Golf Monthly March 2026

neil.tappin@futurenet.com The idea that traditional golf club membership is changing is nothing new. In my time at Golf Monthly, I can think back to many conversations and subsequent articles about the rise of casual, pay-to-play golf at the expense of the more traditional membership offering. Indeed, there are now plenty of examples of golf venues across the UK that are thriving by embracing a different approach. However, it seems to me as if the pace of change might be about to accelerate. The post-Covid boom in golf brought a younger and more diverse generation of players into the sport. This has given rise to a sustained growth in the number of rounds being played. At the end of 2025, England Golf reported a 16% rise in the number of scores…

Value is in the eye of the beholder Reading the letter in your February issue bemoaning the lack of golf on terrestrial TV, and the suggested effect this has on the number of new players, I would take a different view. First, the BBC paid lip service to the tournaments it broadcast, only covering the ‘crown jewel’ events and often interrupting them for the 4.30 from Kempton Park. Sky, on the other hand, broadcasts every day of every event live with superb coverage. Furthermore, Sky has been covering golf since approximately 1995, if memory serves me correctly, and golf participation is apparently booming. Finally, to the assertion that the fee for Sky Sports is “eye-watering”, I would suggest £1 per day for wall-to-wall top-level action from all over the globe,…

Justin, congratulations on winning your 13th PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open. How does that feel? First and foremost, it’s an amazing thing to win any time, any place – by one, against whoever and wherever on any golf course. But when you start to think about some of the ways it unfolded, it really is incredibly special – I think I now have the 36-, 54- and 72-hole scoring record. I’m proud of the fact I was able to build my lead each day. How much harder is it at 45 than, say, 30 in terms of accessing your best golf? I don’t think I can work much harder – I think I just need to be patient with myself when the weeks slip by that aren’t…

“THAT’S AN INCREDIBLY VIABLE OPTION”Bryson DeChambeau told Front Office Sports his future schedule may consist primarily of YouTube golf and the Majors “I COULD PROBABLY WRITE A BOOK ABOUT WHAT I’VE LEARNED THESE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS”Blades Brown described the ‘insane’ experience of playing with Scottie Scheffler in the final round of the American Express “I THINK I’VE FALLEN BACK IN LOVE WITH THE GAME”Brooks Koepka showed his emotional side as he spoke about his nerves before his PGA Tour return at Torrey Pines “IT’S A HUGE AND UNBELIEVABLE MISS THAT WE’RE NOT PLAYING ALONGSIDE THE MEN”Nelly Korda told Golf Week she thinks the newly launched WTGL is a missed opportunity…

Ross Fisher’s T64 finish at the Dubai Desert Classic marked a significant personal milestone with the 45-year-old making his 500th DP World Tour appearance. The Englishman is just the 49th player to reach the mark and joins legends of the game such as Sandy Lyle, Bernhard Langer, Lee Westwood, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie. Fisher first joined the tour in 2006 and has won five times since, amassing nearly €20 million in prize money. While it’s obviously a very impressive feat, he’ll have to keep on playing for a few years to come if he’s to reach the current record of 726 held by David Howell. 20 Scottie Scheffler has become just the third player in the modern era to win 20 PGA Tour titles, including four…

Putter Says Fergus Bisset There was no hesitation from me on this question, although I should say straight out, I’d also like a new driver this year! But, when choosing one or the other to change my game dramatically, the putter is the obvious one. I drive the ball reasonably well and have been happy plodding along with the same Titleist TS3 driver for some seven years now. I know newer technologies might find me a few extra yards, or reduce my dispersion by a small percentage, but the difference isn’t great enough to warrant a £500+ outlay. I know, however, I can save a significant number of shots by improving my putting. My long game doesn’t, and can’t, really change that much at my age, but my putting could…