Table of contents for February 2026 in Golf Monthly

neil.tappin@futurenet.com On a recent Golf Monthly staff day out, I paired up with a member of the team who was receiving 45 shots (my handicap is 5.0 and I received six). Competing in a better-ball format at the London Club, we came in with 38 points, both contributing to the overall score and finishing in the middle of the pack. The levelling of the playing field through the handicap system means that every golfer from professional to beginner can compete with and against each other on any course around the world. It’s what makes golf so brilliantly unique. It sounds perfect, yet to my mind, the handicap system has never felt as under fire as it does right now. If my inbox is anything to go by, the two main…

“TRAVELLING BACK AND FORTH TO AMERICA 30 WEEKS OF THE YEAR ISN’T SUSTAINABLE”Laurie Canter explains his decision to turn down a place on the PGA Tour for a LIV Golf return “ALLOWING A FRICTIONLESS RETURN PRIVILEGES THOSE WHO LEFT OVER THOSE WHO STAYED”Brandel Chamblee thinks Brooks Koepka must face a punishment if he returns to the PGA Tour “2025 WAS THE YEAR I MADE MY DREAMS COME TRUE, FROM AUGUSTA TO THE RYDER CUP AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN BETWEEN”Rory McIlroy after winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year “I DON’T PLAY GOLF, BUT IT LOOKS EASY, I HAVE TO SAY. JUST GET IT IN THE HOLE”Roy Keane offers a typically blunt view of the game on The Overlap podcast…

Srixon’s new ZXiR irons are set to shake up the game-improvement category, offering feel, forgiveness and distance without compromise. Srixon is opening the door to more golfers being able to enjoy the premium performance of its irons. This launch completes Srixon’s iron line-up, ensuring an iron for every type of player. The family now stretches from the tour-calibre Z-Forged II blade and ZXi7 players’ iron, through the players’ distance ZXi5 and players’ development ZXi4 models, all the way to these new game-improvement options. The ZXiR irons are engineered for mid- to high-handicappers who prioritise soft feel, courtesy of Srixon’s brand-new i-Alloy material, which is 10% softer than 431 steel, resulting in enhanced feedback and quieter vibrations compared to other game-improvement irons. The clubface features new mainframe milling patterns that strategically…

Shot on location at Salgados Golf Club 1 Conventional With a neutral, conventional grip, the hands oppose each other with the palms facing the sides of the grip. The back of the left hand points towards the target and the back of the right hand points away. From there, wrap the fingers around the back of the grip, place the left-hand trigger finger in a reverse overlap (see inset photo), and stretch both thumb pads onto the front of the grip with the thumbs pointing straight down. This is the most common starting grip because most golfers are trail-hand dominant, and the lower trail hand helps to provide a strong sense of feel and awareness. 2 Lead hand low This is a good option for lead-hand-dominant strokes or those who…

The PXG Lightning Max-10K+ driver has been designed to be the most forgiving model in the line-up, representing the company’s first venture into the maximum 10K MOI driver market. This club is built specifically to deliver exceptional stability and forgiveness, aiming to capture the market share dominated by models like the Ping G430 Max 10K and TaylorMade Qi10 Max. I was a big fan of last year’s Black Ops drivers from PXG, so I was excited to see what was on offer with its new Lightning family. The new range is built around the principle of increasing forgiveness (MOI) and efficiency through its Frequency Tuned Face technology (see key technology points) and this driver specifically serves as the ultra-forgiving model, aimed at players who need maximum stability. Visually, the Lightning…

Hindhead GF: 18 holes: £157 Mon-Thu, £197 Fri-Sun Hindhead in Surrey has been a favourite of the Golf Monthly Next 100 since its first inclusion 15 years ago. In that time, bunker enhancements and course changes, as well as a clubhouse refurbishment, have subtly and consistently bettered the experience making it one of golf’s great days out. This JH Taylor classic dates back to 1904 and has two distinct and different halves, with the front nine running dramatically through ancient, ice-age valleys, before a back nine which plays over higher ground and finishes with two excellent and testing par 4s. If you are lucky, you may spot a deer or two, while the magnificent pines and Hindhead’s alluring setting are sure to captivate, however well you’re playing. Highwoods GF: 18…

Remembering Barry Ward I am writing to you about Barry Ward, a distinguished journalist who wrote for your magazine for many years and made significant contributions to golf journalism. His career was nothing short of remarkable. After serving as a gunner in the RAF and working as a police officer, he pursued journalism with extraordinary dedication. His career took him from the Nottingham Evening Post to Australia, where he worked for the Sydney Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald. In Australia, he became involved in one of the country’s most significant investigative journalism cases – the murder of campaigning editor Juanita Nielsen in 1975. Returning to England, Barry turned his lifelong passion for golf into a distinguished second career. He covered major golf tournaments, became a travel writer and eventually…

Mizuno’s iconic Pro line has turned a new chapter for 2026 with the introduction of the Modern Series, featuring the M-13 and M-15 irons. These new models join the existing Signature Series (the Pro-S1 and Pro-S3) to deliver evolution in forged performance. Engineered for golfers seeking an extra edge in playability, forgiveness and speed, the Modern Series provides an unmistakable Mizuno Pro shape and feel, with the two new additions crafted with different playing styles in mind. A successor to the well-loved Mizuno Pro 243, the M-13 is designed for those seeking a more traditional, tour-ready appearance. It blends a classic head shape with a clever modern construction to deliver a faster, more consistent ball flight. The iron is forged in three parts, varying performance across the set. The long-irons…

There are several common topics discussed on the fairways and in clubhouses all over the world, like dress codes, the professional game and etiquette. But, based on the experiences of several of the Golf Monthly team, the World Handicap System (WHS) would sit at the top of the list. While many believe the new system is an improvement on what came before – particularly nomadic golfers – others feel it has ruined the game for low-handicappers and golf is the only sport that rewards mediocrity. At the moment, there does seem to be a growing divide between club golfers and nomadic players, and WHS definitely feeds into that. But should golfers put a card in every time they play? It’s a complicated debate with no easy answer. The R&A encourages…

Shot on location at Salgados Golf Club 1 This is a huge subject but, to hone in on a few of the main priorities for better ball-striking, I would look at rotation/body turn, wrist hinge and spine angle. Here we can see a full rotation of the torso and shoulders around my posture angle and against the resistance and support of my legs. This is crucial for stability, power and balance to help you get the club back to the ball reliably and efficiently. However, rotation is also fundamental to returning the club back to the ball for a centred strike. Most toe and heel strikes come from you moving out of position and swaying or tilting, with the spine angle changing up and down. Therefore, your ability to simply…

1 IRON SHOTS My old coach, Randy Smith, always imparts great advice, and none better than when he tells me to go out and create shots with my irons. A lot of it is responding to pin positions and dialling in my distance control. If I’m trying to take a little bit off a shot, then I will hit a straighter ball or cut the shot a little bit. It’s not always about, “Hey, this is a right pin, I have to cut it.” You also have to ask yourself, does the number allow me to do that? So much of playing high-level golf is precise distance control and I think Scottie Scheffler is probably the best at that – knowing how far the ball is going to go in…

The Srixon AD333 is the franchise that defined the ‘value ball’ category, offering reputable performance without the premium price tag. Now the brand is looking to continue this dominance with a set of design improvements, while retaining the AD333’s affordability. The ball now faces stiff competition from the likes of Kirkland and Amazon but, while the prices of these supermarket contenders are attractive, they don’t compare when it comes to the technology in this Srixon ball. For this review, I tested it head-to-head against the latest Titleist TruFeel, starting indoors on a Foresight GC3 launch monitor to get some baseline numbers without external interference from temperature, moisture and wind. Both balls performed well at the top end of the bag, producing solid numbers for ball speed, with the Srixon giving…

How important is sound when it comes to golf clubs, and can it ever be misleading? Mervyn Hardcastle, via email When the best players strike a ball, the sound is a little different – purer, cleaner and louder. If you know what to listen for, you can identify the very best ball-strikers just by hearing them hit. Sound is important to amateur golfers too. A good sound gives us positive feedback that we’re doing something right. But can impact sound be misleading? You bet. The sound a club makes does not directly affect performance. A great-sounding driver might produce more spin and less distance than one that sounds like you’re ringing a cowbell! Irons that sound clicky and clumsy when struck correctly might deliver a perfect, consistent ball flight, while…

Essentials Bull Island Nature Reserve, Dollymount, Dublin 5, Ireland Stats: par 71, 6,526 yards GF: €150-€200 The evolution of Dublin’s North Bull Island is a fascinating one, for it owes its creation directly to Captain William Bligh. His soundings of Dublin Bay in 1800 paved the way for an island, five kilometres wide, of low dunes. Today, it is home to a vast beach, a bird sanctuary and two links courses. There is room for little else. It is surrounded by a cityscape that is dominated by the tall red and white striped Poolbeg chimney stacks, set against the Dublin Mountains. Ferries, cruise liners and cargo ships routinely slink by, heading sedately across the Irish Sea. To the south of the island is Harry Colt’s revered Royal Dublin, while to…

So here we are in 2026 and it appears that everything is changing. Or is it? First of all, let’s look at LIV Golf. Well, it is certainly moving forwards with a change to 72-hole tournaments from 54. Why? Because it wants to have approval from the Official World Golf Ranking people and it appears that it will get it. The biggest change is that Brooks Koepka is leaving and Bryson DeChambeau might follow him through the exit door. Or he might not. Either way, this is a significant moment for LIV Golf as originally planned. Koepka, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are the biggest, most impactful players it has on its books and if they were to leave then they simply could not face up to the PGA Tour. Neither…

The quest for fresh formats, as golf looks to change with the times, take advantage of modern technology and attract new audience bases, is gathering pace. Among the new offerings has been TGL from TMRW Sports (a company whose co-founders include Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy), which sees teams of top-name golfers compete against each other in an indoor arena using high-tech simulator technology. TGL launched in January 2025 and has been well received, prompting many to ask if a women’s version will arrive. We now have the answer, with the LPGA Tour and TMRW Sports confirming that WTGL is set to launch later this year following the success of the men’s competition. WTGL will tee off in late 2026 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Exactly…

USA GF: $289-$329 Stats: par 72, 6,726 yards Scottsdale in Arizona is an oasis in the Sonoran Desert that is home to an incredible variety of fascinating and different golf courses. Towards its northern reaches, Boulders Resort and Spa is blessed with not one but two remarkable layouts. Both were designed by Jay Morrish, an American golf course architect who worked with some of the industry’s greatest including Robert Trent Jones and Jack Nicklaus. While the North course is for members and their guests only, the South, which is open to all, is a thrilling and very beautiful adventure through the rocks. This striking course has benefited from full bunker and greens renovations in recent times, with the layout running through some prime real estate that is largely so far…

A year that started with a ban ended with a bang, as Marco Penge took the golf world by storm in 2025. Penge started his campaign in 461st place in the World Rankings, and had climbed into the top 30 by the time the season officially ended at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. He was the only three-time winner on the circuit last year, and finished 2nd on the Race to Dubai standings behind career Grand Slam hero, Rory McIlroy. That earned the Sussex golfer an extra $1 million from the bonus pool to go with the £2,494,000 he banked from his 26 starts in a truly memorable season. Not bad for a player who was forced to sit out the first seven weeks of 2025, as he…

I love golf, most of the time. I couldn’t have done this job for as long as I have without an enduring passion for the game, though Lord knows it can be frustrating. I also (whisper it softly) have more than a passing interest in trains. Not in a geeky, standing on the platform in an anorak kind of way, but as more of a curious observer. Disused railways fascinate me and I’ve walked many a mile on them; on holiday I’ll always try to engineer a stop-off at any nearby heritage steam railway; and I still have boxes of model railway stuff in the loft, acquired over the years from charity and junk shops for a project that somehow never quite happened (maybe in retirement). So, when word of…

Here’s a simple way to read short putts. Imagine a circle around the hole with your ball on the circumference, then identify the lowest point. This tells you the direction of the slope (towards the low point) and whether it’s uphill or downhill and breaking right or left. You always want to look at your putt from the bottom of the slope because when the slope is facing you, its shape becomes much clearer. If the putt is downhill, look from behind the hole; if it’s uphill, look from behind the ball. The same goes for the direction of break – view it from the low side so you can see whether the slope is tilting towards you. Is there a drill to stop swinging over the top? By Top…

Rory McIlroy capped off his Career Grand Slam-completing year by claiming a seventh Race to Dubai title. But as the season drew to a close, Marco Penge was in contention as they entered the penultimate event in Abu Dhabi. McIlroy’s opening hole in that championship was pivotal. This was because his first tee shot at Yas Links almost resulted in a lost ball. His opening blow came to rest in the long rough and wasn’t visible. Upon reaching the area in which the ball finished, McIlroy and others had three minutes to look for the ball from when he or his caddie began the search. With only a few seconds remaining, Penge’s caddie found a ball which was successfully identified by McIlroy, so he was able to continue. He made…

The Algarve is a popular spot for golf breaks and it isn’t hard to understand why, with beautiful weather, gorgeous cuisine and friendly locals who are delighted you are there. Hidden in the valleys, just 25 minutes from Faro airport and only two hours from both Lisbon and Seville, is Viceroy at Ombria, a resort that offers far more than just an enjoyable golfing experience. As you get close to the resort, the village appears atop the rolling Algarve hills, surrounded by the golf course on both sides. The village is beautiful, with its design complementing the landscape it is built on. It’s a vibrant location with different amenities spread around the resort, encouraging you to explore. The rooms offer some of the prettiest vistas you can ask for –…

Pondering an idea for what could be an interesting angle from which to view golf course architecture, I realised that for most of my many years of playing I’ve held a firm belief that courses designed by nature are superior to those that have required excessive use of diggers. As in most things apart from wine, I prefer subtlety to over-the-top enthusiasm, and so I have always had a soft spot in my mind for the likes of a Cleeve Hill or a Church Stretton over – just as an example and it is still very enjoyable – The Brabazon course at The Belfry. Alongside this, built into Golf Monthly’s evaluation criteria for the course rankings, under ‘visual appeal’ we have always asked the question, ‘Is the course in keeping…