My coach Richard summed it up perfectly: “Instead of seeing it as something to be a victim about, use it as fuel.”

That’s stuck with me. It reflects the way I try to approach every round, less about fear, more about focus and confidence. Even if you don’t feel confident, the more you try to embody it, stick to the plan, and not let your emotions take over, the more this will become your new normal.

What Comes Next

As this series of lessons comes to an end, I have been thinking about what progress really means. It is not just about breaking 100 anymore.

Richard has helped me see that improvement is never finished. It is about constantly refining small details, trusting yourself and staying curious. Each lesson has given me something new to build on and a clearer sense of how to get the best out of my game.

These golf lessons have also reminded me that progress does not move in a straight line. Some days everything flows, other days it feels like starting again. But that is part of it. The challenge, the patience, the quiet moments when something finally clicks.

I still want to break 100, but the real value has been understanding my game on a more technical level and continuing to focus on the simplicity of improvement. Progress starts to come naturally once things are broken down to suit your game. The more you invest in yourself, the more golf gives back. If you have been waiting for a sign to book that next lesson, this is it.

Then, not being too hot on the rules around scorecards and what the minimum requirements are for a course to be considered ‘legal’, I wondered whether that was it for the year: no more scorecards entered until the remodelling of the 7th hole was complete and we were back to a full 18 holes.

I like putting in cards, even in social rounds, and especially when there’s not a bit of money on the line (loose change, mostly); now, I thought, my only option for the next six months or so, at my home course at least, would be to enter a scorecard for the back nine holes.

However, as anyone who has entered a scorecard at a course undergoing work will tell you, a golf course doesn’t need to be fully operational, as long as it meets certain criteria.

Ah, the relief, I could continue to put cards in, and I would soon be breaking 80 (albeit on a 16-hole course).

So, what criteria does a golf club need to satisfy in order for golfers to enter scorecards? What if there are temporary greens and bucket holes in play? What if several holes have forward tees, which significantly shortens the course?

The England Golf website has a page that outlines the requirements a course must meet to remain eligible for handicapping: it’s called the Adverse/Extreme Weather Reference Guide, and it replaced the Winter Checklist, to help clubs all year round.

For scores to count for handicapping purposes, the course must be set up as follows:

• Tee markers to be within +/- 10 yards of fixed measurement point
• Total course length to be within +/- 100 yards of full measured length
• A maximum of 2 temporary greens in 18 holes (1 in 9 holes)
• Acceptable scoring possible (with the use of appropriate Model Local Rules)

If the above criteria is not met then the appropriate tee set(s) or course must be switched off on the World Handicap System. Competitions can still be played when the tee set is switched off but the scores will not count for handicap purposes.

Frozen ground, which is always a threat over the winter months, is the most obvious example where course conditions make acceptable scoring impossible.

As for holes being closed, here are the rules:

• For a 9-hole score to be acceptable, all 9 holes must be played (i.e. no closed holes)
• A minimum of 10 holes must be played for an 18-hole score to be acceptable
• Any holes closed by the club must be entered as ‘Not Attempted’ on the MyEG app
• Holes that are closed must not be played and players must move on to the next open hole

In order for the Expected Score Calculation to work, all 9 holes on either the front or back 9 must be played.

For an 18-hole score, if holes are closed on both the front 9 and the back 9, a Net Par will be used for the closed holes on the 9 holes with fewest closed, and “Not Attempted” entered for the closed holes on the other 9 holes.

Net Par is calculated using: Net Par = Par + Handicap Strokes Received on the Hole. This score is then manually entered by the player when submitting their score.

Of course, when you have a clued up PGA professional and competition and handicap committee, you’ll be kept up to speed regarding what you can and can’t do when it comes to entering scorecards.

If you’re a nomadic golfer, however, it’s useful to be aware of the above. If you’re not sure whether you can start a card prior to playing a course that has holes out of play - or there are perhaps one or two temporary greens in use - just check with the club professional before creating a scorecard.

Right, time to try and break 80 - I’ll never have a better chance.

It is, in my view, far more complicated than the old CONGU system we used in the United Kingdom. Some believe that it disadvantages lower handicappers due to mid-and-high-index golfers receiving extra shots depending on the rating of the course they play and tees they go off from.

England Golf says that the WHS was "designed to welcome more players, to make golf easier to understand and to give all golfers a handicap which is portable all around the globe."

I am not entirely sure how it welcomes more players or makes golf easier to understand, but the point of making a handicap portable around the world is fair.

My argument, though, is that a third-party app could do just this and in a recent discussion with our features editor I questioned what the actual point of non-members having 'official' handicaps really is?

I concede this may well be an unpopular opinion, having recently been labeled as a club golfer snob who thinks they're superior. I argued I wasn't.

England Golf operates iGolf Opens and other competitions that iGolf members can play in, which are great, but I believe that the majority of club 'Opens' can only be entered by members of recognised golf clubs.

This to me means an 'official' handicap of a non-golf club member has little use outside of these England Golf-run tournaments.

Sure, it gives a golfer a good idea of their ability and is a nice recognition to have, but England Golf's iPlay system and some of the best golf apps basically do just that - without the 'official' tag or the £46 annual fee.

England Golf said this year that it has 65,000 iGolf members, meaning revenue will be almost £3m per year. It is great that iGolf is helping to fund the sport in this country and it is difficult to argue against helping to grow the game and support the foundations.

I'm sure the organisation is doing very well out of it, but I am also sure that money does funnel down to the grassroots and help with the strength and sustainability of golf in England.

As well as being able to gain an official index via the slick MyEG app, another advantage of iGolf is the Public Liability Insurance it comes with.

I'm not sure I would be a user if I stopped my golf club membership, though, when they are plenty of other free alternatives to get an unofficial index and a fair idea of my current ability. That's just me.

I am also not sure that an 'official' handicap which has not been gained from competitive club golf should carry as much weight as a golfer who regularly competes in medals and other official club competitions.

As someone who knows the pressure and nerves of playing in club championships, I feel social vs non-competitive golf is very, very different.

'Somewhat of a traditionalist'

Some will argue they cannot afford or justify a full club membership but would like to keep an active handicap, and that is a fair point.

The cost of golf memberships are continually rising and are understandably unaffordable to many. Had I not joined my club at the age of 21, with a reduced joining fee, I simply would not be a member today.

My view is just that official handicaps should be reserved for golf club members who regularly compete in competitions.

I guess I am somewhat of a traditionalist who grew up playing under the CONGU system, where your handicap was set based on how you played in competitions, from monthly medals and stablefords to board competitions and the club championship.

If I wanted my handicap to come down, I had to play well in my next competition.

Nowadays I can find some form and start handing in as many cards as I possibly can from social rounds in a short period of time, and then decide not to do so when I'm playing badly.

As a category two player, for example, under the old system I knew that for every stroke I beat my handicap I would come down 0.2 strokes. I knew that if I missed my buffer zone, two strokes above handicap, I would go up 0.1. It would take far longer for my handicap to go up and down in the older system vs today.

I must admit I have no idea what my handicap index will change to these days once I've handed my scorecard in.

I got down to 4 near the end of the CONGU system and it was one of my greatest golfing achievements. If I got down to 4 now under the WHS I would have far less satisfaction - possibly due to naivety and not understanding how the system works.

I also believe the WHS is far too easy to manipulate – I have examples from multiple people I know – and everyone uses it very differently. Our features editor was even investigated for violating the system.

I used to record a score every round I played but quickly realised that my regular playing partners did not, which led to my handicap coming down and theirs staying the exact same no matter how well they were playing.

Ultimately it has led me to handicap fatigue. I have never in my life taken less interest in what my handicap is despite loving the game as much as ever. Has the WHS ruined golf for lower handicappers? Quite possibly.

I respect nomadic golfers who are keen enough to have an Official handicap but came to the recent realisation that I am not sure what the point of one is outside of club golf.

I know multiple iGolf members and none of them ever play in Opens or official competitions, so I am a little confused.

This is not a knock to nomadic golfers - I am sure I'll become one at some point in the future as membership costs continue to rise. This is more of a knock at the system.

So, what do you think of nomadic golfers having 'official' handicaps? Do they serve a purpose or do you think they are pointless? Let me know in the comment section below - I'll be interested to read your responses.

I could see their point but could also understand the collective eye-rolling from many quarters as the players simultaneously pocketed vast sums to make the switch. I’m not going to write about the validity, or otherwise, of that argument but instead I want to comment on why growing the game is becoming increasingly important for all of us.

Here, I’m going to use the phrase ‘growing the game’ to refer to how we increase the number of juniors playing golf. To my mind, this is becoming increasingly important, not just because as the Editor of Golf Monthly I’d like to see golf thrive, but because playing golf offers a sustained break from the virtual world.

Quite simply, the combination of smart phones and social media has transformed the experience of childhood. Building a strategy that enables kids to consistently engage in the ‘real world’ is a challenge that most parents are grappling with. This is where sport, and golf in particular, comes in. Spending hours outside, safely competing with friends feels like the perfect antidote to the increasing level of digital-world creep.

Over the last few months I’ve been genuinely encouraged to see more and more young people playing golf at my home club. Whilst my guess is that this is being led by the parents, my experience would suggest the children are embracing it. Groups of youngsters regularly playing together is proof that golf has something very welcome to offer today’s children.

What are your thoughts on this? Please let me know in the comments box below. My feeling is that social media has plenty of good to offer but it shouldn't ever completely replace the real world experiences that mould characters and develop resilience. That's where golf can play a role - and, as parents, knowing how to get our kids into golf is important.

I've played since I was 7 years old and the game has given me some fantastic highs and painful lows (of course, this is all relative but those tough experiences felt hard to swallow at the time). Have those highs and lows helped me in my life..? Yes, I think they probably have.

That brings me onto the growing influence of Bryson DeChambeau. The American straddles two hugely successful but clearly contrasting careers - professional golfer and content creator. Bryson is unique and for many young people he represents a high level professional golfer who is willing to meet them on their patch, YouTube.

Whatever you think of DeChambeau, his game and his content, it is impossible not to see the impact he’s having. If he continues adding to his following, helping the game to feel relevant and inspiring more non-golfers to give it a try, Bryson will have done more than just about anyone to grow the game. As long as we (and by ‘we’ I’m referring to experienced golfers), can do our part to welcome these new faces as they arrive at a local level, then the effects will be even more profound than inspiring the next generation of golfers. That has to be a good thing.

He’s an excellent golfer with a high level of technical knowledge. But he delivers that knowledge with a highly engaging and entertaining style.

He played college golf at Palm Beach Atlantic University and found fame when he travelled 1,100 miles to play a match against fellow golf content creator Garrett Clark.

The video went viral and it propelled Horvat towards the upper echelons of golf content creation.

Together with Clark, Horvat was a member of the popular online golf team Good Good. They make golf fun and appealing to a new generation of players.

Horvat brought a significant level of expertise to the group but it was his infectious personality and affable nature that really endeared him to fans.

He left Good Good in 2022 and now has his own YouTube channel where he collaborates with other golf content creators and players in various challenges.

As an example, he’s taken on players like Tommy Fleetwood and Jason Day, seeing if he can beat them if he gets a five-under-par head start.

He is a great player himself with some serious shots to show off with. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Horvat is also involved in the business of golf and has his own clothing brand, Primo.

Why Is Grant Horvat so popular?

A key reason that Horvat has such a following is that he’s been able to collaborate with some of the biggest names in golf. He’s worked with Tiger, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy. Those names have drawn people in.

But he’s also just a very likeable and relatable character. He’s an excellent player but he is still an amateur – he does a great job of displaying the differences between the very best in the game and those of us who play golf just for “fun!”

He manages in his videos to offer a compelling blend of technical knowledge and expertise with entertainment. He might help you with how to cure a slice and then take on some crazy challenge to keep things more light-hearted.

As a young man in his late 20s, he appeals to a new generation of golfers who consume their media differently to older players who might prefer a more straight-laced approach.

Horvat is entertaining and that really answers the question of why he is so popular.

While the notion is one I certainly welcome, considering golf is not as welcoming to all as it perhaps thinks it is, there are things that make me question whether things have actually improved in the past five years or so.

I would argue, based on my experience as a golf club member, that things have actually become less inclusive - and one reason for that is the exponentially increasing membership fees at golf clubs around the world.

Ultimately, those who aren't able to keep pace financially are being priced out of the sport - which is a terrible look for a game that has suggested (in certain factions) an intention to shake the elitist reputation of being a rich man's game.

I know my membership fee will rise again this year, so I did a little maths to work out whether any value remains in paying it...

Rising Fees Are Obscene

Before 2020, the majority of reported membership fees in the UK were less than £1,000 per year. In 2024, this statistic had completely flipped to suggest the majority of clubs now charged more than that sum in annual fees... and the majority will rise again!

In the US, a similar picture has been seen with annual dues now reaching between $5000 and $10,000 in some clubs - a figure which has grown substantially since the pre-Covid 19 period.

When you add in the increasing initiation fees, it's clear that golf is becoming less and less affordable - which should ring alarm bells for those driving this agenda.

While it's widely accepted that golf club costs have also risen in that time, the cynic in me can't ignore the possibility that a boom in interest has been exploited for financial gain at the expense of long-serving loyal club members.

In the case of my membership, any value has been totally obliterated.

I realise that my opinion may not align with your own thoughts on this issue, but I am fairly confident this issue will resonate with a number of club golfers. Either way, there is a comments box at the bottom of this page. Let me know what you think!

Do Nomadic Golfers Get A Better Deal?

Perhaps the worst aspect of this is that the rise offers little choice, other than the option to resign membership if you can't afford it or aren't prepared to fork out the inordinate sums of cash for another year.

If I played around once per week on average, I would be paying upwards of $50 (£38) per round as a club member - which is roughly in line with the average green fee at golf courses in both the US and the UK.

As a club member, my question is... what extra value do I get over a nomadic golfer? The answer, unfortunately, is not a lot.

I actually don't get chance to play every week, so my average cost per round is more likely to be between $65 and $90 (£50-£70) - which makes the realisation that I am not getting value for money even more stark.

I could play a varied mix of tracks, while completely avoiding the tediousness of club politics, and all I would miss is the opportunity to enter club competitions (that I have to pay extra for) and the chance to get priority tee time bookings (which are always full anyway).

With the worrying divide between low- and high-handicap golfers around the World Handicap System, where many believe that bloated handicaps make it difficult to win competitions, the value in this 'benefit' is also pretty questionable.

I'll be honest in saying that I am not sure what the solution is.

I am not in the business of mapping out the financial future of golf clubs to succeed while also being inclusive, but surely the morality of forever increasing prices has to be factored into decision making.

The fact that I, a dedicated and long-serving club member who loves the game, am questioning whether or not to renew my membership based on the obscene lack of value is a problem.

I am almost certain I am not alone in that opinion, so drop me a line in the comments box below and let me know what you think about financial landscape of club membership.

For me, I took up the game when I was just seven years of age and, at the age of 13, I had a handicap of below five. That's 20 years of experience in the sport that I possess and, because of this, I've actually been playing longer than a considerable amount of players at my home club.

Because of this, I have noticed a number of little things that I do differently compared to those with higher handicaps, which I believe can make a huge difference to their golf games.

From experimenting with different shot shapes to simply knowing your yardages, these are six really simple things that I believe lower handicappers do and many higher handicappers don't...

If there are any points you feel we have missed then let us know in the comments below!

Humbling Yourself

Approach shots coming up short of the flag are one of the most common mistakes I see with not just higher handicappers, but also lower handicappers.

Put simply, the reason is ego. How many golfers do you know think they hit the ball a lot further than they do? Because they've hit their 8-iron 165 yards once, it now means that's the new yardage for it.

It's a regular occurrence that players try to force a club to the yardage, when an extra number struck smoothly can all-but guarantee the ball ending up pin high or, at the very least, on the front edge.

Don't be scared to go up a club or two when deciding what to hit. Put it this way, would you rather be 30 yards short but impress your mates by hitting a short iron, or be pin high striking a mid iron?

I know my yardages very well, and one tip I will give you is to leave your ego at the the door and be realistic about how far you actually hit each club.

Cleaning The Golf Ball On The Green

Why more people don't do this is beyond me! This is one of the most simple tricks you can do to help your game and it takes all of five seconds.

As we see when hitting approach shots into the green, mud can have a huge effect on what your golf ball does. It can move it 30 yards left or right, or even drop it out of the sky.

So why don't golfers clean their golf balls when they're on the short grass?

The amount of times I see players claim that the putt moved, or rolled, unexpectedly is excruciating. Yes there's a slope on the green, but that acre of mud you've left on the ball doesn't help!

It's like when you lift a 10kg dumbbell with one hand, and a 15kg dumbbell with another, what's going to happen? The likelihood is you're going to tilt to one side.

Clean the golf ball and you will find yourself having a consistent roll, thus increasing your chances of holing more putts.

Pre Shot Routine

Some may argue that this can be time-consuming but, when it comes to a pre-shot routine, it doesn't have to take long, it just needs to be something that makes you comfortable when over the shot.

Whether it's having a trigger to make the swing, or by doing a mini checklist before striking the ball, I could probably count my pre-shot routine down to the nearest second.

Everybody is different, but I've found by doing something I'm comfortable with before making contact with the ball is a real help. It's something that prepares me for what is coming up.

Most of the time, I've found that players will put the ball down, make a few practice swings, look up at the target a few times and hit, which is fine... but why not try and implement some structure and consistency to your game. We do it in our day-to-day lives, so why not our golf games as well?

Working Out The Wind

Admittedly, this can be difficult to do, especially when you're playing courses where the wind swirls, just like we see at Augusta National and Wentworth.

However, working out the direction of the wind when it's blowing in a consistent direction isn't that difficult, especially when you have various tools on the course at your disposal.

When walking off the green, note which way the flag is blowing so, when you stand on the next tee, you can adjust it for your upcoming drive. If you can't do that, look at the tops of the trees or throw some grass in the air.

Where I see it most is when you are in a sheltered tee box, which my home course has plenty of. You've played in the exposed air for a number of holes so, just because you can't feel it on the tee, doesn't mean it has disappeared.

The wind is a real crippler for some players but, if you can learn to play in it, it gives you an advantage over the majority of the field. If you can work it out, it will save you a lot of shots.

Playing Different Shots

This has come with practice and experience, but I can't stress how important it is to have different shots in your locker.

For the majority of players, a stock fade is all they have, but if you can learn to manipulate the club face and learn to use your ball position then it opens up a whole new world of opportunities.

Suddenly, high and low ball flights and left to right shot shapes can make target-hitting that much easier.

Playing doglegs, if you have the ability to maneuver the golf ball both ways on the tee, it can open the angle on your upcoming shots.

It's the same with the short game. If you can open the clubface and strike the ball cleanly, that short-sided pin you're faced with suddenly becomes more getable.

I love experimenting with new shot types on the course and around the greens, as it's a time to get creative and, in essence, show off. We get mesmerized when the pros do it on the telly, so why can't we do it at home?

Keeping The Grooves Clear

This links in to the golf ball section, but when people don't clean their grooves it does slightly irk me...

The wedges in my bag are around 12 years old yet, if you were to look at them, the grooves are still sharp and I can get spin from them. How I do that? Well, that's because I clean them after every shot.

Only one section of the club is hitting the golf ball, and that's the face. Why would you want any interference with it, making your job harder on the course than it already is?

Again, it takes five seconds to use a brush on the grooves and face and then wipe away with a towel. It's that simple. Many wonder why their clubs go inconsistent distances or don't spin on the greens, so why not give them a clean and watch the magic happen.

Our favourite segment of the show continues to be the very literally titled Ask The Pod. This is the part of the show where you, well, Ask The Pod. The easiest way to get in touch and ask us anything you want is to leave a comment in the box at the bottom of this page. We promise to read them all!

We field questions ranging across all equipment topics, whether you're looking for some advice on which clubs are right for your game, are confused about a piece of terminology, or want some advice on how to build your own equipment at home, we're on hand to help.

While you can still contact us via our email (kickpointpodcast@futurenet.com), comment on our YouTube channel or DM us on our Instagram page with any questions, consider this another hub and community for equipment conversation.

We'll be sure to answer any questions in the comments section down below, and will look to feature the best questions, comments and interactions on future episodes of the show, too!

WATCH: Watch the latest episode of Kick Point and access our full playlist featuring every episode here.

LISTEN: Listen to the latest episode of Kick Point here

To give you some background, I began the season having to submit 20 cards because I had lapsed as a club member. It was also a chance to obtain a more realistic handicap than the 11.8 I had achieved when I was playing more regularly a good while ago.

"Great idea," I thought. "I’ll soon get back into what I should ideally be doing each week under the World Handicap System, putting a card in when I play."

What started off with a few steady rounds at the start of the season, playing to 16 and 17, a handicap I was happy with and could work to, soon spiralled. As the months wore on, I hit a bad slump in form.

That’s golf, I know it happens, but when Saturday came around, people were encouraging me to put a card in saying, "You want to get your handicap up." While that was true to a certain extent, each time, I was putting so much pressure on myself to still score well that it simply wasn't fun. Inevitably, my game just got worse.

I started thinking about the carefree rounds I’d played over the last few years with friends and industry colleagues. Of course, I cared how I played, you always want to play to the best of your ability and not look like you’ve never picked up a club before, but most importantly, I didn't think twice about my score, and I always enjoyed my golf.

A few weeks ago, coming to the end of the season anyway, I made the simple decision to not enter any more competitions or put a card in. That Saturday, playing a friendly four-ball better-ball, I got my mojo back. It was the first day in a very long time that I genuinely enjoyed club golf.

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to commit to improving my golf during the winter months, and I will enter competitions again next season. But there's a lot of truth in the saying: golf is what you want it to be. We're lucky to have so many different options and formats nowadays. If you want to just play 9 holes, or hit balls at the range, that’s ok.

I guess I was just brought up on the idea that you play the traditional weekly comp with a card in your hand. But it honestly became a chore, something I wasn't looking forward to. Since golf is my leisure time and I pay a substantial club membership fee for the privilege, I'm glad I've parked the card marking for the time being.

Ultimately, it does make you question: Why do I play golf? Everyone is different; some of you reading this will totally relate to what I’m saying, while for others, the game just isn't as central to their life as it is to mine. I’d be interested to hear your comments in the box below.

I know somewhere deep down, I’m probably trying to hang on to the golfer I once was with that 11.8 handicap, and I know that as soon as I chill out, the good golf will happen.

Maybe it's my ego, in this industry I’m surrounded by great golfers. Unfortunately, it is a sport where you are often judged on your handicap. But I also realise golf is a selfish sport, the only person that truly cares is me.

So, I’m now up to 13.3, my best cards from as far back as 2018 and 2019 are slowly being knocked off. I’m still not playing to my handicap, but it's the best I've played in a long time. I'm loving golf again and cannot ask for more than that!

But this newsletter is yours as much as it is Alison Root's, Golf Monthly's women's editor. We want this to be a place where we can all connect. You can sign up here, and if any of the topics Alison has raised resonate with you, please make your comments in the box below and help us get the conversation started!

Every Tuesday, Alison will share her thoughts on the latest talking points, from the professional tours through to club life. We'll keep things informative, engaging, and most importantly, fun!

You can also expect instruction tips, equipment advice to boost your game, and the latest fashion trends that Alison and the team of female contributors can't wait to showcase.

We'll look look forward to growing Golf Monthly's women's golf community together!

We’ve spent a fair bit of time on the range this year, having a nose around as many tour bags as we can, and speaking to lots of the world’s best players about what clubs they play (we highly recommend giving Kick Point a listen).

Every Monday, we're also producing an equipment debrief, where we look at some of the gear stories from the previous week on tour.

So, without further ado, here are this year’s most played drivers, irons, wedges and putters on the PGA Tour.

DRIVER

In August, we checked which driver every player on the PGA Tour was using (actually, we managed to establish the exact model for 238 of the 239 players).

The Ping G440 LST was a very popular model (27), as was the Titleist GT2 driver (30); however, the most played driver on the PGA Tour in 2025 was the Titleist GT3 (34).

The Titleist GT3 is the most adjustable in the GT range, with a new weight track that sits much closer to the face than on its predecessor, the TSR3.

It sits in the middle of the range in terms of spin and forgiveness. Although the compact, pear-shaped profile might not suit the average club golfer, it’s clearly a shape that a lot of tour players lean towards.

IRON

If you currently play with a set of Titleist T100 irons, you’re in good company - it’s the most played iron model on the PGA Tour, by some distance.

Our resident gear expert, Joe Ferguson, describes the T-Series franchise as "arguably one of the most successful of all time."

The T100 features a new, more aggressive groove in the shorter irons, which offers more spin and control when you need it.

Meanwhile, our man found the new muscle channel in the longer irons genuinely increased launch.

In summary, he says "the T100 are some of the classiest irons in the game right now and have already performed strongly on global professional tours."

Despite the glowing praise, our PGA professional currently plays with a set of TaylorMade P7CB irons, another quality set played on tour, as are the TaylorMade P7TW irons.

Challenging the Titleist T100 irons at the top of the table, although a fair way behind (no pun intended), we have the Titleist T200 irons, Callaway Apex TCB irons, and Titleist 620 MB irons.

When you do the math, Titleist is the most played iron brand on the PGA Tour, by quite some way, followed by Callaway, Srixon, Ping, TaylorMade and then Mizuno.

WEDGE

The most played wedges on the PGA Tour are Vokey, specifically the latest model, which is the Vokey SM10.

Bob Vokey dominates the top of the wedges table, with the next most popular model the Vokey WedgeWorks, followed by the previous model, the Titleist Vokey SM9 wedge.

As with most clubs, tour players don’t simply change their line-up as soon as a new model arrives, for they get used to a certain feel, which explains why we see quite a lot of older wedges still being played; in fact, it’s not unusual to see a Titleist Vokey SM8 wedge or two still being used.

Other popular models, which you’ll find on our list of the best wedges on the market, include the Callaway Opus, Cleveland RTX Tour and Ping S159, as well as the TaylorMade MG4.

PUTTER

Odyssey is the leading putter brand on the PGA Tour, with approximately one third of PGA Tour players using one of its models.

However, with so many different types and lines being introduced - and with lots of players switching between tournaments - there is no clear leader in terms of a specific model.

You only have to look at our list of the best Odyssey putters 2025 to get an idea of just how many different types of models there are - and the same can be said of Scotty Cameron, TaylorMade and Ping (most brands, in fact).

One specific model that appears to be growing in popularity is the L.A.B. Golf MEZZ.1 Max, a putter that features Lie Angle Balanced (LAB) technology to help keep the putter square throughout the stroke for better consistency.

The brand is represented on tour by Will Zalatoris and Adam Scott amongst others, while Phil Mickelson has used the DF3, which is probably the most recognizable model in the range.

BALL

It will probably come as no surprise to hear that the most played ball brand on the PGA Tour is Titleist.

However, do you know which model of Titleist is the most played?

We checked the numbers in July, at which point the Titleist Pro V1x (47) had a slight edge over the Titleist Pro V1 (45).

Both balls are amongst the best premium golf balls on the market, with the Pro V1x offering a slightly firmer feel compared to the Pro V1.

To help give you an idea of what type of clubs you should be playing - as well as a few suggestions of models you might want to try - here’s a quick guide for the 10-, 20- and 30-handicap player.

10-HANDICAP PLAYER

What is the typical profile of a 10-handicap player? As with the two categories below, some will be on the way up, with their ball striking improving, and others will be going in the other direction.

For the purpose of this article - and given that there are plenty of suggestions for the mid handicap player below - we’re going to focus on the ‘better player’ clubs, with our 10-handicapper being someone who is a fairly accomplished ball striker, more than capable of playing to single figures.

Most of the main brands now have a model that will work well for pretty much every level of golfer but, if you are looking for a specific type of performance, we have composed guides for the most forgiving drivers, best golf drivers for distance, and best high handicap drivers (see below).

At the top end of the bag, better players sometimes prefer a driver with a compact, pear-shaped profile, which makes the Titleist GT3 driver - the most played driver on the PGA Tour in 2025 - an obvious candidate.

Sitting in the middle of the range in terms of spin and forgiveness, the GT3 offers the most adjustability, and will suit the mid handicap golfer as well as the better player.

The Ping G440 LST driver is another very popular model on tour, one that is suitable for the low-handicap and high-speed player; it's also one of the most forgiving low-spin drivers on the market.

In terms of irons, a lower handicap golfer will generally benefit from the best compact mid-handicap irons (see below) or the best irons for low handicaps, which are tailored towards the more confident ball strikers and offer a nice balance of feel and consistency in a compact profile.

Pushed to name a best iron in the low handicap category, the TaylorMade P7CB irons would definitely be on our short list, as would the Titleist T100 irons, the most played model on the PGA Tour in 2025.

As good as it feels to strike a long irons out of the middle of the clubface, most 10-handicappers would benefit from swapping out the 4-iron for a 4-hybrid, a club that is going to provide more speed, forgiveness and consistency.

However, that 10-handicapper who has the potential to get even lower - someone who's more comfortable hitting long irons - might prefer the look and feel of one of the best utility irons.

The long iron can be one of the most versatile clubs in the bag, offering a number of shot-making options from the long high ball to the punch shot.

Mishits can be quite severely punished, so you have to be honest with where you are in the game.

This is not to say such clubs don't offer any forgiveness; in fact, you'd find it hard to beat the DHY from TaylorMade, which combines forgiveness with a confidence-inspiring look at address.

For the wedges, you're going to want to choose a make and model that offers plenty of loft and bounce options to deliver the versatility required.

Wedges like the TaylorMade MG5, Titleist Vokey SM10, Callaway Opus SP and Cleveland RTZ excel in this area. A 10 handicapper is likely to stop their irons at the pitching wedge and move into at least three, possibly four speciality wedges to cover off approach distances.

Now for the flatstick. As a general rule, blade putters tend to suit 'feel' players who have a stronger arc to their putting stroke, which makes such models more suitable for the more accomplished golfer.

However, this is not a hard and fast rule, as putting requires a very different skillset to hitting full shots. Even the majority of the world's best players now employ a mallet, so try a few different styles to see which works for you.

20-HANDICAP PLAYER

Some 20-handicap players will be on an upward trajectory, with their handicap coming down fairly swiftly, whilst others will have been on this number for many years and are unlikely to shift. Different players will have different needs, and there is no 'one size fits all' solution.

When it comes to the driver, you might be a player who swings the club very quickly, in which case you'd be better off with a lower-spinning driver; or, you might be someone who lacks swing speed and would, therefore, be better off with a lighter model with extra launch built in.

Drivers like the Callaway Elyte and TaylorMade Qi35 combine the best of both worlds, and will suit most players in the mid-handicap range.

Generally speaking, a mid-handicap golfer is not going to get the best results from using bladed irons, but that's not to say they should be using chunky game improvement irons that benefit beginners and higher handicappers (see below).

There are a bunch of more suitable options in the best compact mid handicap irons range. The best irons in this category tend to have compact heads but still offer forgiveness, feel and control.

One of our top picks for 2025 is the latest version of the TaylorMade P790 irons. Off-center strikes deliver surprisingly pleasant feedback and what’s even more impressive is how little ball speed is lost on mishits.

That said, not everyone will warm to the more compact address profile. Other models to consider include the Mizuno JPX925 Forged, Srixon ZXi5, Ping i530, Mizuno Pro 245, and the Cobra King Forged Tec.

When it comes to wedges, a lot of golfers, regardless of skill level, are immediately drawn to the blade-style clubs used by the best players in the world.

However, if you're mid-handicap golfer it’s wise to look at more forgiving wedges, too, especially if you play with a set of cavity back irons, rather than forged blades.

Models worth considering include the Callaway CB12 wedge, Cleveland CBZ and Ping S159.

30-HANDICAP PLAYER

Generally speaking, the best clubs for high-handicap golfers are more forgiving, which means those strikes that don’t find the center (more frequent in the case of the 30-handicapper) aren’t so severely punished.

When your strike pattern isn’t very consistent, this margin for error is exactly what you need to keep your ball in play and give you a better chance of putting a score together.

At the top end of the bag, you’ll most likely benefit from an oversized, anti-slice driver, like the Ping G440 SFT or the TaylorMade Qi35 Max. Clubs like this can be extremely helpful for those players who suffer with a vicious left-to-right shot shape (known as slice for right-handed players) to keep the ball in play without losing too much distance.

A higher loft (11° or more) will also help most golfers of this ability, as the increased loft promotes a higher launch angle, making it easier to get the ball in the air, which is something high handicap players with slow swing speeds tend to struggle with.

What about your irons? Again, this category of golfer shouldn’t be looking at sleek toplines or the best golf blade irons typically played by the better players and those who are comfortable shaping the ball.

Game-improvement irons feature specific designs that build in forgiveness, therefore helping to reduce the problems caused by poor contact and inconsistent swings.

What you’re really looking for in this department are irons with slightly larger heads with perimeter weighting and plenty of offset.

The best distance irons that fit this criteria will usually feature a cavity back design, too, like the Callaway Elyte X, Ping G440 and Titleist T350 irons. The wider sole and thicker top edge will give you a better chance of getting the ball airborne, finding the fairways and producing a cleaner strike.

As condescending as it might sound, not many 30-handicappers can strike a 4- or 5-iron 100% pure every time, so we recommend replacing your long irons with easier-to-hit hybrid clubs.

As and when your ball striking improves, this is when you can tweak your line-up - but don’t make life difficult for yourself by carrying too many, if any, long irons.

Forgiveness is an attribute that club golfers readily look for in drivers and irons, but it’s somewhat overlooked when it comes to your scoring clubs - the wedges.

In terms of the specific clubhead design, the best wedges for high handicap players tend to offer a bit more bounce (the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole), which helps produce a cleaner strike.

A wedge with a cavity back, like on the Callaway CB12 or Cleveland CBZ (pictured above) will provide an element of perimeter-weighted forgiveness, whilst a slightly wider sole will offer more forgiveness in the strike and help send the ball up in the air.

As for the number of wedges, most golfers carry between two and four, with tour players tending to favor three or four, which gives them the option of hitting very precise numbers. As a 30-handicap player, you should be just fine with two, maybe three at a push.

Finally, there are huge gains to be made by using a putter that is suitable for your ability and putting stroke.

Some of the best putters on the market will help high handicap players lower their scores due to their forgiving designs and innovative technology, leading to a better strike and a more consistent roll. Alignment cues can also be a great help.

Although this is not a strict rule, we recommend starting your search for the perfect model in the best mallet putters list, like the TaylorMade Spider Tour or the Odyssey Ai One Square 2 Square Jailbird Cruiser, as they tend to offer greater forgiveness on off-center hits and should be more consistent when putting from long range.

That’s because my first proper men’s driver was the TaylorMade R7 Superquad, which my dad bought for me back in 2007, so I simply had to get my hands on it for sentimental reasons.

I can’t really remember much about how I hit it but I loved its sleek and premium look as well as the iconic black/red/yellow shaft that I saw on TV in the hands of players like Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen.

Mini drivers have always intrigued me and I felt like the R7 Quad could potentially suit my game well as I have always struggled with 3-woods and enjoy the occasional driver-off-the-deck.

I hit my Titleist TSR4 driver well on the whole but one or two wayward tee shots each round seem to always cost me a big number, so I had confidence that it could be a useful addition to my bag.

I am now five rounds into testing the R7 Quad Mini…and it has been a big surprise, in a good way.

I’ve been quite overwhelmed with just how good it is from the tee. It is so good that I initially struggled to see the point in carrying a ‘proper’ driver anymore.

My third round with the R7 Quad came in blustery conditions, where I was faced with a good 20-30mph wind on half of the holes at my club. I decided to hit driver on all of the into-wind holes and mini driver on the downwind ones.

I was swinging well and the driver has safely kept its place in the bag thanks to some solid tee shots that stayed under the wind. But that is taking nothing away from the R7 Quad Mini, which was a great weapon on the downwind holes.

On a calm day, I struggle to imagine hitting my driver very often now that I am armed with the mini. Its shorter shaft means it’s much easier to middle than a driver and its larger head makes it so much easier to find the sweetspot than a 3-wood. It’s a win-win.

I've also had plenty of rounds this year where I haven't even hit my 3-wood so losing this troublesome club, for me, has not been a big miss.

The R7 Quad Mini Driver is also supposedly quite draw-biased, and as a fader I’m able to hit it far more accurately than my driver, too.

Into strong winds, the 15-20 yards that it loses vs a traditional driver feels like a significant amount when the wind is costing you yards already, so I am continuing with both the big dog and the mini dog for now as there's always one or two holes where the extra distance from a driver is beneficial.

On mid-and-short-length par 4s, though, it's a very useful weapon that I keep going back to time and time again.

My mini driver has missed the summer season but I am curious to see if I’ll still have it in the bag in six months as it could be superb when the courses begin to firm up again.

If it’s still going well by then I think the driver may have the entire summer off.

My version is 11.5 degrees but I instantly lofted up to 13.5 to ensure it didn’t go too far. My first ever shot with it went a good 280 yards, admittedly on a firm, slightly downhill fairway, but I was shocked by how far it went.

Five rounds later and I am still surprised by how far it goes. I think because it is so much easier to find the middle of the face it is going almost as far as my decent drives.

I haven’t been custom-fit for my driver so I am potentially losing yardage with it as the mini is really not much shorter - and that’s with it lofted up!

So to summarise, after plenty of experience using it now, I am able to hit more consistent tee shots that are going straighter at the expense of perhaps 15-20 yards.

That might sound like quite a lot of distance to give up but if I can get it in play instead of a chip-out or lost ball once more every single round then that is going to add up to a lot of saved shots over the course of a season.

In calm conditions I can comfortably get it out there over 250 yards, which I would take on every hole if that means I'm in play eight-or-nine times out of ten.

Should you put a Mini Driver in the bag?

Clearly it doesn’t work for everyone and if you’re someone who hits their 3-wood well both off the tee and from the deck then you probably won’t find much use for a mini driver.

If you’ve got a custom-fit driver that is optimised well for you and are confident hitting it then you might not see the benefits, either.

However, if you struggle with your driver or 3-wood then it’s definitely worth a go.

Now that I know it well, I feel that it is not really a 3-wood replacement or a driver replacement and should be thought of as what it is, a 2-wood. It’s great off the tee but definitely harder to hit off the deck than I imagined.

I've topped it a few times from the fairway already so certainly need a little bit more practice when not hitting from the tee.

If you’re really bad with your driver then it won’t be transformative as it is still quite similar to hitting the big stick, but with a shorter shaft and a bit more launch and draw-bias it can offer more confidence and accuracy.

If you’re worried about losing distance with it then I wouldn’t worry too much. It goes surprisingly far.

Imagine your best 3-wood shot and add 10-20 yards, and you’ll have some kind of idea about the distance you’ll be getting. I would also estimate that good shots with the mini, from the tee, travel a very similar distance to a toed or heeled drive.

And remember, a fairway found is far better than chipping out.

I’m curious to see how this new relationship will blossom - perhaps I’ll write a follow-up piece next year. Will it keep its place in my bag or will the honeymoon period end? And have you tried a mini driver or are thinking about putting one in the bag? Let me know in the comment box below.

It may start misbehaving and I’ll put the 3-wood back in and go back to the traditional setup, but right now I struggle to see that happening.

Well, okay, maybe I’ll just give it a wee rake. Basically, I don’t like the way that I no longer care about my handicap. I used to battle to keep it as low as possible and now I rarely give it a thought.

In the old days of SSS and CSS, making the buffer zone was an achievement to be celebrated with a ticker-tape parade and getting 0.2 off the number beside my name provided a strong case for an impromptu national holiday.

Now, I’m not even sure what my exact handicap index is. I’d have to look it up. In the past, I would have known it as well as my bank pin number.

I’m no pot hunter so I don’t mind that I can no longer win any nett competitions (there’s always someone off a handicap that is too high for their potential thanks to WHS), but I do mind that I don’t feel I have much to play for personally.

I want to care about my handicap again. I wrote last year on four things I’d change about the WHS, and I still agree with the points I made in that article.

I think fewer rounds from your most recent 20 should count towards your average. I suggest best five, perhaps go even further and say best three.

That would mean the erratic scorers would have less of an advantage – the player currently capable of a rogue nett 59 because the average of their best eight is skewed by too many poor scores, would have a lower index.

I now think we should get rid of general play – there’s too much uncertainty around it. Handicaps should be decided in competition circumstances on set days.

The way you play in regular, non-competition rounds is not the same as the way you play in a counting medal or Stableford. Only competition golf can show what your actual handicap should be.

More than anything else though, I think there needs to be far more emphasis on playing conditions under WHS.

PCC adjustment

For amateur golfers, a round of level par in flat calm, warm conditions is completely different to a round of level par in lashing rain and 40mph gusts. That needs to be recognised fully when looking at scores for handicap.

The current Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC), although altered to (supposedly) come into effect more readily, just doesn’t come into effect readily enough.

In a medal at my home club a couple of weeks ago, it was blowing a near gale. I played what was probably my best round of the year to shoot level par. The scoring was generally high, but a golfing pal of mine shot an exceptional four-under 65. Well played to him!

Partly because of mine and his “wonder rounds” PCC didn’t kick in. That seemed crazy. The conditions were so challenging and anyone who battled through them successfully deserved recognition.

I wonder if PCC could be based on actual weather rather than the day’s scoring. With the wonders of technology, it’s possible to see what the weather has been doing in any given location at any given time.

It must be possible to harvest that meteorological data and factor it into the handicap calculation. I don’t want my handicap calculation influenced by other players’ performances; I would like it influenced by the actual conditions I have faced.

The other thing I think needs to be looked at is course rating. I know that a huge amount of detail goes into calculating course ratings and each hole is examined in minute detail to produce the course and slope rating.

The process is thorough, but I’m not sure it always delivers the correct numbers. I say this based on my home course. It’s a par 69 of just 5,900 yards. I don’t think too many people would argue when I say it’s not the toughest track.

But the slope rating is 126. To me, that’s way too high. I think it’s that high because if you take each hole individually, they appear tricky. The fairways are narrow, they are well bunkered, the greens are small, there are penalty areas and out of bounds looms on almost every hole.

The thing is though, if you look what surrounds the holes, there’s so much forgiveness. If you spray it wide, you often end up on the fairway of another hole with a clear shot. Also, the rough is non-existent so missing the narrow fairways is no big deal.

You can basically score well at my course without ever finding a fairway! For me, the course and slope ratings don’t reflect that.

I also think the ratings should be more reflective of the prevailing conditions. A course set on a windy stretch of coastline should be rated much tougher than one in a sheltered inland valley, before there’s any consideration of the individual holes.

For me to be interested in my handicap again I want to be playing against more realistic course and slope ratings under a system that adjusts significantly for true playing conditions. Do you agree?

If you have any thoughts on how WHS could be improved, please leave me a comment.

Try your luck at our golf crossword

Rather than take shots at the World Handicap System - which has been through enough over the past few days, weeks, months and years - I just want to discuss how one fluke of a round had a considerably negative knock-on effect.

After countless outings involving simply trying to end 18 holes with a two-digit score, new clubs and a couple of other tweaks were starting to help me look ahead rather than behind.

With absolutely no expectations aside from simply trying not to embarrass myself in front of my talented colleague Matt Cradock - who is off near scratch - plus his charismatic South African friend Wes Bartlett, I actually began well and was one-under through two holes.

However, the bubble was immediately burst via seven dropped shots in three holes. Welcome to my world.

Having recalibrated and made the turn at a respectable nine-over, what happened next was what I like to describe as nothing short of a minor miracle. I started playing well.

Four pars in succession made way for a second birdie of the round! As far as I can remember, that remains the only time I've ever managed two gains over the course of one day.

Apparently conscious that a sub-80 score was within reach at eight-over through 14 holes on the par-71 course, two inevitable bogeys followed in the final four holes and I signed for a sublime 81 (as far as I was concerned).

A one-over back nine will likely remain the finest set of golf I'll ever play, and I was simply delighted with this once-in-a-lifetime run - helped in no small part by Matt's expert guidance around his home course.

However, reality soon dawned on me when, my handicap dropped almost FOUR FULL STROKES the next day.

With expectation levels soaring to new (and quite frankly highly unrealistic) heights, I considered the possibility that I was now capable of shooting in the low-80s regularly and that maybe, just maybe, a score in the 70s might not be too far away.

A week later, I carded a 26-over-par score of 98.

Having fully crash-landed my expectations, I didn't play for about six weeks.

In reality, I hadn't thrown my toys out of the pram, it just wasn't possible for me to play during that time. But, the truth is, I really wasn't that disappointed.

Nevertheless, when I returned to the course, I wasn't at all sure what to expect. Funnily enough, I managed rounds of 84 and 83 right out of the gate.

By this stage, I'd achieved my initial goal of dipping below an 18 handicap and was sub-17. Yet, despite eight subsequent scores of between 91 and 97, my handicap never even considered rising above 16.5.

Again, I'm not going to bash the fine WHS (today). But, during this stretch of consistent play, all I could think was 'I'm clearly not a 16-handicapper! I just enjoyed a couple of rare ultra-positive days!'

Not only was it frustrating, I was constantly starting rounds looking at the number of shots I would have to play with and feeling a sense of dread, like I was already up against it. Clearly I'd improved for a bit, but the early days of very occasionally shooting in the low-80s had spooked me.

Take on our crossword

Gone were the days where I could bogey every hole and throw in the odd double or triple as well - scores I most likely to post. No, I would now have to hit the ground running.

Then, when I inevitably double-bogeyed the first, I would feel tense and struggle to navigate out of the slump. Not because I didn't want to, but I simply didn't have the game to do it.

As someone who believes you should submit a card every time you play, the number next to my name became something of an albatross around my neck early on.

By the time I'd rediscovered some kind of consistent form again, it was almost a year after the heady days of the 81.

I felt like I'd lost almost a year of attempting to improve steadily because the progress - as far as my handicap was concerned - had happened far too quickly.

I went through a stage where I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. For example, over four consecutive rounds this summer, I shot 89, 95, 103 and then 88. It wasn't just the scores, either, it was the fact individual areas of my game were doing fantastic Jekyll and Hyde impressions.

Shortly after the latter score, I realized the standout 81 was soon to drop off. But, before that had chance to occur, a couple of rounds in the mid-to-high 80s saw my handicap drop to 15.5.

At that point, I stopped caring what my handicap said and I was beginning to understand why there is such widespread frustration with the current system.

Instead, I thought to myself: 'Just go out and play, whatever happens, happens. You're not defined by your handicap score. As long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters.'

While I certainly take some responsibility over paying too much attention to my handicap index during the wobbly period, I can't help but feel my tale has to highlight a key deficiency in the current system.

Surely one alternative option could be taking the average figure from your past 20 scores rather than looking at your eight best. Should that idea have been a reality, maybe I would have enjoyed a fighting chance at breaking 80 with the freedom of a few 103s as insurance?

As it is, my handicap index is set to rise back towards a comfortable 18 once again soon and my chances of breaking 80 for the first time continue to be a distant dream.