Table of contents for September 2024 in Golf Monthly

Titleist driver and fairway wood releases operate on a longer cycle than with many brands, so when they happen, the golf world sits up and takes notice. This has certainly been the case with the new GT line. Titleist has been on a well-documented quest for speed for some time and the GT family is the culmination of two years’ research and development. It features some interesting new technology. For a long time, Titleist has been producing all-titanium drivers but the GT range, featuring GT2, GT3, and GT4 models, has been given a multi-material upgrade. Titleist has introduced a new Seamless Thermoform Crown made from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP). This unique material allows Titleist to keep the classic look and feel its loyal fan base loves, while saving…

Another thrilling encounter between the USA and Europe is being eagerly anticipated almost a year on from the last Solheim Cup matches at Finca Cortesin in Spain. It seems that just when you think the Solheim Cup can’t surpass itself for drama and excitement, it does! This time it’s at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, from September 13-15. Close encounters The last three editions have gone down to the wire, providing edge-of-the-seat viewing. In 2019 at Gleneagles, wildcard pick Suzann Pettersen’s birdie on the 18th secured a 14½-13½ victory for Europe, creating one of the most sensational moments in Solheim Cup history. A miss would have allowed the USA to reach 14 points and retain the cup. Two years later at Inverness Golf Club in Ohio,…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH There are few things in golf that are more universally enjoyed than a well organised and effectively run golf day. These events are enormous fun, bringing golfers of all ages and abilities together to socialise, compete a little and just relish playing the game they love in a pressure-free environment. A perfect golf day is of great benefit to: the participants, who experience a memorable outing; the clubs hosting them, who gain custom and recognition; and the charities they support, for whom the funds raised will pave the way to vital work that provides help to those in need. For all those involved to get the very most from a golf day, it needs to be planned carefully and run in a way that is relaxed yet…

How can I unlock some more distance? By Top 50 Coach Murray Patterson Many golfers are limited physically in some way, so struggle to make a full turn. If this is you and you’re looking for more power, try lifting your left heel off the ground in the backswing. This will allow your hands to travel further without collapsing the arms. The step drill is another great way to hone a more powerful transition. It’s something Padraig Harrington has done in recent years to gain distance as he’s moved into his 50s. Take the club back and step out with your left foot before you get to the top of the backswing. This will get you shifting your weight in transition to unleash through impact. How do I release the…

FROM THE TOUR BALL IRRETRIEVABLE IN IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTION On rare occasions, a perfectly struck drive on the golf course, heading straight down the middle of the fairway, may not come to rest on the short grass. Thankfully, the Rules do consider a number of unusual scenarios that can occur. When Akshay Bhatia fired his tee shot down the middle of the 17th fairway in late June’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and his ball rolled into a hole in the fairway drainage system, he called a Rules official over for assistance. Bhatia’s ball was in the drain, which is an immovable obstruction, defined as an abnormal course condition under the Rules, from which free relief is permitted. The official identified the reference point for free relief as being a few inches to…

It’s been a busy year for G/Fore. Having already released the new Gallivan2r, its latest release might be its boldest and brashest to date – and that’s saying something for this brand. This is certainly a much more fashion-forward silhouette. With bulges, bumps and details dotted all over the shoe, it’s quite busy on the eye, but I like it for this. I’ll leave you to make your own judgement, but it’s certainly the most distinctive new shoe of the year. From a performance perspective, the most prominent visual technology is the new toe wrap. Here, the outsole bleeds over the front of the shoe and onto the toe section, claiming to offer more grip around that toe area. On your back foot, this is undoubtedly a useful extra layer…

What does kick point mean? Dave Dixon, via email The kick point of a club is directly linked to the shaft. It is the point of the shaft that bends the most during the golf swing. Kick points are typically separated into three categories for simplicity – high, low or mid. The lower the kick point of a shaft, the higher the launch angle of the ball off the clubface and vice versa. It’s also the name of Golf Monthly’s new equipment podcast, available on all good podcast platforms now! How do I choose the right stand bag? Sara Richards, via email I’d say there are three key criteria to weigh up in any stand bag decision: weight, storage and waterproofing. From these three, pick those most pertinent to your…

“Yet more 72-hole stroke play is not the best way to encourage people into the game” Right, here’s this month’s Big Question: did the Olympic golf tournaments work for you? Indeed should golf – for men and women – be in sport’s biggest tent at all? The answer, for me, is both yes and no. I know, I’m not just sitting on the fence here, I’m fiercely embracing the thing. Just getting to watch the men’s tournament was the biggest problem this month. Every now and then – mostly ‘then’ – the BBC showed a few minutes of the battle at Le Golf National. Blink and you missed it and then missed it again when it popped up on the iPlayer but you didn’t realise it. If you paid a…

From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs I’ve played golf for over 50 years, mostly off single figures, but I still haven’t quite cracked this lovely game and consider it crazy. I’ve been suffering throughout the past few months with the dreaded shanks and my handicap has gone up to nine as a result. Lessons aplenty always work when the pro is by my side, but once back on the course the issue soon reappears. I was playing last week at my local club and for 15 holes I was horrendous, with every iron disappearing quickly right, either out of bounds or into ditches, ponds or thick rough. I was heading for another score in the 90s, so imagine my fear as I stood on the 16th…

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has announced there will be just one qualifying points list for September 2025 at Bethpage Black, with the process starting from the British Masters in August. Last time, six automatic qualifiers came via the World Points and European Points lists, based on OWGR points and Race to Dubai Ranking points respectively, gained during the qualifying period. For 2025, there are still six automatic qualifiers and six captain’s picks, but a streamlined Ryder Cup Points List will simplify the process. Points will be earned according to a new tournament banding structure. Majors will offer 5,000 Ryder Cup points; PGA Tour Signature events, The Players Championship and 2025 FedEx Cup play-off tournaments 3,000; and DP World Tour Rolex Series events and regular PGA Tour competitions 2,000.…

Why would anyone even suggest such a drastic course of action? It may sound harsh, but since the inaugural event in 1994, the International team has managed just one victory and one tie while the American team has won 12 times, including nine straight from 2005. It is 26 years since the International team’s solitary success in 1998 at Royal Melbourne under the captaincy of the late Peter Thomson. Have any of those many International defeats been close or not? Yes. After a convincing American victory in 1994, the 1996 staging was close, with the International team winning Saturday’s matches 7-3 to trail by just one heading into the singles. However, they couldn’t quite get it done on Sunday, losing 16.5-15.5 overall. Since then, however, there have been several one-sided…

To say the last 18 months have been tough for three-time Major Champion Anna Nordqvist would be an understatement. The 37-year-old Swedish golfer has endured challenges that no-one should face at her age, including divorce proceedings and the sudden passing of her husband of two years, Kevin McAlpine, the former caddie of Lexi Thompson. While taking one step at a time to rebuild her life on and off the golf course, Nordqvist remains a fighter with a burning desire to win. Whether or not she makes this year’s European Solheim Cup team for her ninth appearance as a player, she will be at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia as an assistant captain for the second time, serving alongside Caroline Martens, Dame Laura Davies and Melissa Reid under…

Opus wedges look and feel superb, marking a serious improvement on the old Jaws Raw line While Titleist’s Vokey wedges have been considered the gold standard for some time now, other major brands have been hot on Vokey’s heels. Callaway’s new Opus line of wedges aims to disrupt Vokey’s presence both on tour and in the bags of amateurs. Callaway is saying Opus is its most tour-validated wedge range to date. Every part of the shaping of this wedge has come directly from player feedback, with a near 18-month seeding period on tour to get it just right. To me, taking this much time with the tour players was a superb move. Opus is replacing the Jaws Raw, a wedge I was never a massive fan of due to the…

Striking long-irons cleanly off the turf is a challenging proposition for most club golfers. This is where the hybrid club comes into its own. The larger head and greater playability is often the route to improved striking at the top end of the bag. There are quite a few things to consider when looking for a new hybrid, including looks, feel, distance and versatility. Following a number of fresh launches at the start of this year, I tested 14 models from nine brands to break down what performance you can expect from each offering. Looks No matter how much technology a golf club has, or how well it promises to perform, finding the looks agreeable when set down at address is really important. Appreciating the way the club sits behind…

Essentials Naran, An Fhearthainn, County Donegal, Ireland Stats: par 70, 6,515 yards GF: round: €250, inc. lunch entrée and a pint Narin & Portnoo dates back to 1905, and as was the case at so many clubs of that era, its original layout was a somewhat rudimentary nine-holer. It lasted only 14 years, but in 1930, the holes were reopened and upgraded and the club soon developed a reputation for its fast links putting surfaces. Membership grew and the first clubhouse was built in 1938, though the war years took their toll before a revival led to its extension to a full 18 in 1965. Its sensational but remote location continued to serve as both a blessing and a curse, and with the new millennium it was not enjoying the…

What does an Olympic Gold do for your legacy? I don’t really think too much about my legacy as a golfer. That’s not really something that comes to mind. I love being out here competing. It’s one of my favourite things in the world to do and it’s a great joy in my life. I’m proud to be out here competing. This is just part of my life and it’s something I work very hard at. I’m proud to be sitting here with a Gold Medal. Why were you so emotional after your victory? I would say first and foremost that I’m proud to be American. I got emotional the other night watching the Gold Medal ceremony for the women’s gymnastics. I take tremendous pride in representing my country. When…

“I’M GONNA PUT THAT DOWN AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST COLLAPSES, CHOKES OF THE YEAR. RIGHT UP THERE WITH RORY MCILROY AT THE US OPEN”Brandel Chamblee reacts to Jon Rahm’s Olympic woes “IT’S DEFINITELY A LIFE PEAK FOR ME HERE. I DON’T THINK I’VE EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF ADRENALINE BEFORE”Lydia Ko on winning Gold “STANDING ON THAT PODIUM WITH A MEDAL WAS ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL MOMENTS I HAVE EVER HAD”Tommy Fleetwood after being awarded his Olympic Silver in Paris “I WAS GUTTED WHEN I WALKED OFF THE COURSE AND IT HIT ME HARD. I WAS CHOKING BACK TEARS”Justin Rose on his 2nd-place finish at Royal Troon in The Open Championship…

England GF: from £125 (Weds-Sun) Stats: par 70, 6,505 yards I never expected to write about Stoke Park again after its closure in 2021, but it seems reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. Not only is the lovely Harry Colt course still there in all its glory, but much has also been going on behind the scenes as the estate works closely with various parties to forge a masterplan for a new future. The course reopened in June having been fully maintained during closure, so is in fine condition. The two nines of the original Colt layout have been flipped, so the famous par 3 that inspired the original 16th at Augusta (which used to play across the pond) now bears the same hole number at Stoke Park.…

Scottie Scheffler might want to be careful. It won’t be long before he starts getting booed. If he does, it will be his own fault. Just like Novak Djokovic, he has brought it on himself - they’re both too good. We all appreciate the skill and crazy performance levels, but do we really want to see one player dominate the game? Don’t worry, Scheffler isn’t going to get booed – this isn’t football, or Centre Court. He might get heckled at Bethpage, provoked by European fans desperate to knock the American off his stride, but it won’t make one bit of difference. The World No.1 is unflappable. Some might call the way he goes about his business boring, but is it really that different to the other guy who won…

1 DRIVING The first point for me about driving is light hands at address. Most amateurs strangle the club and don’t allow themselves to get back far enough to turn and hit the ball properly. If you’re not turning fully, you’re not going to be able to generate the speed you need for that club. With the driver, you have to be able to turn properly to get it out there and give it a proper stripe. It’s a speed game right now, and a solid shoulder turn is key. 2 KEYS TO GOOD SCORING I think the key is to not get ahead of yourself, first and foremost. You’ve got to do your best on every shot. I averaged 68 point something and it’s always great to average that…

While I am, admittedly, a tinkerer when it comes to the clubs in my bag, my current rangefinder has held its place for over five years now – it does everything I need it to do. However, one outing with Garmin’s newest offering got me thinking that I’ve been missing out by not updating to the latest in laser rangefinder technology. New technology can sometimes be a little overwhelming and distracting, but the Z30 was ready to use out of the box with a full battery and very self-explanatory features. It offers you all the basics you’d expect from a premium rangefinder, like 6x magnification, crystal-clear graphics giving quick yardages to the pin and adjusted yardages according to elevation change. The Approach Z30 comes into its own when paired with…

We’ve looked back at some classic clubs of yesteryear in this series, and now it’s the turn of the Odyssey Dual Force (DF) Rossie II putter. Released in 1996, it was one of 22 models in the range that quickly got adopted by many top players on the world’s professional tours. What was the tech? This face-balanced putter had some very prominent alignment aids, with three black lines on the top edge and two more in the flange. Matching the lines up also helped ensure constant eye positioning. The Rossie II was one of the first putters to use an insert, made from a polymer called Stronomic, to alter the impact feel. How did it perform? We put the original DF Rossie II up against the current iteration, the Ai…

Europeans heading south for golfing breaks very often end their journey in Spain or Portugal. This may well be their loss, as a little further to the south is a country blessed with a fascinating topography and historic culture that is home to a strong selection of varied and very interesting golf. Its coastline borders the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and it is home to scorching desert, snow-capped mountains and just about everything in between. Golf in Morocco dates back to 1914, and in recent years its portfolio of golf has extended to more than 40 courses. With Marrakech leading the way, the majority are based in and around its most famous and historic cities. Here you will find more than a dozen varied courses from big names such as…

The 10th at Copthorne is a relatively short par 4. You must cross the same burn twice en route to an attractively sited green Copthorne GF: 18 holes: £50-£55 The club at Copthorne in West Sussex dates back to 1892, and its original nine-hole design was extended to 18 in 1908. Braid was engaged in 1930 to make extensive alterations, and although further substantial changes were made some 50 years later, the club is rightly proud of its heritage. This is a strong, tree-lined course that will reward straight hitting, but it still demands a driver on plenty of holes. Attractive ditches come into play in several places, and this easy-walking and pretty course looks even better when the heather is in bloom or the trees are showing off their…