Table of contents for Jan-2019 in Golf Monthly

100 NEW ENTRY Ballyliffin (Old) GF €160 Knocking on the door of the Top 100 for some time, this older sibling of the Glashedy dates back to 1973. It was upgraded in the ‘90s by Nick Faldo and is perhaps the more subtle and refined of the two wonderful courses here. GM VERDICT A first-rate links that makes for a compelling 36-hole destination 99 NO CHANGE Tandridge GF £68-£83 Beneficiary of a long-term and comprehensive upgrade to restore and enhance its Harry Colt heritage, the course offers a game of two halves, with the flatter and strategic front nine leading to a rollercoaster and scenic ride back home. GM VERDICT A renewed Golden Age course with exemplary greens 98 DOWN 3 Close House (Lee Westwood Colt) GF £150 Located…

EMAIL golfmonthly@ti-media.com TWITTER @GolfMonthly FACEBOOK facebook.com/golfmonthlymagazine GOLF MONTHLY FORUM golf-monthly.co.uk/forums YOUTUBE youtube.com/GolfMonthly INSTAGRAM instagram.com/golfmonthly All contributions must be original, not copies or duplicated to other publications. The editor reserves the right to edit letters. TI Media Limited or its associated companies reserve the right to reuse any submission sent to these pages of Golf Monthly, in any format or medium. Editorial Complaints We work hard to achieve the highest standards of editorial content, and we are committed to complying with the Editors’ Code of Practice (https://www.ipso.co.uk/IPSO/cop.html) as enforced by IPSO. If you have a complaint about our editorial content, you can email us at complaints@ti-media.com or write to Complaints Manager, TI Media Limited Legal Department, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP. Please provide details of the material you are complaining…

TAYLORMADE RORY JUNIOR SETS Made with input from Rory McIlroy, there’s a 4-plus set (five clubs/bag) and 8-plus set (seven/bag, £399) for both boys and girls. TAYLORMADE RORY DRIVER The TaylorMade Rory driver has 16° of loft and is 400cc in size, designed to instil confidence and be easy to launch. TAYLORMADE RORY IRONS Developed with lofts that help launch the ball high and straight. The 4-plus set has lofts two degrees lower than the 8-plus set. TAYLORMADE RORY PUTTER The centre-shafted mid-mallet putter offers high levels of stability combined with easy alignment.…

Seeding begins The new prototype Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls made their first appearance during the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. Putter tweak Rory McIlroy continues to tinker with his flat-stick. He added lead tape to his Anser-style TaylorMade at the WGC-HSBC Champions. Instant hit Bryson DeChambeau won his first event using the new Cobra King F9 Speedback driver. “It is an interesting design but it sounds beautiful. The spin is a lot lower than the F8,” he said.…

‘Early extension' is a term you may not be familiar with, but 90 per cent of golfers extend early – and it's something you need to be aware of. It's where the hips and pelvis move towards the ball in the downswing and we lose our posture angles. It leaves the arms with less room, so they can move to the right or simply collapse. It can bring the dreaded shank into play, while some will simply struggle to keep the ball on the course. If you're going to make a successful shot you have to throw your hands and arms at the ball. Various drills can help prevent early extension, this being one of my favourites. Here, we're trying to maintain that flexion and our posture throughout the swing.…

Photography: Kevin Murray I'm often asked how each golfing season ranks when we approach the end of the year, and it's encouraging for the game that my recent answers have all tended to be “very high indeed”, or words to that effect. So many great things happened in 2018 and I'm keen to discuss some of my highlights, both in terms of players, tournaments and personalities. Let's start with the player of the year, which for me was Brooks Koepka. I'm not saying this came out of the blue – this was the 2017 US Open Champion, after all – but most would have expected the likes of Johnson, McIlroy, Spieth and Thomas to have better seasons. You'd have to say they all had disappointing years, even if Johnson did…

When he took over from Peter Dawson as chief executive of The R&A in 2015, Martin Slumbers brought with him a strong understanding and experience of international business, together with a love for the game of golf. Through a career in investment banking, Slumbers worked in London and overseas and was latterly head of global business services for Deutsche Bank. Away from work, he played regularly to an impressive handicap of 2. Slumbers has blended his business acumen and his golfing passion to great effect to drive The R&A forward at a time of significant change in the sport. He has a progressive approach and is tackling issues head on. Just three years into his tenure, The R&A has played a central role in instigating dramatic rule changes, establishing a…

1 Address position It might be the only static position in the golf swing, but you can clearly see just how athletic Dustin Johnson is from his address. His stance is wide and his legs are strong – this creates a powerful base from which he can generate resistance against his upper body as he rotates into the backswing. His ball position is in the classic left heel spot for a driver. This helps generate the correct launch angle and spin rate to optimise his club speed. Johnson also looks perfectly balanced, with only a slight drop of the right shoulder – his arms hang straight down in a fairly central position. Notice how he has a little tilt of the head to the right, something that assists him with…

1 Loading the right leg If you want to strike the ball consistently well, it is essential that your weight is moving correctly through the swing. This drill will help and as it's not essential to use a club, it's a good one to practise at home. With your arms across your chest, shift your weight away from the target, moving onto your rear foot and lifting your forward foot. Then, reverse that movement. This will help you get a better idea of how to load the right leg and transfer your weight effectively. 2 Check your body rotations Photography: Tom Miles When you turn away from the target, hold your hands with the palms facing directly away from your body. Rotating through, hold your finish position with the palms…

At a whopping 6ft 9in tall, Jonathan ‘Jigger' Thomson has a relatively unique build for a tour professional. Taller players can sometimes have trouble maintaining their height, but Jigger has no such problem. It's even more important that tall players have equipment correctly fitted for them, but interestingly, his driver is only one inch longer than standard – any longer starts to feel ‘awkward' for him. At address, he still manages to get into a solid base, with a good forward bend from the hips and his arms hanging down nicely. His hands are in a stronger position (turned towards his trail side) on the handle and he has more knee flex than normal, due to his height relative to the shaft length. He looks like he takes the club…

Photography: Getty Images 1 Beating a slice A slice occurs when the clubface arrives at the ball open to the path – it almost arrives too early. So if you turn your upper body a little more in the backswing, you'll release the club better and give yourself more time for the clubface to rotate back to square. 2 Reading greens Once you've assessed the slope, choose a point halfway between your ball and the hole and stay focused on that. Putting is easy, it's just line and speed – once you have your spot, don't start second guessing yourself. Commit to it and your putting will improve. 3 Winning in match play In match play you have to play your own game. Yes, there are situations where you need…

The P760 is built like a compact distance iron but with traditional lofts. It certainly feels fast in the longer irons, but also soft and controlled. The long-irons also provide off-centre help, with shots struck low on the face still generating good ball speed. The shaft will play a big role in controlling dispersion, which is why a fitting is essential, but the short-irons are noticeably precise when struck well. The P760 will deliver for single-figure players seeking a bit of everything, but you’ll pay a premium for the privilege.…

FEEL Noticeably softer than Sigma G and Vault 2.0, the Fetch offers up a muted sound that's almost inaudible on short putts, while feeling solid and still getting the ball rolling with good speed. LOOKS The ball-sized hole, framed by the long black sightlines, highlights both face-angle alignment and stroke path effectively, without being distracting. This putter is aimed at golfers seeking forgiveness and easier alignment from a mid-sized mallet. Key technology The Fetch is one of nine Sigma 2 head shapes that provide a softer, more responsive feel thanks to the dual-durometer Pebax face material, which is softer in the front and firmer in the back for solid feedback and distance control, helping to improve overall consistency. Ping’s TR (True Roll) face pattern varies in depth and pitch to…

I'll hold my hands up and admit that I'm a golf-gear geek. The sight of a previously unseen club in someone's bag, how they stamp their wedges and where they put lead tape on their irons gets my juices flowing nearly as much as Mrs T. At this time of year these sightings are more common, with manufacturers attempting to seed new products on the sly, hoping eagle-eyed journos like me won't notice. I often don't, as I don't attend every tour event and I'm not blessed with the time to scroll through every image from every tournament with squinted eyes, on the lookout for previously unseen bats. It would be great to spend more weeks on the range at professional events, poking my nose into the bags of some…

Brief • Review all playing strategies and bunkering throughout the course • Restore scale, Colt principles and the heather landscape Ongoing Four-year bunker renovation programme started in 2017 with the objectives being: • Not to relocate any original Colt bunkers but to renovate them • To install new bunkers where technology requires them • See the sand faces from the tee • Install Blinder bases • Plant heather surrounds The following holes have been completed to date: The 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th, 14th and 17th. A new tee was built for the 17th hole. Offering more elevation, it improves the view to the fairway and adds 35 yards to the card, taking that hole to 452 yards.…

It’s never too late Aged 64 I took up golf and I threw myself into it heart and soul. For the first two years I devoured every source of information I could find. At first I improved – how could I not starting from a base of nothing? Then, however, I seemed to get stuck and very frustrated. My brain was filled with too many thoughts and ideas. Eventually, I realised trying too hard for the perfect swing and contact was making me stiff and awkward. I compared it to swimming, where I simply relax and follow instinct. I stood on the tee and imagined I was about to dive into cool, clear water. I relaxed and allowed my instincts to emerge. Amazingly, it worked. The more I allowed myself…

Xander Schauffele won in China with Callaway Forged prototype irons Jordan Spieth used the Titleist TS2 driver and fairway in Las Vegas Cameron Champ won the Sanderson Farms with a Ping G400 Max driver Chris Kirk has announced a deal to play Mizuno irons and wedges Justin Rose claimed the Turkish Open with a TaylorMade M3 driver Ping G4OO woods helped Lee Westwood to victory in South Africa…

Photography: Tom Miles I always love it when the Top 100 list of golf courses comes out in this magazine. I like to count how many I've played and then add a few more to my ‘before I die' list. We are blessed with such an abundance of amazing golf courses in the UK and Ireland. I know there are a lot of golf snobs out there, but I love taking on any course and it doesn't need a ‘Royal' prefix or electronic gates to be a challenge. I still love the golf course I grew up on, Tilgate Forest – a municipal in Crawley in West Sussex. A bunch of us used to jump on after school in the summer and that is also where I had my first…

Here is a list of selected golfers who have been given invites to play at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and their finishing positions Eddie Pepperell T7 in 2017 Connor Syme T15 in 2017 Tom Lewis T99 in 2016 Bradley Neil T156 in 2016 Stewart Cink T9 in 2015 Paul Dunne T19 in 2015 Oliver Wilson WINNER in 2014 Nick Faldo T73 in 2014 Tommy Fleetwood T5 in 2011 Patrick Reed T71 in 2011 Martin Laird T5 in 2010 Branden Grace T156 in 2009 (went on to win the Championship in 2012) Rory McIlroy 3 in 2007 Jamie Donaldson T9 in 2001…

If there is one name you can consistently rely upon to feature at the upper end of a big tournament leaderboard, it’s Dustin Johnson. Since the beginning of the 2016 season, the 34-year-old has recorded a whopping 35 PGA Tour top-tens, including ten victories and a maiden Major at the 2016 US Open. At the heart of this success has been the transformation of his wedge game. Always a prodigious hitter, Johnson has concentrated on his pitching game to turn those 350-yard drives into birdies. Currently averaging 314 yards off the tee, he led the PGA Tour in both birdie average (4.7) and scoring average (68.7) in 2018. With both long and short game firing on all cylinders, he has become one of the toughest players to beat. Over the…

1 Basic technique The most common chipping faults result in loss of strike quality, with fats and thins stemming from golfers not understanding how to use bounce properly and control the low point through impact. Often this is because they have their hands too far forward and present the leading edge to the ground. The best way to chip is to have the ball just inside the back foot, with the shaft pointing just to the left of your belt buckle. Your sternum should be in front of the ball at address, at the top and at impact. This way, you can use your shoulders and arms to move the club through impact. 2 Hitting down too much If the lie's not great or you want to keep the trajectory…

Golf is an easier game from the fairway, with the task of finding the green in regulation becoming ever more difficult the further you stray from the short grass. The slice may be the most common fault among club golfers, but the hook can be a real killer as not only do shots veer viciously left, they tend to go further too, sending you deeper into trouble. Reader Adam Wilson knows this all too well, having spent time on the left side of many a hole in recent months. When he applied for one of our ‘Help!' lessons, the 14-handicapper told us: “On a good day I think I have the ability to be a single-figure handicapper, but on my destructive days I can play to 25 very easily!” It…

FEATURES As well as a flat-lock main zip, front zip pockets and an internal headphone pocket, there's a dropped hem at the back for extra coverage when swinging and lining up a putt. PERFORMANCE The soft, stretchy feel of the material maximises freedom of movement, while the fleece inner layer keeps you warm and the water-resistant sections repel rain admirably. This jacket is for golfers seeking a warm, versatile and wallet-friendly jacket with good protection that can be worn on and off the course. Key technology Designed to be suitable for golfers for most of the year, the Go-To jacket boasts water-resistant fabric on the upper body and arms and a fleece-lined shell for all-weather protection, which features a square pattern underneath to reduce weight and trap warmth. There’s also…

PERFORMANCE Even after a soaking, we were bone dry underneath and didn't feel the wind through the jacket. The Storm DWR finish ensures the water beads off the material quickly. FEATURES The soft foam collar sits close to your neck to stop the rain entering. Adjustable Velcro cuffs and an elasticated drawstring on the waist help achieve a more tailored fit. This suit is aimed at golfers looking for the very best in lightweight waterproof protection and breathability. Key technology The Gore-Tex Paclite construction ensures the jacket and matching trousers are 100 per cent waterproof, lightweight, highly breathable and windproof, while Under Armour’s Storm technology on the outer fabric repels water. The jacket’s soft, rain-guard collar hugs close to the neck for added protection, while the trousers boast a fuller…

ULTRA-LIGHT COBRA F-MAX SUPERLITE This iron is 16g lighter than the previous model for faster club and ball speeds. Progressive hosel lengths optimise CG. VERY FORGIVING PING G700 This game-improvement iron looks like a blade, but features a hollow-head design for enhanced speed and stability. HIGH-FLYING TAYLORMADE M CGB This high-flying iron is hailed as TaylorMade's fastest to date thanks to high-COR performance and Face Slots. DISTANCE-BOOSTING CALLAWAY ROGUE X The fastest and most forgiving irons in the Rogue family feature strong lofts and very wide, forgiving soles.…

Gary Etherson Age: 34 Handicap: 8 Member: Foyle Occupation:Laboratory Assistant Reviews this cycle: 10 Favourite Top 100: Tralee Favourite Next 100: Concra Wood Michael Graham Age: 34 Handicap: 8 Member: Mortonhall and North Berwick Occupation: College Lecturer Reviews this cycle: 19 Favourite Top 100: Muirfield Favourite Next 100: Machrihanish Dunes Peter Hurst Age: 48 Handicap: 6 Member: Lee Park Occupation: Logistics Co-ordinator Reviews this cycle: 25 Favourite Top 100: Tralee Favourite Next 100: Wallasey Shane Santry Age: 49 Handicap: 8 Member: County Louth Occupation: Architect Reviews this cycle: 19 Favourite Top 100: Lahinch Favourite Next 100: Boat of Garten…

Photography: Getty Images The GM view: Rory hasn’t yet made a decision – he merely suggested he might not play four events owing to changes in the global golfing schedule. But if he goes on to focus solely on the PGA Tour next year, it would certainly dent the European Tour and you’d have to be concerned about it setting a precedent. Travis Harris: He wants to concentrate on the tour with the most world ranking points, the highest-ranked players, the most money and the most sponsors. What a strange decision! John McArthur: I think it would be poor if he didn’t retain membership. He’s talked about being loyal to the European Tour in the past and it’s hardly as if playing four events in a year is taxing! But…

1 How has this driver been made faster? It's designed more like an airplane wing. We've raised the crown and tail end and softened the front edges, but then we've added a titanium body part low in the rear, which keeps the CG low for added launch and ball speed with low spin. 2 How does the new CNC Milled driver face compare to the TaylorMade Twist Face? Twist Face is valid, but it isn't consistent from driver to driver because it is hand polished. Our drivers are not as open in the toe section because our testing shows most golfers hit the ball there with open faces. We're also correcting ours with a tilted bulge and roll, while Twist Face is very straight. 3 Where does the extra distance…

Photography: Getty Images NO “Drive for show, putt for dough,” so the old adage goes. Modern-day driving distances have perhaps led us to believe that it's truer than ever, with tour pros regularly trotting out the phrase, “it's just a putting contest, really.” But is that actually the case? I'm not convinced, for the fact remains that if you can't keep it on the golf course off the tee, it doesn't matter how well you putt as you'll only ever be limiting the damage. I can think of at least two tour pros I've interviewed over the past few years who have struggled badly in that respect, including Nick Dougherty, who is now in the studio rather than out on tour. When I spoke to him in early 2011, his…

Photography: Paul Severn I 'm really glad to be writing this having won on the European Tour for the first time since 2014 at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. My confidence levels were high going into the event – I'd had a decent season to that point and I was coming off a good performance at Valderrama and a couple of 66s the week before in Turkey. I was building up to a big week, and it ended up being a very big week! I've been pretty confident with my game and happy with my form since Denmark, where I played well and got into contention, and I love the Nedbank. I shot a 62 there a few years back and I've won the event twice. The course at Sun City…

Ryder Cup The 1981 Ryder Cup came to Walton Heath at fairly short notice when it was realised that The Belfry would not be ready in time. The Americans travelled with one of their strongest teams ever, including Nicklaus, Watson, Trevino, Miller, Irwin, Floyd and Kite, and dominated the contest to beat Europe 18.5 to 9.5. European Open The club hosted the inaugural European Open in 1978 and went on to stage four more. Despite the event's name, Walton Heath's first two winners were Americans Bobby Wadkins in 1978 and Tom Kite in 1980. Paul Way, Andrew Murray and Mike Harwood were the victors here in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Senior Open Championship The Senior Open Championship is predominantly played on a links, but unlike The Open, does…

US MASTERS Augusta National After an unspectacular early Masters career, Johnson’s last three Augusta appearances have seen him finish in ties for 6th, 4th and 10th. He did not play in 2017 due to injury. 2019 USPGA Bethpage Black Johnson has played in three professional events at Bethpage Black: the 2009 US Open and The Barclays in 2012 and 2016. He made all three cuts and finished in a tie for third in 2012. Whoever wins will need to stay calm in front of a typically rowdy New York crowd. 2019 US OPEN Pebble Beach Johnson will be licking his lips at this one, having won the AT&T Pro-Am in 2009 and 2010. He held the 54-hole lead in the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, but stumbled to a…

1 Assess the situation Fairway bunker shots present quite a challenge for the handicap golfer. The first thing to do is step into the bunker to assess the depth of sand, the height of the face and how far away from you it is, all of which should influence your strategy. If you have a decent lie, you must assess how you can get the ball out safely, and should always favour more loft rather than less. It's better to be on the fairway even if you can't make the green, rather than staring at another shot from the sand when you leave it in there through over-ambition. 2 The clean strike There are two ways of playing these shots – you can either take the ball fairly cleanly off…

Barney’s assessment Adam's swing path is good and his takeaway is on plane, so his hook isn't caused by the big drop inside you often see. It is more down to a strong right-hand grip with the clubface closing as he swings, so at impact there's a good chance it will be shut. His swing could also be a little more compact at the top – there's a bit of an overswing. Some of this stems from the strong grip. Because the right hand is out of position, it's letting go of the club a little rather than keeping things solid and he's almost trying to hang on to it. Barney’s remedy To keep things more solid at the top, we tried a drill where you start the swing at…

VERSATILITY With a fast, penetrating flight, TS3 was a more-than-worthy driver alternative, while low-face impacts lost little ball speed – ideal for shots from the turf. LOOKS A little smaller in profile than the TS2. The full-face grooves make it easy to align, although some may feel the face is too rounded. This fairway wood is designed more for high-swing-speed players who prefer the look of a smaller head. Key technology The TS3 fairway features a 27 per cent thinner steel crown that allows the MOI to increase by 11 per cent. There’s also a taller channel behind the face to increase launch and ball speed while keeping spin low. The SureFit hosel adjusts loft and lie angle independently. How we tested We were fitted for the TS3 model and…

WANT TO SEE MORE? For reviews of both these electric trolleys, check out golf-monthly.co.uk/reviews…

STOCKING FILLERS FootJoy Winter Mitts £26, footjoy.co.uk Perfect for golfers who like to tackle the winter head on and all the challenges the cold weather presents. Fleece-lined and with a Velcro cuff fastening, these are far superior to the standard pair of woolly gloves that make an appearance every Christmas. Heather and Links Leather Scorecard Holder £59.95, heatherandlinks.com When you put that perfect score together, you want to see it – and clearly. This is just one elegant design in the range, lined with classic soft-tan calf leather that will develop its own character over time. Golf Gin Gift Set £40, notonthehighstreet.com Eden Mill is a brewery and distillery based in St Andrews. This gin comes with two glasses and is best served with brambles and…

Photography: Tom Miles While Justin Rose was winning in Turkey to reclaim his World Top Dog tag, a significantly more important event was taking place in southern Spain. My regular reader (thank you for your patience and loyalty, Eric) will know that I am referring to The Wee Man Trophy, not only the smallest trophy in golf but probably the most sought after. Okay, this last bit only works in my house. “While fathers should occasionally pay attention to what their sons say, they should never do so while uncorking the third bottle of red” First competed for more than two decades ago, The Wee Man is exactly that... a wee chap grasping a golf club, a cigarette in his mouth, a flat cap on his head and a grip…