GOLF NEWS Issue 293 Winter 2022

THE UK’S NO.1 GOLF NEWSPAPER

ISSUE 293 | WINTER 2022

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TOMMY ’S TIME FLEETWOOD REFLECTS ON 10 YEARS ON TOUR LES BORDES Visiting one of Europe’s most private golfing estates

MALLORCA Playing it’s top rated course

EQUIPMENT NEWS Your guide to the latest gear

PEPPERELL ON LOSING CARD "I’m knackered and I’m stressed”

ME AND MY TRAVELS With horse racing legend AP McCoy

MAJOR PLAYER Exclusive interview with Collin Morikawa

COMPLIMENTARY COPY Est 1994

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EDITOR'S LETTER

NICK BAYLY

CALLING TIME ON GENDER-BASED TEES While the days of gender-blind clubhouse changing rooms might be some way off, the news that a growing number of golf clubs in the UK are choosing to do away with separate tees for men and women is long overdue and has been widely welcomed by golfers whose forwardingthinking committees and owners have officially made the switch.

The biggest winners from this timely change will be those old boys whose best efforts with the big stick barely clear the heather at 150. Now, they can plonk their ball down on the forward most tee without having to endure the ignominy of ‘playing off the reds’. Whether it will end the humiliation of men having to unzip their trousers when they fail to clear the front tees remains to be seen, but that’s not under discussion here.

Elite female amateurs have being playing off the men’s tee for decades, but at least now women of all handicaps can chose to play off the tee that suits them best, rather than simply marching to the reds.

While the idea of playing off the tees that you feel most comfortable on has always struck me as good one, there will always be golfers who will want to play off the competition tees, especially on bucketlist courses where they want to measure themselves against the game’s best.

The Old Course at St Andrews plays 6,721 yards off the whites, 6,377 from the yellows and 6,032 off the

reds. Despite playing off a mid-teens handicap, and rarely driving the ball more than 250 yards, I have always played the Old Course – I say ‘always’ like I play it twice a week, more like twice a decade – off the whites, as, apart from the 455-yard 17th, I don’t think there’s a green on the course that I can’t physically reach in regulation if I was to play to the best of my limited ability.

It’s the nature of my job – and my highish handicap – that I’m often paired with players significantly better than myself, and consequently spend most of the time on media days and press launches hitting fairway woods into greens on par fours and long irons to par threes, while my partners are reaching for their wedges, but on any other day, especially when I’m playing a friendly game with a mate of similar ability, its yellows all the way and we’re all the happier for it.

Golf is a hard enough game as it is, and there are times when playing off the whites – and beyond – has worn me down to the point where it’s no longer enjoyable and just becomes, quite literally, an uphill slog. So, while I’m not quite ready for the most forward tees, I know that when the time comes to make that shift 40-50 yards nearer to the green, they’ll be there waiting for me, hopefully with welcoming arms, without a snigger or a sideways glance, or questioning whether ‘my husband plays’.

Here’s to happy golfing in 2022, whatever tees you choose to play off.

THE UK’S NO.1 GOLF NEWSPAPER

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TEL: 01273 381794 EMAIL: info@golfnews.co.uk WEBSITE: golfnews.co.uk FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @golfnewsmag INSTAGRAM: golfnewsmagazine MANAGING DIRECTOR Matt Nicholson matt@golfnews.co.uk EDITOR Nick Bayly editor@golfnews.co.uk EQUIPMENT EDITOR Dan Owen dan@golfnews.co.uk

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PUBLISHED BY BlueGreen Media REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Clive Agran

PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images, Kevin Murray, Andy Hiseman

A MOTOCADDY LASER RANGEFINDER!

TOMMY ’S TIME

FEEL. LOOK. PERFORM. AUTUMN WINTER 2021

FLEETWOOD REFLECTS ON 10 YEARS ON TOUR LES BORDES Visiting one of Europe’s most private golfing estates

MALLORCA Playing it’s top rated course

EQUIPMENT NEWS Your guide to the latest gear

PEPPERELL ON LOSING CARD "I’m knackered and I’m stressed”

ME AND MY TRAVELS With horse racing legend AP McCoy

MAJOR PLAYER

© Copyright 2021. No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in anyway or means, either by recording or otherwise, without permission of the publishers in writing.

Exclusive interview with Collin Morikawa

COMPLIMENTARY COPY Est 1994

On Course Apparel

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InBrief COUNTY GRANT FUNDS ELTHAM COURSE WORKS ★ Eltham Warren Golf Club is the latest club to have benefitted from a Club Development Grant from Kent Golf. The Eltham-based club used the funds to build a new drainage ditch that will alleviate flooding issues during heavy rain.

Dave Mabbott, the club’s general manager, said: “We are very grateful to the Kent Golf panel for granting approval to our funding request. We are confident t­ hat the new drainage will not only avert significant course closures during the winter months due to flooding, but it has also created an attractive feature on the course which will encourage both flora and fauna.”

SHERREARD WINS KENT ORDER OF MERIT ★ Tom Sherreard won the Kent Amateur Order of Merit after accumulating an impressive 103 points during the 2021 season.

The Kings Hill player finished 35 points ahead of runner up Charlie Hickling (Wildernesse) with 68 points, while Nick Panting (Rochester & Cobham) was just one point further back in third.

THAMES VALLEY GIRLS WIN ENGLAND GOLF PERFORMANCE AWARD ★ Thames Valley girls’ team picked up an England Golf Performance award after its players enjoyed a stellar season across county and national events. At the start of the season, the squad comprised nine players with an average handicap index of 1.6. This dropped to +1.4 by the summer. Two of the girls – Rosie Bee Kim and Olivia Lee - won individual titles at national level and stepped up to the England girls’ squad. Team manager Sue Ashworth said: “It’s been a team effort and it’s a privilege to be involved with such inspirational managers, coaches, players and volunteers. We’ve been lucky with the talent pool available in the five counties we cover and the players we can select – such a great bunch of girls.”

JAMES MARSHALL R.I.P ★ Kent Golf Academy Coach James Marshall passed away on November 26 after a long battle against cancer. Having worked extensively with Kent Golf in the County Academy Programme, James went on to become one of the first Kent Golf Approved Junior Academy Coaches, establishing his boys’ academy at the Sidcup Family Golf Centre in early 2019.

ARUN’S SWEET 63 ★ Nine-handicapper Arun Ayaru fired a three-over-par gross 75 at Stanmore GC to win the Middlesex U16 County Championship by a single shot from fellow Highgate member Freddie Tucker. Daniyar Kassimov (Ashford Manor), who plays off 16, claimed the best nett prize after a superb 79 (nett 63) gave him a three-shot cushion over Ayaru’s nett 66.

Pepperell vows to rediscover his form after losing European Tour card Some familiar names lost their full playing rights for the 2022 European Tour after failing to finish inside the top 121 in the rankings at the end of the season.

Past tour winners Eddie Pepperell, Ross Fisher, Oliver Fisher and Nicolas Colsearts were just some of the well-known players that slipped too far down the rankings to earn their full tour card for next season’s schedule, which is already under way.

Pepperell is perhaps one of the most surprising names to find on the cut list given that just three seasons ago he won two tournaments, banked over €2m in prize money and ranked 14th on the European Tour points list in 2018.

After finishing 54th on the money list in 2019 and 67th in 2020, the 30-year-old from Oxfordshire ended the 2021 season in 139th place after missing 13 cuts from 23 tournaments played and banking just over €170,000 in prize money.

After seemingly being in good shape during the early part of the season, with four consecutive cuts made in May, Pepperell’s form slumped dramatically over the summer and autumn, with just five cuts secured from June until the end of the season. And the man who looked ready to win majors before the pandemic began is now in a battle to save his career.

“I’m knackered, I’m stressed, and if I have another year like this one, I’ll certainly have some challenging decisions to make,” Pepperell said after comfortably missing out on the weekend play at the Aviv Dubai Championship, the final event of the regular European Tour season. “Every round I’ve played, I feel like I’ve been banging my head against a brick wall.”

Pepperell’s ranking will give him some playing opportunities on the rebranded DP World Tour next season, which started at the JoBurg Open at the end of November, but he will unlikely be teeing it up in the biggest events, as he has done for most of his 10-year career, barring a minor blip five years ago when he lost his card after finishing 113th in the money list.

“I don’t feel as panicked as I did in 2016 when I lost my tour card,” he says. ‘I came back and played

the best golf of my career in 2017-18, so I know I can do it. The problem is this might be the first time in my life where I have gone a whole year where I haven’t been able to figure it out what’s going on and at least play some good golf. Even in 2016 I had a couple of top 10s, but this year I haven’t had any and that’s never happened to me at any level, be it junior, amateur or whatever.”

Pepperell’s decline can be traced back to the moment when everything changed owing to Covid-19. Ironically enough, it was in Dubai in February 2020 where he led the Desert Classic at the half-way stage but closed with weekend rounds of 72 and 76 to drop down into a share of 11th place.

“That feels such a long time ago,” he says. “I don’t want to sound all ‘woe is me’ when you think what a lot of people have dealt with during the pandemic, but when the tour stopped playing shortly after Dubai last year I took a few months off and, while the right decision in some ways, I’ve had a hellish time trying to get my skills back.”

He adds: “I’ve had so many coaches this year and now I’ve gone back to my first one, Mike Walker, for about the eighth time. There is clearly something terribly wrong with my game. Historically my iron play has been my great strength, but it has got worse as the year has gone on.”

But having earned a reputation from social media as a laid-back character who takes life as it comes, Pepperell is anxious to dispel any myths about him not working hard on his game.

“I know there’s a perception of me on Twitter that I don’t work at it, but I worked very hard to try to see some results,” he says.

“Now I need to put the clubs away for a few weeks and forget about it. When I come back, I need to look forward to the challenge. At the moment, I’m in this selffulfilling downward cycle, but one day I will surprise myself and play a little bit better than I expected.

Once that happens, it shouldn’t take too long for the confidence to come back and we’ll see an upturn.”

Glendale launches ‘Big Golf Survey' Glendale Golf, one of the UK’s leading operators of pay & play golf courses, has launched a survey that aims to get the views of the nation’s golfers and shape the way the company operates its clubs and delivers the best possible customer experience in the future.

Glendale Golf operates seven centres in the UK – Richmond Park, Tilgate Forest, Castle Point, Duxbury, Portsmouth, London Airlinks and Edwalton, all of which have enjoyed a significant upturn in play over the last 18 months.

Jon Dummett, Glendale’s Head of Golf, said: “While 2021 has been an incredible year for the game, Glendale Golf wants 2022 to be even better, so we are now asking for golfers’ opinions. As part of our commitment to provide the very best golfing experience, we’re inviting golfers to take part in our biggest customer survey yet. Their valuable feedback will help us improve our golf facilities and offer more of what golfers want.”

He added: “There’s no doubt that golf has been a salvation for many during the pandemic. It has provided an unexpected boost for golf, with many new and returning golfers flocking to the fairways

■ GLENDALE'S RICHMOND PARK GC

during the national lockdowns. Clubs up and down the country benefited from a surge in demand for golf, with many people taking up the game. We now have a duty to make sure they continue enjoying the benefits of golf for the long term.”

Everyone that takes part in The Big Golf Survey will receive a coupon for 20% off their next round at any Glendale Golf course, plus be in with a chance of winning a Callaway Chev Stand Bag worth £190. To find out more, and to take part in the survey, visit www.glendalegolf.co.uk

NEWS | WINTER 2022 GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TEMPO COLLECTION

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WINTER 2022 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

InBrief SLATER AND CAREW DOMINATE RACE TO ST GEORGE’S FINALS DAY ★ Royal St George’s hosted Kent Golf’s Race to St George’s Finals for the culmination of this year’s qualifying rounds held around the county. Ellena Slater (Kings Hill) won the girls’ scratch competition with a gross 75, finishing two shots ahead of Ellis Burdis (West Kent). Lee Carew (Chelsfield Lakes) matched Slater’s score to win the boys’ scratch event by three shots from Luke Jenkins (Rochester & Cobham). Burdis won the girls handicap competition, while Ashford’s Oliver Pugh took the boys handicap event with a nett 72. Slater and Carew won their respective Order of Merit titles for their performances throughout the year.

Topgolf and R&A join forces to boost female participation Topgolf and the R&A are collaborating to offer discounted women and girls coaching sessions from PGA professionals to support the governing body’s #FOREeveryone campaign.

These fun social sessions aim to inspire and motivate women golfers, providing them with the practical skills they need to play the sport, while also showcasing it in a more positive and inclusive light. They will also highlight the many physical and mental benefits playing golf provides – including exercise, socialising, and the thrill of competition.

Coaching sessions – which will be delivered

Time to snap up your tickets for the BMW at Wentworth

SPRINGS COURSE MANAGER EARNS MASTER STATUS Paul Brett, the course manager at The Springs Golf Club in Oxfordshire, has become only the 87th greenkeeper to be awarded Master Greenkeeper Certification by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association. Paul, 41, joined The Springs in 1997 and was appointed head greenkeeper in 2000, aged just 20. He has since overseen a transitional phase in the club’s history, including a threeyear period when the club was put up for sale and he took on general manager duties and operated the on-site shop. In 2017 Darwin Escapes purchased the club and hotel and has since invested £20m into the redevelopment of the site, with Paul playing a key role in the redevelopment of the golf course, alongside former Ryder Cup captain Brian Huggett and architect Tim Lobb. Paul, who is taking up a new role as course manager at The West Berkshire in the new year, said: “I have really enjoyed all stages of the Master Greenkeeper process and I feel so proud to have my name on a list with so many great guys.”

ELLIS PIPS KEOGH TO MIDDLESEX OOM TITLE ★ Perivale Park’s James Ellis won Middlesex’s Men’s Order of Merit by the narrowest of margins after finishing the season with flourish.

After missing out on the points in the County Championship, Ellis had a lot of ground to make up, but victory at the CW Roe and high finishes at the Muswell Hill Open and the Ealing Open and a quarterfinal finish at the Gowland Salver saw him end the season on 97 points, just one point ahead of County Champion Niall Keogh (Sudbury), with Ian Ashenden (Northwood) a further six points back in third.

Sand Martins to build hotel and clubhouse extension

by a host of qualified teaching professionals – are taking place at Topgolf's Chigwell, Watford and Surrey venues and are bookable online at a discounted coaching price of £5 per person.

Tickets include a free drink and club hire provided by Topgolf.

Sessions started in November, but there are more planned for the new year, including January 10, February 4 and March 3.

Andrew Agnoli, Head of Topgolf Coach UK, commented: “Golf is a game for everybody, and Topgolf is a great stepping stone for those who have never picked up a club and want to come along and have a go. We can’t wait to welcome

It may seem like a long way off, but tickets are already on sale for the 2022 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, which takes place from September 8-11, with a limited number of discounted launch price tickets available to purchase on a first-come-first served basis.

The high-profile tournament, which is part of the newly-branded DP World Tour’s Rolex Series, will once again return to Wentworth’s West Course, where many of the world’s best players will competing to etch their name on the coveted trophy.

The tournament is one of the best attended golf events in the UK outside of the Open Championship, traditionally attracting more than 100,000 spectators.

include a new gym, improved lounge and dining facilities, along with a restaurant that will be open to the wider community.

The scheme also included a 39-bedroom hotel with bridal suite and function and ceremony rooms.

The design for the new hotel is in the style of interlinking barns set around a courtyard, with the Sand Martins Golf Club in immediate surrounds Berkshire has submitted featuring a landscaped plans to build a new lawn overlooking an 39-bedroom hotel and ■ AN ARTIST'S IMPRESSION existing pond. The club extend its clubhouse to OF THE NEW HOTEL says it hopes the hotel will improve the membership provide ‘an ideal venue for experience and widen its weddings, small conferences, local customer base. functions and exhibitions, supported by on The popular private members’ site accommodation’. club, which first opened in 1993, has A separate 80-cover restaurant tabled plans to undertake significant will take the form of a single storey improvements to its existing clubhouse to

■ TOPGOLF IS HOSTING 'GET INTO GOLF’ SESSIONS FOR WOMEN

everyone down to our venues. It’s a fantastic opportunity for women and girls in the Chigwell, Watford and Surrey areas to try golf for the first time, as well as for those wanting to get back into the game.”

To book one of the #FOREeveryone beginner sessions at Topgolf Chigwell, Watford or Surrey, visit the Topgolf website and book online.

The Wednesday Pro-Am has become a particularly hot ticket, with fans flocking into to see the stars of sports, stage and screen tackling the West Course, while the weekend live music performances have also been a big draw, with the likes of Rudimental, Simple Minds, Clean Bandit, Feeder and Keane’s Tom Chaplin being among recent acts to have played concerts at the tournament in recent years.

Adult season tickets cost £135, while day tickets cost £35 (Thurs), £40 (Fri), £45 (Sat) and £50 Sun). Those aged 12 years and under can get in for free when accompanied by a paying adult. For more details, visit europeantour.com and click on the ‘tickets’ banner.

extension to the clubhouse, which will also provide improved changing rooms, a reconfigured pro shop, a small gym and separate dining room for visiting golf societies and club events.

A biodiversity net gain will be achieved across the golf course by enhancing grassland, scrub and wetland areas, along with additional tree planting, while measures will be put in place to encourage the reintroduction of Sand Martins.

Peter Edwards, consultant at property specialists Carter Jonas, which submitted the plans on behalf of the club, said: “This high quality, sustainable development not only improves the offer to its members, but provides a new amenity for the local community. It is hoped that this development will be seen as an exemplar by other clubs needing to diversify their offer.”

NEWS | WINTER 2022

WINTER GOLF EVENTS PACKAGE AVA I L A B L E F R O M

1ST NOVEMBER 2021 – 31ST MARCH 2022

Package Includes • English Breakfast Roll with selection of Teas and Coffees

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• Winter Hand Warmers • Complimentary use of Practice Facilities inclusive of Range Balls • 18 Holes of Championship Golf on the International Course • Private Group Dining Area

per person

• Two Course Meal after Golf • LGC Welcome Gift • A Hot Beverage from the Halfway House on the 8th Hole

Available Monday – Thursday for £105 per person, and Sunday (limited tee times only) for £115 per person.

From 1st – 31st March 2022, this offer is available Monday – Thursday for £115 per person, and Sunday (limited tee times only) for £125 per person Excludes Bank Holidays. Tee times are subject to availability and must be booked in advance.

This package is subject to change in accordance with government guidelines, please visit our website for the latest guidance.

Valid for bookings of 9 players or more

events@londongolf.co.uk | Tel: 01474 879899 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

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WINTER 2022 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

DYE LONDON RENAMED ‘THE LEGACY CLUB’ The Dye London is to be renamed The Legacy Club, and will be brought to completion by European Golf Design following the deaths of pioneering golf course architect Pete Dye in early 2020, and his son Perry in 2021.

The project, which was originally announced in 2013, was set to bring the Dye family’s unique brand of creative golf course design to the UK for the first time, tempting golfers with a spectacular new challenge from the designer of iconic PGA Tour venues such as Sawgrass, Kiawah Island, Whistling Straits and Harbour Town.

“We will be realising the vision which Pete and Alice Dye originally had for the golf course, including the routing, but we will provide the detail” said European Golf Design’s Managing Director, Jeremy Slessor. “The Legacy Club will be enjoyable and playable for all golfers, but will also offer a challenge worthy of a Tour venue.”

The new 18-hole golf course in Edgware, north London, will be the first collaboration between the Menai-Davis family and EGD, the golf course design company of the European Tour Group.

Tony and Anne Menai-Davis plus their sons Ceri and Cae, co-owners of The Legacy Club, and creators of the Seve Ballesteros-designed The Shire London and the forthcoming The London Links, chose the new name in honour of the Dye family, and also after a family tragedy of their own.

“My eldest Ceri and his wife lost their young son,

Hugh, to cancer in summer 2021” said Tony MenaiDavis. “This much-loved and extraordinarily brave young man left us at just six years old, but he filled our lives with enough wonderful memories to last a lifetime. We will think of him every day, and his favourite bird – the owl – will be in The Legacy Club’s logo.

Ceri Menai-Davis said: “The Legacy Club will honour the love we all share for this magnificent sport of golf, and also the love we all have for people who are no longer here.

“My wife and I have created a charity, It’s Never You, to help parents of children who have potential life-limiting illness. The Legacy Club and our other facilities will all help these parents who are going through an indescribable time.

“After many years working in golf and at The Shire London, which is itself driven by the legacy of another of golf’s true greats, Severiano Ballesteros, I can assure you that golfers will love The Legacy Club experience, even more so now we have the team at EGD to help us bring it to life.”

Tony and Anne’s youngest son, Cae, co-founded The Golf Trust charity in 2012 and has helped to bring the benefits of golf to thousands of children over the last decade.

“We are all somebody’s son or daughter, and when you become a parent you better understand the power of legacy, and what it means to provide a better society for our

■ PETE DYE (FRONT, CENTRE) , PERRY DYE (BACK, 2ND FROM RIGHT) AND ALICE DYE, WITH CAE (LEFT), TONY (2ND LEFT) AND CERI MENAI DAVIES (RIGHT), OWNERS OF SHIRE LONDON, LONDON LINKS AND THE LEGACY CLUB

children” said Cae Menai-Davis. “When we met Pete & Alice Dye they could see that we were, like them, a close-knit family and we established a strong connection with them. It feels entirely natural, now, for Ceri and myself to help our family to create golf venues where people can discover a love for golf which might last them a lifetime.

“And doing it in a way which honours not only Pete Dye’s legacy but also Hugh’s feels like the most natural thing of all.”

The Menai-Davis family business now includes five golf facilities in the London area, but The Legacy Club will be their first venture with European Golf Design – creators of The Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor, the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup, and Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the venue for the 2023 Ryder Cup. “I have known Jeremy for 20 years, and EGD is a world-class team of golf course designers” said Tony Menai-Davis. “I am a big admirer of the work they have done, and we are thrilled to be working with EGD as we guide The Legacy Club towards its opening a few years from now.”

“Pete Dye was one of golf’s true innovators” said Slessor, “and we have all been inspired by his designs. Although we didn’t have the opportunity to meet him and discuss his strategy for The Dye London, we will remain highly respectful of the foundations he and Perry laid here as we work hand in hand with the MenaiDavis family to prepare The Legacy Club for the changing demands of the modern sport.”

Southern stars earn England Men’s team call up

■ JACK BIGHAM

■ BEN QUIINEY

England Golf’s men’s squad for 2022 features an exciting blend of emerging talent and players with existing international experience, many of whom are based in the South East.

Stepping up to the full men’s squad for the 2022 season are R&A Boys’ Amateur champion Jack Bigham and English Men’s Amateur winner John Gough, back home after completing his studies at college in North Carolina.

Kent duo Mason Essam and Ben Quinney have earned international recognition on the back of impressive performances in the 2021 season.

Essex’s Zachary Chegwidden, brought into the England Home Internationals team in September, is also included in the full squad for the first time.

They join seven players who formed the nucleus of the 2021 squad and who have retained their places for the upcoming season.

Included in this group is Brabazon Trophy winner Sam Bairstow and Scottish Open Amateur Stroke Play champion Callan Barrow. Jack Cope, winner of the 2021 St Andrew Links Trophy, is joined by the runner up in the 2020 R&A Amateur Championship Joe Harvey and this year’s North of England Open Amateur champion, Jack Brooks.

Consistent performers Arron Edwards-Hill from Essex and BBO’s Olly Huggins, who both played for England at the 2021 Home Internationals, retain their spots.

Essam, who is a member at Dartford Golf Club and is a recent graduate of The Golf College in West Sussex, said: “It’s been a goal of mine for a long time to make the England squad. I’ve known the boys for a while and great to be a part of the team now and look forward to some exciting times for English amateur golf. I’m in as a rookie, but I hope to develop my skills, get to play with some great players, meet great coaches and travel to new courses where I can hopefully help England pick up some silverware.”

Quinney, who is a member at Kings Hill and North Foreland, admitted he was pleasantly surprised to get the call from team manager Gareth Jenkins. The 2021 Lagonda Trophy winner said: “I was aware of interest in my play during the season, but it wasn’t something that I thought I’d achieve. It’s amazing to be able to represent your country and a real honour.”

Bigham, who plays at Harpenden Golf Club, feels his career will benefit from making the move up a level. He said: “I had two years in the boys’ squad and now I’m excited to progress to the men’s squad and play with the best players in the country. It will be good for my game to make this step up. I was nervous when I got the call-up, but the rest of the squad has made me feel really welcome and the way I played this year in men’s events showed that I’m ready to make this move.”

All 12 home-based golfers involved in the England men’s squad set-up will now train their sights on being selected for prestigious team events at home and abroad next year, including the European Amateur Team Championship at Royal St George’s in July, followed in August by the R&A Home Internationals (venue yet to be announced) and the World Amateur Team Championship at Le Golf National and Saint-NomLe-Breteche in France.

Stephen Burnett, England Golf’s performance manager for men’s golf, said: “Next summer looks very bright for elite men’s amateur golf, culminating in three tournaments in July and August. England will be looking to challenge on all three fronts – the European Team Championships, Home Internationals and Eisenhower Trophy.

“We have a very talented group of UK and US-based players raring to go. A squad pick at this stage far from guarantees a competitive selection. Competition for England team places will be tough both inside the squad and from those pushing to be noticed from the wider talent pool we have across the country. It promises to be a very exciting year.”

NEW NEWS | WINTER 2022

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Milford reconfigures golf course to make way for housing development A national housebuilder has secured planning permission to build up to 200 properties on land owned by Milford Golf Club in Surrey.

Cala Homes has secured the planning permission at Milford, which has reconfigured its golf course with the creation of two new holes and a driving range, to replace the holes displaced by the 32-acre housing development.

The development will comprise up to 200 homes, 20% of which would be classified as ‘affordable’ or available for shared ownership. Some local residents and councillors have complained about the density of the housing development that has been proposed.

Milford first opened in 1993 and boasts a 6,000-yard, 18-hole parkland course designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark.

The club becomes the latest Crown Golf-owned property to cash in on the property boom, with the company having sold off seven clubs – nearly half of its portfolio – over the last three years. Earlier this year, Bloor Homes bought Crown Golf’s South Winchester Golf Club in Hampshire, where a development of 1,000 new homes is planned.

“This news underlines Crown Golf’s transformation from the UK’s largest owner and operator of golf courses, into a leisure and property company,” said a Crown Golf spokesperson. “This new property venture is a tie-up between Jeff Chapman’s Australian-based Bangarra Family Office, and Jason Mills’ London-based property development and investment company, Sequoia Real Estate.

“With 6,000 new home plots being promoted through the planning system on Crown Golf courses in London, south-east and south-west England, the partners have repositioned Crown Golf into one of the UK’s leading strategic land investment companies.”

Bullock bags hospitality business award Eddie Bullock Golf Consulting, a company that advises golf clubs on how to attract and retain members, as well as offers insights into all aspects of golf club management, has been voted the Best Golf Hospitality Consultancy at the 2021 LuxLife Hospitality awards.

LuxLife awards focus on recognising businesses which provide a diverse range of services from event and hospitality management, restaurants and bars, travel agents, public relations, as well as marketing services to tour operators.

Eddie Bullock, an Advanced Fellow of the PGA whose previous roles in the golf industry have enabled him to gain valuable insights into what it takes to run a successful golf business. EBGC advises golf clubs on all aspects of club operations from food & beverage and digital marketing, to course management and hospitality, staffing and resource management.

Recent golf club clients have included Royal Norwich, Goodwood, High Post, Glasgow, Windlesham, Woodcote Park and the RAC, while EBGC has also worked with a wide range of golf industry bodies, including the PGA, BIGGA, England Golf, Wales Golf and the Club Managers Association of Europe, among others.

Peter Hickling, General Manager at High Post Golf Club in Wiltshire, said: “Working with Eddie has been very enlightening and thought provoking. The customer service standards we have begun implementing have brought an immediate positive impact to our operations, staff morale and the hospitality we provide to our members and guests. Ultimately the benefit to our business will be a significant cultural shift from providing a decent service one where everyone on the staff “go above and beyond frequently and where we win ourselves a superlative reputation for outstanding service and quality.

This will provide us with a clear and winning differentiation from our competitors.”

Bullock has encouraged many businesses to embrace a hospitality culture at the core of what they do. He says clients should adopt the motto “We are hosts, first and always” to secure new levels of success.

Bullock added: “When I first start working with another organisation, it’s as a partner who will ensure they are ready and fit for what the future will hold. The key to success is businesses that organise themselves around the way in which people operate and thrive. A good work culture is incredibly important, not just when it comes to attracting amazing people, but when it comes to ensuring that they stay the course and achieve remarkable things on their company’s behalf.”

Spring Society Golf Days — Looking for a challenge for your next society day? Plan a unique event to enjoy with your fellow golfers at The Grove.

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[12] WINTER 2022 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

England announce four new caps for 2022 Boys’ squad England Golf has retained four members from this year’s team and included four new call-ups in a strong boys’ squad named for the 2022 season.

Josh Berry, Josh Hill, Frank Kennedy and Harley Smith all enjoyed excellent seasons in 2021 and return to form an experienced spine for the 2022 selection, while the arrival of fresh talent in the shape of Hugh Adams, Seb Cave, Tyler Weaver and Sam Easterbrook adds a

Bognor manager scoops top golf industry award

new dynamic to the squad.

Berry, from Yorkshire, enjoyed a 100% record in singles and foursomes as England’s boys and girls won the Home Internationals, while Kennedy became the youngest Englishman to make the cut at a European Tour event when he made his debut at the Hero Open aged just 15. Hill, who lives in Dubai, represented both the England boys’ and men’s squads at Home Internationals as well as playing for GB&I at the Jacques Leglise Trophy.

Smith, from The Raleigh Club in Essex, followed Justin Rose into the record books by becoming only the second golfer to win both the McGregor Trophy and the Carris Trophy in the same season.

Adams and Weaver played key roles in leading the England U16 team to a 18-2 win over Wales. Easterbrook won the Scottish Boys’ U16 Championship in July – pipping new England teammate Berry to the title.

■ ESSEX'S HARLEY SMITH

Pigs stop play at Yorkshire club A golf club in Yorkshire was forced to close the course for the day last month after a pair of roaming Vietnamese Potbellied pigs injured two golfers after running amok among the fairways over a period of several days.

The two boisterous bovines injured one golfer at Lightcliffe Golf Club, near Halifax on November 21, forcing the club to close for the course for the afternoon while they tried to get them off the course.

However, the pesky pigs then

returned two days later and injured the club’s greens director. The police were called and took the animals away after they moved to a nearby road and disrupted traffic.

Club president Philip Marshall said: “One of our golfers saw these pigs on the course and tried to shoo them off and he sustained a cut on his leg and had to go to A&E for a tetanus shot. And they disappeared then, so we thought they’d gone.

“On Tuesday, they reappeared, and

■ THE PIGS RAN AMOK ON THE COURSE AT LIGHTCLIFFE

dug up the 18th green and the first tee.

Our head greenkeeper tried to shoo one of them off and it turned on him and it cut his leg. He also had to go and have a tetanus jab, but he’s fine. It was like a scene from a comedy film at times, only it got a little scarier when they started going for people.”

Bognor Regis Golf Club’s general manager James Maclean has been named Manager of the Year at the Golf Club Manager’s Association annual awards.

An audience of nearly 300 at the GCMA Conference, which was held at Wyboston Lakes in Bedfordshire, heard how James was described by directors at the West Sussex club as the “true definition of a team player”.

Helping to support the club’s path to relocation while growing revenue and the bottom line, Maclean has overseen a £500,000 improvement in turnover and, in the last five years, a 42 per cent increase in membership.

Speaking after collecting the prestigious award, Maclean said: “This isn’t possible without having an absolutely incredible team working alongside you – as I am sure everyone who has ever been lucky enough to win this prize will say. I’ve got an incredible team, a young team, and they care about everything that they do.”

He added: “This is an absolute honour. I have been a GCMA member for nine years now. I am extremely proud of this Association. They do an absolutely fantastic job for us as serving managers.”

■ JAMES MACLEAN

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[14] WINTER 2022 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

R&A revises Amateur Status rules The rules of golf regarding amateurs and what they can earn from the game in competitive play and how they are funded have been updated by the R&A. Following lengthy consultation with golfers and the golf industry, the updated rules, which comes into force on January 1, remove many restrictions applied to amateur golfers, including an increased cap on how much money an amateur can win from playing in a scratch competition, and how amateurs are able to fund the cost of competing through sponsorship.

As part of the changes the maximum cash prize that an amateur can now win in a scratch competition has been raised from £500 to £700, although the rule applies only to ‘tee-to-hole’ competitions played on a golf course or a simulator. The cap no longer applies to

long drive, putting and skills competitions that are not played as part of a tee-to-hole competition, but prize money still cannot be accepted for handicap tee-to-hole competitions.

Speaking about the new prize rules, Grant Moir, Director of Rules at the R&A, said: “Our initial proposal was that any amateur would be able to accept a cash prize up to the prescribed limit, regardless of the type of event they were playing in. However, offering cash might have created a greater temptation than ordinary prizes.

Obviously, we’re very keen to protect and maintain the integrity of the game in relation to how the rules of golf are applied and how the rules of handicapping are applied.”

“There was also a concern that there would be more money leaving the golf industry. The vouchers and the merchandise that are traditionally given as prizes keeps the money within the golf club. So, we’ve changed that aspect and the ability to win cash prizes only applies in scratch competitions.”

The second big change, which mainly impacts elite

amateurs competing in national and international competitions, is the removal of all restrictions relating to sponsorships, expenses and advertising. Under the new rules, players competing at an elite amateur level will be able to accept sponsorships and advertise who they are receiving sponsorship from, be it in the form of a logo on a hat, bag or item on clothing.

These changes are aimed to high-level amateurs who might not have made it into national representative squads or university scholarships that would ordinarily take care of expenditure issues.

Moir said: “This change almost redefines amateurism at the elite level. It gives the opportunity for top-level amateurs to fund their golf through sponsorship, with the sponsor now able to gain benefit from that sponsorship. Hopefully it will make elite amateur golf more inclusive because more people have the potential to access funding that will help them make their way in the game. As we know it costs money to compete.”

For a full list of the changes to the Rules of Amateur status visit www.randa.org.

■ ELITE AMATEURS WILL BE ABLE TO FUND THEIR CAREERS FROM COMMERCIAL SPONSORSHIPS

Woad doubles up with England Golf Order of Merit titles Surrey’s Lottie Woad has followed in the footsteps of Lily May Humphries in 2019 by winning both the girls’ and the women’s England Golf Order of Merit titles in the same season.

The 17-year-old from Farnham Golf Club enjoyed a superb final season on the amateur circuit, with wins at the Welsh Ladies’ Open Stroke Play, the Liphook Scratch Cup and the Critchley Salver.

The England girls' squad member, who turned professional last month, said: “Although you never set out at the start of a season thinking about Order of Merit titles, it’s brilliant to win them because it shows that your game has been consistently good over the course of the year. Winning the Welsh Ladies’ Open Stroke Play title was a highlight for me – playing consistently is one thing, but it’s always special getting over the line to win a national title. It’s also special for me to win both titles at a point in my development when I’m trying to combine playing in junior as well as women’s events.”

■ NEW BUNKERING ON THE 7TH HOLE AT BLACKMOOR

Blackmoor begins three-year course renovation project Blackmoor Golf Club in Hampshire has begun work on a heathland restoration and bunker refurbishment project that will reintroduce many of the design features laid out by the course’s original architect, Harry Colt, in 1913.

Phase one of the project, which started in early November, will take six weeks to complete and involve

work to holes 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15. Work includes the reshaping pf the fairways and improvements to the visibility of the bunkers and enhancements to the course aesthetics and ecology.

The entire project, which will be completed in phases over a threeyear period to include work to all 18 holes, will improve the playability of Blackmoor’s course and ensure an

enjoyable challenge to current and future generations of golfers.

Commenting on the project, Blackmoor management committee member Michael Cave said: “Over time, the golf course has evolved and some of Colt’s design philosophies have been diluted. The bunkers have gradually changed shape and during heavy rainfall a few were prone to flooding due to the lack of liners. By doing the work Blackmoor will have bunkers in play all year round, much better drainage and the sand mix will be more consistent, as well as employing a construction technique that is aesthetically pleasing.”

The refurbishment work has been planned by golf course architects LOBB + Partners, who were appointed four years ago to formulate a strategy that would enhance the course.

Architect Tim Lobb said: “As with virtually every course of this vintage, the bunker shapes have lost their artistry and the vegetation has changed. We have been advising the club for several years and spent a lot of time going through the club’s archive to understand the landscape and nature of the course.

We have now jointly decided it is time to put spades in the ground, so to speak.

The refurbishment and restoration will take inspiration from Colt’s design principles and be visually traditional but employ modern techniques that support ongoing course maintenance.”

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[16] WINTER 2022 | COURSE REVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

B O R D E S F O R C E Matt Nicholson hops across the channel to visit Les Bordes, one of the most exclusive sporting country estates in Europe, which is now home to two world class 18-hole layouts following the opening of the much-heralded New Course

I’ve been lucky enough to tick off a few bucket list golfing venues in my life, but there are still quite a few that have gone unchecked – Pebble Beach being one of them and Augusta National, of course, being another. However, one of those at the top of the pile has always been Les Bordes.

I’ve lost count of the number of stories I have listened to over the years from some of my esteemed golf industry colleagues regaling me with the quality of its fabled Old Course, and the beauty of its surroundings. So, when a last-minute opportunity to visit the legendary Loire Valley club arrived in my inbox early one October morning, I jumped at the chance to put a tick beside this iconic venue and create some stories of my own.

The reason for the invitation was largely driven by the opening of the club’s aptly-named New Course,

a Gil Hanse design which launched earlier this summer, alongside the opening of the renovated clubhouse and member’s accommodation, all of which had been carried out following a change in ownership.

The trip started off in suitably exclusive fashion with a flight on a 8-seater private plane from Farnborough airport which transported us in comfort for the 60-minute hop over the channel to Orléans. From there we had a 20-minute transfer to Les Bordes, whose 1,400-acre estate is located 100 miles south-west of Paris in the depths of the stunning Sologne Forest.

The idea for Les Bordes was first conceived by Baron Marcel Bich, co-founder of the Bic company, who made his millions from ballpoint pens, cigarette lighters and razors. Bich, an Italianborn Frenchman, was joined in the enterprise by Japanese businessman Yoshiaki Sakurai, with both men married to the idea of creating a private club where they could invite their family, friends and fellow wealthy business types to enjoy a bit of luxury in total privacy.

The original plan was to build two golf courses on the estate, but Baron Bich was so delighted with the Old Course, which opened in 1987 and was designed by Robert Von Hagge, that plans for the second course were shelved. Bich died in 1994, leaving the club in the ownership of Mr Sakurai, before he too died in 2008, and it was sold on. It was later sold on again in 2018 to RoundShield Partners, a London-based private investment firm, who are now the current owners.

The latest landlords wasted no time in drawing

■ THE NEW CLUBHOUSE BAR & LOUNCE

■ THE ESTATE HAS A NUMBER OF LUXURY PRIVATE VILLAS FOR MEMBERS TO STAY IN

COURSE REVIEW | WINTER 2022

[17]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ LES BORDES' NEW COURSE IS REMINISCIENT OF SURREY'S FINEST HEATHLAND TRACKS

up plans to invest in the estate, with one of the first considerations being the construction of a second 18-hole layout to complement the Old Course.

American architect Gil Hanse, among whose most notable projects include Castle Stuart in Scotland, the Black Course at Streamsong Resort in Florida, and the course that hosted the 2016 Olympic golf tournament in Rio, was brought in to the design the New Course, as well as an additional 10-hole short course which goes by the fabulous name of ‘The Wild Piglet’.

But before we could tackle Hanse’s handiwork, we had the small matter of taking on the challenge of the Old Course. So, after an excellent lunch in the stylish clubhouse, and a warm-up on the magnificent Tour-standard practice facilities, we nervously headed off to the first tee of Von Hagge’s masterpiece, which holds a reputation for chewing through a golfer’s credibility as fast as it does their stock of golf balls. There is a board displaying the names of everyone who has ever broken 80 on the course. There aren’t many names on it and most of them have played top class professional or amateur golf.

The early holes provide a pretty clear indication of what lies ahead here, with the opening hole serving up an island green ringed by a massive waste bunker, followed by two narrow long holes and the first of the eye-catching par threes, the 4th, with its small target pressed up against a pond.

The back nine has more water than the front and probably shades it a little in terms of excitement, with memorable holes including the beautiful par-three 13th and the two-shot 17th, which bends through the ancient birch forest. Also noteworthy is the typically bruising closing hole, which features a long, all-carry approach across water and into a shallow green with a steep step.

That I came off the course having lost just three balls, while some of my partners had to fully replenish their supplies before embarking on their next round, is worth mentioning in dispatches, but, needless to say, the Old Course is as tough as I was led to believe, perhaps more so, and I came away with new-found appreciation for the talents of Jean Van de Velde, who apparently holds the course record of one under par.

In need a bit of R&R after the trials of the Old Course, we enjoyed a superb dinner in the clubhouse after which we retired to the welcome comfort of our luxury lodgings for the night, the newly-renovated member cottages. Kitted out by the same design company that did the interiors for Soho House, a private members’ club which has

HANSE HAS CRAFTED AN OUTSTANDING COURSE THAT FEELS LIKE IT WAS SHAPED BY THE ELEMENTS RATHER THAN A DIGGER

outposts in Oxfordshire, Los Angeles and Berlin, they were every bit as comfortable as you’d expect at a five-star hotel.

The following morning, after a late breakfast and another trip to the driving range in a desperate bid to sharpen up my skills, I headed for the first tee of the New Course to see what Mr Hanse had conjured up. Where water features prominently on 11 of the Old Course’s 18 holes, the New’s defences are characterised by deep pot bunkers and the overall feel is more English heathland compared to the Old Course’s American lakeland style. Featuring large bunkers, subtle elevation changes and vast green complexes, the layout measures 7,211 yards from the back tees. While there is generally plenty of room off the tee, the big test for many will come on the greens, where sweeping contours punish anything that does not hit the right part of the putting surfaces. And while the generosity of the fairways allows the driver to be used, it will need to be hit hard if you’re to make a dent in the yardage on some of the longer holes.

That’s certainly the case at the second hole.

■ THE OLD COURSE HAS A FLORIDA-STYLE DESIGN WITH WATER FEATURING ON 11 OF THE 18 HOLES

Measuring a stamina-sapping 580 yards from the tips, this snaking par five asks you to find a fairway guarded by bunkers left and right before making a sharp left-hand turn uphill for the lay up, and firing at an intimidating green that runs away from the player, with a steep run-off for pulled shots and a couple of bunkers down the right for players who fan their approach. It’s championship golf of the highest order.

There’s no let up at the par-4 5th – the hardest hole on the card – which measures a brutal 499 yards from the white tees, while the layout’s eclectic nature comes to the fore two holes later with a dinky 126-yard par three. What the hole lacks in length it more than makes up for in the fiddly nature of the green, with anything hit long running off the back, leaving a very difficult up-and-down for par.

The back nine is far more tree-lined and, as such, more demanding from the tee, while a number of deep bunkers serve to keep you honest on your approaches to the greens. It’s also where the drama really steps up a gear, with the stretch of holes from 13 to 17 being the strongest part of the course – deftly bringing out the best of the topography’s natural features.

The driveable par-four 15th, with a cavernous bunker front and centre just 50 yards short of a narrow green that slopes off on both sides, is notable for its fun as much as its strategy. It all sets up for a grandstand finish with the closing hole, a stunning par five where water comes into play if you chose to take on the green in two.

There’s no doubt that Hanse has done a brilliant job here, carefully sewing together the lumps and bumps of the natural terrain to craft an outstanding course that feels like it was shaped by the elements rather than a digger.

The previously mentioned Wild Piglet course is a condensed version of the New – with all the same strategic challenges in miniature. None of the ten holes measures more than 150 yards, but good things often come in small packages and that’s certainly the case with this delightful little course.

Golfing challenges ticked off, the new-look Les Bordes is very much a country sporting estate, with the owners having introduced a host of new facilities, including a swimming lake with a white sandy beach, enhanced equestrian facilities, boating lakes, archery, fishing, cycle and electric quad paths and a new tennis centre. Children are catered for, with a go-karting track and a zipline being just some of the activities on offer for kids big and small.

Les Bordes has also announced that the château the Bichs stayed in during their visits will soon be transformed into a Six Senses resort. Expected to open in 2024, the building will include a restaurant, bar and spa facilities, with branded suites and villas hiding among the woodland around the property.

Phase one of its Cour du Baron development project will see a number of properties built throughout the estate to offer members a more permanent ‘home away from home’ when they are visiting to play the course. As part of the ownership, members will be able to offer their home back to the club to rent out when the property is vacant, should they so wish.

With just 200 members currently on the books, and no visitor play allowed except as a member’s guest, Les Bordes offers golf at its unashamedly most exclusive, but if you ever get the chance to go, clear the diary and make the pilgrimage. You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll have some envyinducing stories to tell your friends for many years to come.

For more details about Les Bordes, go to lesbordes.com. Matt flew from Farnborough to Orleans with Jetfly, the leader in fractional ownership of private jets in Europe for both business and private aviation, with a fleet of 50 Pilatus aircraft that can land at international airports and local airfields. For more details, visit jetfly.com.

[18] WINTER 2022 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Golf Points Index A WORTHY OPTION TO STABLEFORD AND NEW WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEMS

H

ave you ever started a round with a double double and come to the realization that your hopes of a good round, let alone great round, were slowly going down the drain? Ron Zevy, President and founder of new scoring and handicap system Golf Points Index ( GPI), has.

Too many times to count. So he decided to do something about it. Did you ever want to find a fun, non intimidating way to track your progress and allow you to compete with friends on a level playing field? GPI does that too.

Golf Points Index is a scoring and handicap system which uses points earned on each hole in relation to par in order to keep score and track progress. With GPI, a double bogey is ½ point, a bogey is 1 point, a par is 3 points, a birdie is 5 points, and an eagle is 8. All other results are scored as a 0. Your GPI handicap is your average 9 hole point total.

Players can enter their scores in the free

www.golfpointsindex.com website and the system calculates their GPI. One of the advantages of the GPI system is that it allows golfers to play as many or as few holes as they want and still enter a score towards their handicap. GPI also gives the millions of recreational golfers not on GHIN a free way to establish a handicap, benchmark and track their progress.While the system can be used by golfers of all levels, it is geared towards mid and high handicappers Zevy admits that the genesis for developing GPI was his frustration with the current strokes based scoring system where blow up holes early or late can ruin a round But in searching for a points based system, he found the venerable Stableford system to be wanting. “The linear points make no sense. How can a birdie, which is much more difficult to get than a par, only be worth one point more?” he argues. “ That system does not weigh the results equitably.” And the modified

stableford, played by the professionals, is not geared towards amateurs at all “ zero points for a par is a non- starter for recreational golfers.”

The other advantage GPI has over Stableford, in addition to more equitable point distribution, is that it comes with its own handicap system which is free and does not require club membership.

The GPI website calculates your 9 hole point average and allows you to compete with friends on a level playing field. It even calculates your handicap for individual courses and tee boxes.

Zevy goes on to say “Golfers want a way to track their progress which is encouraging, fun and engaging. I am obviously biased but I think GPI, by equitably rewarding golfers for good holes and not unfairly punishing them for bad, does a much better job of doing that.“ For more information about GPI, visit www.golfpointsindex.com or e-mail info@golfpointsindex.com.

FEATURE | WINTER 2022

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Frilford finale sorts out BB&O Future Tour honours The 2012 BBO& Futures Tour finished with a flourish at Frilford Heath on October 27, when 60 boys battled it out of the season’s final Order of Merit points.

It was close in the U12s, with Josh Waldegrave (Gerrards Cross) shooting an 83 to finish second on the day and pip Sander Andreasen (Maidenhead) by just one point to the Order of Merit title after Sander shot an 84. Jakob Payne (Bicester) fired an 80 to win the U12 event.

Ollie Kelloway (Woburn) shot 77 to lead

the way in the U14’s gross event, three shots ahead of Harvey Cooper (Huntercombe). Daniel Butteriss (Beaconsfield) held an unassailable lead in the Order of Merit race and he finished ahead of Alfie Burt (Wexham Park) after the pair finished fourth and fifth respectively at Frilford Heath.

The U16’s Order of Merit was tight going into the final event, with Simon Mead (Newbury & Crookham) leading the way, with Connor Jacob (Goring & Streatley) close behind. Connor had a good round of 73 which unfortunately was not enough to lift the trophy finishing fourhth (third in the Order of Merit). Ed Davis (Studley Wood) had a superb round of 70 (-2) which resulted in him climbing the Order of Merit leaderboard and finishing three points ahead of Mead to secure the trophy. Davis won the U16 gross prize after finishing three shots ahead of Drew Rolfe (Calcot Park) and Toby Pressey (Castle Royle).

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SURREYNATIONAL NATIONALGOLF GOLFCLUB CLUB SURREY

■ WESTERHAM GOLF CLUB

Altonwood continues course improvement programme The owners of five golf courses in the southeast have pledged to continue its on-going improvement of its venues with the unveiling of the latest investment plans to be carried out over the autumn and winter months.

The Altonwood Group operates five popular golf clubs in the Surrey/Kent region – The Addington in Croydon, Westerham Golf Club in Kent, and three Surrey-based venues at Woldingham, Surrey National and Godstone.

As part of the five-year plan to update and improve the quintet of clubs, major works are

■ NEW TEES AT WESTERHAM

to carried out Westerham and Woldingham this winter. The construction of four new and enlarged teeing grounds will be one of the first jobs undertaken at Westerham, while a woodland management programme, similar to that recently carried out The Addington, will improve the playability of the holes on the 6,329yard layout and create more ascetically pleasing tree lines.

The Woldingham will also benefit from three new teeing grounds, while a remodelling of the approaches and green surrounds on holes 8, 9 and 18 will also serve to improve playing conditions.

Surrey National is to undergo to bunker remodelling programme, while there will also be some woodland management to improve views from the tees and approaches to greens.

The works are being carried out by club staff working alongside course architect and PGA Master Professional Alan Walker and tree works

by John Nicholson Associates.

SURREY NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

WOLDINGHAM GOLF CLUB

WOLDINGHAM GOLF CLUB

To book the club of your choice book the club of your choice email:To mitch.dowling@altonwoodgroup.co.uk email: mitch.dowling@altonwoodgroup.co.uk or call: 01883 740226 WOLDINGHAM GOLF CLUB or call: 01883 740226 www.altonwoodgroup.co.uk

To www.altonwoodgroup.co.uk book the club of your choice email: mitch.dowling@altonwoodgroup.co.uk

[20] WINTER 2022 | INTERVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TOMMY TALKS After making his professional debut in 2010, Tommy Fleetwood has been a permanent fixture in the world’s top events over the last decade. Still only 30, the proud Lancastrian is confident that he has the game and the mentality to add to his winning tally and bag that elusive major title

INTERVIEW | WINTER 2022

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How would you some up your performances in 2021 and where you are in the game right now?

It’s been a tough year, no question. Your game ebbs and flows and you find form and you lose form. I think the standard of golf on tour at the moment is a joke – in a good way. I remember shooting five-under during the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth this year and moved up just two places on what was a hard golf course. I think when you aren’t playing well, it’s just getting highlighted more – courses are tough, the margins for error are getting smaller, and it’s hard to get momentum when it’s like that.

I’m happy that I started to play well again towards the end of the season, but the honest answer is that I simply haven’t managed to string four good rounds together in the same week. I was almost there at the Italian Open in September, where I put in three-and-a-half decent rounds and finished second, and I had a couple of top-10 finishes last month, but you’ve got to do it over 72 holes to stand any chance of winning or being in contention these days. Being up there and hitting shots under pressure was great, but I just need to be up there more often.

At the end of the day, for what’s been a bit of a struggle of a year, I played well in The Open, I played in the Olympics, and I earned an automatic place in the Ryder Cup team, so it wasn’t all bad. Having said that, my world ranking has slipped this year and I need to get that back up to ensure I’m in all the big events next season.

It was obviously disappointing to be on the receiving end of such a heavy defeat in the Ryder Cup, but from a personal viewpoint was it frustrating not to be involved in more matches?

Of course I would have loved to have played in every match, but I also I felt like I could do a good job in the fourballs. I thought the pairings that Padraig put out in all formats were great. We had 12 amazing players. We had good strength in depth, so it was not surprising that Padraig didn’t ask me to play five matches.

I would have loved to have done better in the fourballs, and I think the foursomes pairings that went out were right, and they were really good.

We weren’t that far away in each match, but, as you say, we ended up on the receiving end of a heavy defeat. It seemed like all the crucial moments went against us. They holed a lot more putts than we did and that made the difference.

We really didn’t perform as badly as a team as the final score suggests, but still getting thumped really hurt us and it brought us very close together, and I think motivated us all to hopefully come back in two years’ time and win it back in Rome.

Given the strength in depth of the young Americans currently on tour, there has been some talk about how the US college system is creating a stronger pathway into professional golf than the route that many European players are experiencing coming through the amateur ranks. Was going over to the US college system ever an option for you or something you looked at?

I obviously thought about it, because you get to that age where you do think about it, but at the same time, I enjoyed my time playing amateur golf for England and got to travel alot and experience lots of different places. When I turned pro, I was in a situation where I needed to start earning money for my family, so I turned pro at 19 and that was it. I was on my way.

But I’m really interested in the US college system. I think it produces a lot of amazing players and it is clearly a successful system. I think England Golf, or the English Golf Union, as

it was when I was an amateur, have put together a fantastic system, and we produce good players as well.

Both are good options, and both put you in a strong, competitive environment, and it’s what you then do with that information, and what you take from it, that move you forward, really. There are always going to be talented players either side who come through, but right now the US system is certainly producing some very talented young players. But like everything, it goes in cycles.

always stay the same until I stop playing.

You finished second behind Shane Lowry in The Open at Portrush in 2019. Does that seem like a lifetime ago now, and what did you learn from that week? Did you see it as a failure not to come away with the jug?

I didn’t see it as failure, but I was certainly very disappointed. I think using the word ‘failure’ can sometimes sound a bit harsh. Finishing runnerup at the Open equalled my best-ever finish in a major. It also depends on how you finish second, as well. It wasn’t like I was three shots clear and threw it away. Elite sport is all about small margins, and you win some and you lose some.

I guess it’s how you bounce back from those disappointments that counts.

■ FLEETWOOD PLAYING IN THE OPEN AT HOYLAKE IN 2014 – A VENUE HE WILL RETURN TO IN 2023

Judging by some of your best performances, are you at your most comfortable on a links layout?

Yes, links golf is something I feel very comfortable with. I grew up in a links town, and although I wasn’t like a member of one of the links courses, I’ve played on it a lot. When I’m at home I will go

WE DIDN'T PERFORM AS BADLY AS THE FINAL SCORE SUGGESTS, BUT GETTING THUMPED REALLY HURT, AND WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT HARD TO WIN IT BACK and play Hillside quite a bit with my dad, things like that, so links golf is more part of whom I am as a golfer that a lot of other players. It takes a different kind of preparation, but as soon as I’m a links course I feel pretty comfortable with what is needed.

Did you miss playing in front of crowds when Covid restrictions didn’t allow fans in? Are you the type of personality that needs to feed off the energy of the galleries?

No, I don’t think so. I wouldn’t say I’m a show-off in any way, but I think what I do is I love the game, and I love trying to get better, and I want to get the most out of myself. If the crowds are there or not, I’m still trying to do the same things.

I do agree that there are definitely certain times, certain moments, where crowds bring the best out in sportsmen and women, but there are probably some that benefit from there being no crowds, as well.

In particular, if you look at a major championship and the added element of you’re not just controlling your emotions, you’re controlling what’s happening with the crowd and their energy, as well, listening to cheers going on, whether it’s you or whether it’s somebody else, listening to groans. There’s a lot of added elements, so it does bring a different skill set when there are thousands of people watching.

Personally, the only one I like to be in control of my game is me. So, whether there’s one person watching, no people, or 60,000, I’m just trying to be as good as I can possibly be, and that will

■ A DEJECTEDLOOKING FLEETWOOD REFLECTS WITH HIS TEAMMATES ON EUROPE'S HEAVY DEFEAT AT THIS YEAR'S RYDER CUP

The Open returns to Hoylake in 2023. Could that be a good opportunity to become the first English winner of an Open on English soil since Tony Jacklin's victory at Lytham in 1969?

Yeah, I think it’s just an amazing opportunity. The Open at Hoylake is very special. I’ve said it many times. For me personally there’s three Opens: there’s Birkdale, there’s Hoylake, there’s Royal Lytham. They’re all within 30-40 minutes of where I grew up. People go their whole lives without playing any kind of event that close to home, and there’s three chances there of the biggest event in the world being that close for me.

It’s very special for me, and I completely see it as opportunity. It’s nerve-racking, yeah. It’s like a different element to the event, but I love it, I really do. I consider myself very lucky that I get to play this tournament as one of the home favourites and to get the support that I do, and I always look forward to it.

You’ve won all over the world, but you haven’t won on the PGA Tour yet. Is that something you’re keen to tick off the bucket list?

Yeah, thanks for reminding me! I think any European player would be lying if they said winning in America wasn’t the next step for them in their career, and I’m no different. I haven’t done it. In the grand scheme of things, winning in America is something that I need to do.

I’ve had chances and sometimes somebody’s played better than me, and there’s been times when I’ve hit the wrong shot at the wrong time.

It is what it is, but I think at the present moment I am pretty happy with where my game is trending and I like the work that I’m doing, so hopefully things will fall into place and I’ll get over that hurdle one day.

[22] WINTER 2022 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

STORY BEHIND THE PIC LEE ELDER • MASTERS TOURNAMENT, AUGUSTA NATIONAL • APRIL 10, 1975

I

n 1933, Cliff Roberts, co-founder of the Augusta National club in Georgia, home of the US Masters, declared that “all the golfers will be white and all the caddies will be black” for as long as he could influence the situation. He was as good as his word for the next four decades, but in the end Lee Elder forced open the doors at the 1975 Masters, where he became the first black person to play in the competition.

Elder, who died last month aged 87, had been a significant force in US golf in the late 1960s and early 70s, yet had waited in vain for an invitation to the Masters.

However, his profile reached such heights that Roberts felt he had no choice but to ring up Elder and offer him a place.

Perhaps because of the media circus that surrounded his appearance, Elder’s performance in 1975 was hardly a distinguished one – he missed the cut after two rounds and returned to Texas. But it was his presence that was important, for it meant that another racial barrier in US sport had been broken down.

Elder was the youngest of 10 children born in Dallas to Charles, a truck driver, and his wife, Almeta, both of whom had died before he reached the age of 10 – his father in action during the second world war and his mother, it was said, shortly afterwards from shock. Looked after initially by an older brother, Lee was then taken into the care of an aunt, first in Wichita Falls, Texas, and then in Los Angeles.

After a period caddying at golf clubs in California, at 16 he wound up at the Tenison club in Dallas, a municipal course also frequented by another young, poor golfing aspirant, Lee Trevino, who later remembered that the professional there, Erwin Hardwicke, was a welcoming presence to whom “your background didn’t matter”.

Hardwicke allowed Elder to practise on the course at quiet times and by his early 20s he had become good enough to make a living. Backed financially during the early 50s by a local gambler and hustler, Alvin Thomas, who went by the nickname Titanic Thompson, Elder began entering local

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tournaments for prize money while also helping Thompson to take cash from gullible participants in more informal matches. In a favourite trick, Thompson would declare that his opponent was not even good enough to beat his caddy, who just happened to be Elder, at which point the indignant golfer would accept a large bet to the contrary, only to be soundly beaten.

Eventually, in 1961, after two years of national service, Elder joined the all-black United Golfers Association, which ran parallel to the PGA Tour. He dominated for the next five years, winning four Negro National Opens and coming first in almost all of the tournaments he entered during 1966.

With the prize money he earned from those victories he was able to save the $6,500 needed to enter the 1967 qualifying school for the PGA Tour – and got through easily, gaining his tour card for 1968 at the age of 34.

Elder was an immediate success, placing 40th on the money list in his first year, winning more than $38,000. In 1971, having won the Nigerian Open, he became the first black golfer to play in the South African PGA Championship after agreeing to participate on condition that the apartheid authorities relaxed their racial segregation of spectators.

Elder's victory at the 1974 Monsanto Open in Florida, did not automatically entitle him to play in the 1975 Masters, but it did ratchet up the pressure on Roberts, who immediately phoned Elder to offer an invitation. Elder was otherwise engaged when the call arrived, and when they spoke the next day he told Roberts that he would have to think about it, later revealing that: “I just wanted to give Cliff a taste of his own medicine."

He did eventually accept, and the the largely white crowd proved to be supportive as he went around the course, but taking part in the tournament was stressful for Elder, who had received more death threats before he arrived, so it was hardly surprising that he failed to do himself justice on the course, missing the cut by three shots. He played in five further Masters, with a best place of 17th.

Elder won three more PGA Tour events between 1976 and 1978, and was picked for the US Ryder Cup team in 1979, another first for a black golfer. In 1984, after winning the Jamaica Open, he moved on to the US seniors tour, on which he won eight tournaments before retirement. Widely admired for the grace with which he tackled the obstacles put before him, in 2019 he was presented with the USGA’s highest honour, the Bob Jones award, in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship. At this year’s Masters, Elder was one of the tournament’s ceremonial openers, alongside Nicklaus and Player, although by that time he was too frail to take a shot.

2021 11 Golf News QP Winter Golf Breaks.qxp_160mm h x 120mm w 12/11/2021 10:38 Page 1

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Simmons stars at Purley Down’s President’s Prize Megan Simmons, the Trainee Assistant Professional at Purley Downs Golf Club in Surrey, is no stranger to breaking down barriers in the sport, but the 20-year-old from Bromley enjoyed another golfing first this year when she became the first female golfer to play in Purley Down’s President’s Prize in the event’s 127-year history.

Megan said: “It was a tremendous honour to be the first woman to be invited to play in the President’s Cup and sit at the top table at the post-match dinner. It was a fantastic day, and one I will always remember.”

Megan, who took up golf aged eight, enjoyed a stellar amateur career, being a member of the England Golf U18 squad, winning the Kent Schools Championship in 2018 and numerous age-group titles on the Kent County circuit before going on to gain a full scholarship to attend NorthEastern State University in Oklahoma.

Since graduating she has decided to pursue a career as a professional player and a coach and is currently in her second year of PGA training while working at an assistant at Purley Downs, where she is much in demand as a coach for all ages and skill levels.

Shifting sands at Hartsbourne Golfers at Hartsbourne Country Club in Hertfordshire are almost enjoying their occasional visits to the sand following the completion of the next phase of a major bunker restyling and renovation project at the north London venue.

Following an architectural audit of the course’s bunkers in 2019, the club began the first phase of the renovation project last autumn, with work to the ten bunkers on the eighth and ninth holes, while two more bunkers were added to the second hole.

Phases two and three, which were completed in March this year, involved renovating three bunkers on the third hole and the remaining 20 bunkers on the front nine.

Members were given the summer to experience the new-look traps and give their feedback on

The World Golf Teachers Federation

England Golf launches voucher scheme for iGolf membership England Golf has launched a new gift voucher scheme for its iGolf platform, which will enable people to join the new subscription service, which provides those who are not members of a golf club members with an official handicap, for free for a year.

The voucher costs £40, which is the price of iGolf’s annual membership, which gives players access to an official handicap and one year’s personal liability insurance.

All controlled through the My EG app, iGolf subscribers are able to calculate their course handicap, input scores and view their playing records throughout the 12-month duration of the subscription. iGolf has enjoyed a positive response since launching in July, with over 40,000 golfers having

the changes, which, according to course manager Simon Watkins, were overwhelmingly positive, while the design of the bunkers means they require less maintenance.

He said: “For many years, our regular bunker preparation work was intensive, but I now have clear evidence that the new EcoBunkers only require the attention of one man whereas previously we needed four men to deliver the same quality. The saving in man hours has been incredible, while our members are really noticing the difference in the speed at which they drain and the overall quality of the surfaces.”

The final phase of the project, which began in October, will the see remaining bunkers on the back nine completed in readiness for the beginning of the new season early next year.

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Richard Flint, England Golf’s chief operating officer, said: “Since launching we’ve had an overwhelming response to the iGolf platform by the independent golfer community. It is encouraging to see the thousands of non-club members who have already subscribed to iGolf and are making the most of the platform. With the new iGolf Vouchers launching in time for Christmas, it provides a great gift opportunity for more non-club members to start enjoying iGolf too.”

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[24] WINTER 2022 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

LOOKING TO BO • D E TA I L E D D E S C R I P T I O N O N E A C H C LU B • T H E L AT E S T PA C K A G E S • G R E AT I M A G E R Y • V I D E O F O O TA G E ( O N S E L E C T E D C LU B S ) • EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW

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InBrief CIGANDA ENJOYS HOME WIN AT SPANISH OPEN

TOURNEWS

★ Spain’s Carlota Ciganda won the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España by four shots after shooting a closing 67 at Los Naranjos. The Solheim Cup star captured the Ladies European Tour’s final tournament of the year with a 15-under-par total and in doing so became only the second Spanish woman to win the national championship. It was Ciganda’s fifth LET career victory her first since the Mediterranean Ladies Open in 2019.

LAWRENCE WINS JOBURG OPEN AS NEW COVID VARIANT CURTAILS SOUTH AFRICAN SWING ★ South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence became the first winner of the DP World Tour era after the Joburg Open was reduced to 36 holes due to the outbreak of a new variant of Covid-19 in South Africa. An opening pair of 65s at Randpark Golf Club saw Thriston secure a four-shot lead before a combination of bad weather, and the mass exodus of European players looking to leave South Africa before quarantine restrictions kicked in, resulted in the tournament being cut short.

The following week’s South African Open in Sun City went ahead and was won by South African Daniel van Tonder from a field almost entirely populated by players from the host nation, but the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which was due to be held at Leopard Creek from December 2-5, was cancelled.

KOEPKA KO’S DECHAMBEAU IN ONE-SIDED MATCH ★ The much-hyped made-for-tv match between feuding rivals Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau failed to live its billing as a contest with Koepka running out an easy winner of the 12-hole showdown. Four-time major winner Koepka needed just nine holes to take down his fellow US Ryder Cup teammate, winning 4&3 at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, with DeChambeau failing to win a single hole. Speaking after the match, which saw a percentage of the proceeds given to charity, Koepka said: “I’m not going to lie, I just wanted to spank him. There is respect there, but at the same time it was fun to come out here and settle this.”

MORIKAWA SECURES DUBAI DOUBLE AND A PLACE IN EUROPEAN TOUR HISTORY Collin Morikawa became the first American to win the European Tour’s money list after securing a three-stroke victory at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

A truly stunning 2021 season for the 24-year-old, which yielded a maiden World Golf Championship title, victory at the Open Championship at Royal St George’s, and a winning debut in the Ryder Cup, was given a fairy-tale ending at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Fire Course.

Morikawa had to be patient in the final round as he picked up only one shot on the front nine. But his round went into overdrive from the 12th, when a birdie three kicked off an incredible run of five birdies in the final seven holes.

With the Californian piling the pressure on third round leader Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman suffered a stroke of bad

luck at the 15th, with his approach hitting the pin and rebounding into a greenside bunker, resulting in the first of three bogeys coming home for the two-time Race to Dubai champion.

Morikawa drained a lengthy birdie putt for a two at the 17th, before coming within inches of a closing eagle at the 18th hole. A tap-in birdie, however, was enough for a sixunder 66 and a 17 under total, bookending a week which began with his receiving Honorary Membership of the European Tour.

Speaking about becoming the first US player to win the European money list, Morikawa said: “It’s very special and an honour. To be the first American to do that, to put my name against so many greats is very special. To have this chance, and to close it out with a win in the DP World Tour Championship – what a great way to finish the year.”

EUROPEAN TOUR RE-BRANDED AS DP WORLD TOUR The European Tour has been renamed the DP World Tour from the start of 2022 season and will feature a total prize fund of more than £147m.

DP World is a Dubai-based global logistics company that has sponsored the European Tour’s end of season tournament, the DP World Tour Championship, since 2009, the same year that the Order of Merit was replaced by the Race to Dubai.

The re-branded tour’s schedule of tournaments for the 2022 season, which began in South Africa at the end of November, will feature 47 tournaments in 27 countries, including new events in the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Africa and Belgium. For the first time, three events will be co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour, including the Scottish Open and two tournaments based in the US. “This announcement will herald a new era in global golf,” said European Tour

chief Keith Pelley. “The entire ecosystem of our Tour will be strengthened because of this deal. That was essential to us and to DP World, who have been an incredible supporter of our Tour, as well as golf more widely, from grassroots through to the elite professional game. The DP World Tour is, therefore, a natural evolution of our decade-long partnership, and the presence of ‘World’ in our new title better reflects our global reach.”

All events solely sanctioned by the DP World Tour will have a minimum prize fund of $2m (£1.47m), while the three events co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour are part of the strategic alliance signed between the organisations last year.

In other changes to the schedule, the Rolex Series will expand from four tournaments to five, while the seasonending DP World Tour Championship will be the first regular European Tour event to feature a prize fund of $10m (£7.35m).

WOODS REVEALS ‘TOUGH ROAD’ TO RECOVERY AND RULES OUT RETURN TO ‘FULL-TIME’ TOUR GOLF Tiger Woods has ruled out a full-time return to professional golf but says he is still intent on playing tour events as he continues his recovery from a lifethreatening car accident.

Woods spoke of his progress and remaining ambitions in the sport one week after posting a short clip on his official Twitter account showing him hitting balls on a practice range.

The 45-year-old required surgery on open fractures to his lower right leg and further injuries to his foot and ankle following the single-vehicle accident in February and said at one point he feared his leg could be amputated.

Woods had completed a remarkable recovery from back surgery to win his 15th major title at the Masters in 2019, but effectively dismissed the possibility of a repeat, saying: “I don’t have to compete and play against the best players in the world to have a great life. After my back fusion, I had to climb Mount Everest one more time.

I had to do it, and I did.

“This time around, I don’t think I’ll have the body to climb Mount Everest and that’s OK. I can still participate in the game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, click off a tournament here or there. But as far as climbing the mountain again and getting all the way to the top, I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation of me.

“I think something that is realistic is playing the tour one day - never full-time, ever again - but pick and choose, just like Ben Hogan did. Pick and choose a few events a year and play around that.

“You practice around that, and you gear yourself up for that. I think that’s how I’m going to have to play it from now on. It’s an unfortunate reality, but it’s my reality. And I understand it, and I accept it".

He added: "It’s been a hell of a road, it’s been a long one and a sore one, but I’m making some really positive strides. I’ve had some really tough days and some setbacks here and there, but overall everything is progressing nicely. I just wish I could do everything that I used to do but I’m not quite there yet.I have so much more muscle development and nerve development that I have to do in my leg. At the same time, I’ve had five back operations. So as the leg gets stronger, sometimes the back may act up it’s a tough road.”

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PETTERSEN TO CAPTAIN 2023 SOLHEIM CUP TEAM Suzann Pettersen has been named as European captain for the next Solheim Cup, which is being held Finca Cortesín in Spain from September 22-24, 2023.

The 40-year-old two-time Major champion from Norway has represented Europe nine times as a player between 2002 and 2019, and twice as a vice-captain. She has been on the winning side five times, including the past two victories at Gleneagles in 2019 and at Inverness Club in 2021.

“I am thrilled to be named Solheim Cup captain. This is the biggest honour of my career,” Pettersen said. “My best golfing memories are from the Solheim Cup. You are out there with your teammates and you all work for one goal. I have played with and under many wonderful captains since I made my debut 19 years ago. Every Solheim has been special in its own way. You make friendships for life and memories you’ll never forget. Every captain is different and brings their unique skills to the table. I am very much looking forward to bringing my experience to the role and working hard over the next 22 months to defend the cup on Spanish soil.”

HOT-SHOT HOVLAND RISES TO HERO WORLD CHALLENGE Viktor Hovland carded a closing 66 to win the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, as Collin Morikawa blew a five-shot lead heading into the final round.

The 24-year-old Norwegian bagged two eagles and five birdies in his six-under-par final round to finish on 18 under, one shot clear of American Scottie Scheffler, who matched Hovland’s 66.

Morikawa had led by five shots after 54 holes, but ended up on 14 under after a four-over 76 to finish tied fifth, and missed out on a chance to take the world no.1 spot from Jon Rahm.

Hovland, who won the PGA Tour’s Mayakoba Championship in November, was six shots behind Morikawa going into Sunday, but got off to a flying

HELLIGKILDE ENJOYS DOUBLE DELIGHT AT CHALLENGE TOUR’S SEASON FINALE Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde won the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings after securing his third victory of the season at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final held at T Golf & Country Club.

The 25-year-old posted a closing 72 to move to eight under par and clinch an emotional victory which saw him climb two places to the top of the rankings and become the third Dane to win the tour’s money list after Thomas Bjørn in 1995 and JB Hansen in 2018.

Helligkilde parred the last hole after a miraculous shot from under a tree to claim victory in Mallorca, one stroke ahead of Richard Gouveia, Yannik Paul and French duo Julien Brun and Frederic Lacroix, who shared

second place on seven under par after a tight final day which was full of twist and turns.

Helligkilde finished 34,337 points clear of runner-up Gouveia in the final rankings, with Santiago Tarrio third. Brun graduated in fourth, with Lacroix one place further back. Alfredo Garcia Heredia finished in sixth, while Oliver Bekker, Ewen Ferguson, Yannik Paul and Lukas Nemecz rounded out the top ten to graduate to the DP World Tour next season.

Marcel Schneider graduated in 11th, with Espen Kofstad and Chase Hanna in 12th and 13th respectively. Hugo Leon and Marcel Siem finished 14th and 15th, while Niklas Nørgaard Møller was the only man to make a final day move into the top 20, graduating in 16th place.

Germany’s Hurly Long will compete on Europe’s top tour next year after graduating in 17th, as will Andrew Wilson, who birdied four of the last five holes to climb back inside the top 20. Scotland’s Craig Howie finished 19th in the money list and the final DP World Tour card went to Dutchman Daan Huizing, who finished just 2,429 points ahead of South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber.

start with consecutive birdies at holes 6, 7 and 8.

After trading birdie and a bogey at 11 and 12, his round really caught light with back-to-back eagles on 14 and 15, with the first coming courtesy of a holed bunker shot for his third eagle of the week on the 307-yard 14th hole.

“I didn’t think a win was going to be very plausible, but I know this golf course is tricky,” said Hovland, who moved up to the seventh in the world rankings following his third win of the year. “You can make a lot of birdies and make up a lot of ground, but it’s very easy to make bogeys and doubles. I knew if I put a good score up there you never know what is going to happen.”

Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton fared best of the UK contingent, finishing tied ninth on 11 under, with Matt Fitzpatrick one shot back in a share of 12th, while Rory McIlroy ended up 18th in the elite 20-player field after a closing 70 left him on six under.

TEENAGER THITIKUL TOPS LET MONEY LIST IN ROOKIE SEASON Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul clinched the Ladies European Tour’s 2021 Race to Costa del Sol rankings with two events to spare following a second-place finish at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.

In her first full season on the LET, the 18-yearold has been consistent throughout 2021, managing to secure the title with two events still remaining in the schedule and she becomes the youngest winner of the accolade, surpassing Charley Hull’s previous record. The Thai teenager has only finished outside the top ten three times in 2021 and won both the Czech Ladies Open and Swiss Ladies Open.

Thitikul, who holds the record as the youngest winner on the LET at 14 years, 4 months and 19 days, also follows in the footsteps of Dame Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda and Esther Henseleit

by winning both the Race to Costa del Sol and Rookie of the Year titles in the same season.

The four-time LET winner, who has risen from 308 to 24 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, is also the first player from her homeland to win the season-long crown and the third winner from Asia.

“It is an honour to win this year’s Race to Costa del Sol,” said Thitikul. “Last year I stayed at home because of the pandemic, and I didn’t play on Tour after February. I practiced at home and worked really hard, and I think it has paid off. It’s been a tough season, as I have had to travel without my parents, but I have been here with my manager and my caddie, and it’s been a good learning experience. I feel really grateful to be out here competing in international tournaments, given what is going in the world, and I hope I can continue to learn and improve.”

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[28] APRIL WINTER 2019 2022 | INTERVIEW | EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

COLLIN THE SHOTS With two major titles to his name, Olympic and Ryder Cup debuts banked, and recently crowned Race to Dubai champion, 24-year-old American Collin Morikawa has enjoyed a stellar start to his professional career, and he’s hungry for more success

EQUIPMENT INTERVIEW & GEAR | WINTER 2022 [29] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

No-one can prepare you for the pressure of playing in a Ryder Cup until you step onto the first tee in that first match. I was nervous, but funnily enough I wasn’t as nervous as I was when I played in the Walker Cup. I guess I’ve played in a few big events, so it was more adrenalin than nerves. Playing alongside Dustin Johnson in my first match was an amazing experience and gave me so much confidence. We got into a groove early on and didn’t really let up. It felt great to get that first point on the board.

It was a really fun week and I made a point of trying to enjoy it rather than getting too stressed about it. Of course, it’s easier when the team is playing well and you’re getting points on the board, but to come away with 3.5 points from four matches and play my part in a record win, was amazing. I can’t wait to have another go.

■ MORIKAWA CELEBRATES WINNING THE EUROPEAN TOUR'S RACE TO DUBAI POINTS LIST

n People always talk about you being a great iron player. How did you learn to be such a good ball striker?

n How does it feel to become the first American to be ranked No.1 in Europe?

It feels pretty good, to be honest. To come to Dubai for the first time and win the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai, is a special achievement. To have my name alongside some of greats of the game is a huge honour and it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

To have both of those possibilities on the table over the last six holes of the DP World Tour Championship was incredibly exciting and I’m thrilled that I was able to close it out. The way I finished, with five birdies over the last six holes, was a real adrenaline rush, especially as I hadn’t managed to get anything going on the front nine. I knew I still had a chance going into the back nine, but it needed a spark and thankfully that came at the 12th, where I made a birdie despite thinning my approach. That kind of got my momentum going and the putts started to drop from there.

I came to Dubai wanting to play well and possibly win the tournament, but there were too many other calculations to know whether I had a shot at the Race to Dubai title. I felt like my game has been in a good spot over the past few months since the Ryder Cup, but you never know how things will pan out, so I’m grateful for the way it has fallen into place.

I'VE ALWAYS SET THE BAR HIGH FOR MYSELF. THAT'S JUST HOW I AM: I JUST ALWAYS WANTS MORE

■ MORIKAWA WON THE OPEN IN JULY

n What are you going to do for an encore next year?

I’m going to set some high goals, that’s for sure, although it’s not going to be an encore as I’m only just getting started in my career. I’m going to set the bar as high as I can get it and keep going. I’m still not No.1 in the world and I still have a lot to work on in my game.

That’s just the nature of how my mind works and how I work: I just always want more.

n You’re obviously a very technically gifted player, but you seem to exude a very calm presence on the golf course. How much of a role has the mental side of game, and your ability to control your emotions, played in your success?

It’s well known that at the very top of the game the mental side plays a huge role in how we perform. That’s what so great about our sport, it places both physical and mental demands on players. A round of golf takes four or five hours, yet you’re only physically playing golf for a matter of minutes. There’s a lot of time for your mind to wander, and it’s ok to wander, but whenever you’re standing over a short you have to be focussed.

It’s the ability to switch on and switch off between shots that is important, as no-one can focus for that length of time. I like to think I’m switched on from the moment I step on to the first tee, and I’m ready to play.

n It’s hard to imagine a better year – winning the Open Championship, bagging your first World Golf Championships, playing in the Olympics and having your first taste of the Ryder Cup being a winning one.

Have you had a chance for any or all of it to sink in?

The way my head is wired, I’m always looking for what’s next, but I’m certainly going to try to enjoy this one [winning the Race to Dubai] as much as I can. It’s been a long year, and there have been lots of highs, but you don’t always get much time to dwell on them, as there’s always something coming along to focus on. But, as we come to the end of the year, hopefully I’ll have some time now to look back at this season and kind of recognise what I’ve achieved and take stock of the journey that I’ve been on.

Growing up, I played at the Chevy Chase Country Club and I used to play around the 10-hole course they had there trying to fashion shots from all sorts of lies. I wasn’t one for pounding balls off a flat mat. I remember they had a net cage for hitting practice shots, but that was pretty much the only place you could warm up to hit balls. So, I would stand off to the side and create lies with the ball above my feet, even though it was a half-inch above the ground, and I’d have one foot off.

I figured that you rarely get a flat lie on the course, so you’re always going to have to adjust and do something different. So, I think that stuck with me and helped me with the creative side of hitting different shots as my career progressed.

As far as my swing and my ball striking goes, I have a little bowed wrist, and although my clubface is still fairly square, it kind of sets up for me to hit that little baby cut which is what I’ve been known for the past few years. I just hold that, kind of turn, rotate, clear out the hips, and I’m able to hit that shot pretty consistently. I know what my shots do and I just stick with the process. Nothing has changed much since I was an amateur.

n As someone who seems interested in playing all over the world, what is your take on the current situation with growth of the Asian Tour and the potential for new global events outside of the traditional PGA Tour and European Tour set ups?

n Is getting to world No.1 your most pressing goal?

It has been a goal of mine since before I even started talking about turning professional. As I said earlier, I’ve always set my goals very high, so why wouldn’t I want to be the top-ranked golfer in the world? So far, I’ve done some good things, but it takes a lot to get to No.1 in the world. You need to be a well-rounded golfer and a wellrounded person to get there, and there’s been a lot of great players that haven’t and that just shows how tough it is. n You holed the putt that won the Ryder Cup for Team USA in September. What are your memories of the week and was what it like to make your debut?

To be honest, I haven’t read too much about it, or paid too much attention to it, as I’ve been focusing on finishing off my season as strongly as I can, so I’m probably not the right person to be talking about it.

But if you’re asking my opinion, of course I’m interested in growing opportunities for players to play globally, and for the game as a whole to grow, but as a PGA Tour player, and now, as an honorary life member of the European Tour, I already get the opportunity to play pretty much everywhere in the world, so I’m not sure that I feel like I’m missing out on playing opportunities.

I have always loved exploring the world and playing in new places, and I will continue to do that. I will certainly be looking to add a few events to my schedule in Europe, but I’ve got to find the right balance and find a schedule that works for me.

[30] WINTER 2022 | EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

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EQUIPMENT & GEAR | WINTER 2022

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THE GEAR EFFECT INSIDES THE BAGS OF RECENT WINNERS ON TOUR LUCAS HERBERT

EQUIPMENT NEWS

BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER: TaylorMade SIM2 (9°) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade SIM 3 (15°) IRONS: TaylorMade P790 UDI (2), TaylorMade P7TW (3, 4, 6-PW) WEDGES: TaylorMade MG3 (50°, 56°, 60°) PUTTER: TaylorMade Spider X Tour BALL: TaylorMade TP5

THOMAS PIETERS

PORTUGAL MASTERS DRIVER: Titleist TSi2 (10°) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade SIM Max 3 (15°), TaylorMade SIM2 Max 7 (21°) IRONS: Titleist 620CB (4), Titleist 620MB (5-9) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey SM8 (46°, 52°, 56°, 60°) PUTTER: Scotty Cameron TourType SB-2 BALL: Titleist Pro V1

SOWING THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS

VIKTOR HOVLAND

MAYAKOBA CHAMPIONSHIP & HERO WORLD CHALLENGE DRIVER: Ping G425 LST (9°) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade SIM 3 (15°) HYBRID: Ping G425 UTILITY: Titleist U505 (21°) IRONS: Ping i210 (3-PW) WEDGES: Ping Glide Forged Pro (50°, 56°), Titleist Vokey SM8 (60°) PUTTER: Ping PLD Prototype BALL: Titleist Pro V1

JOACHIM HANSEN

AVIV DUBAI CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER: Titleist TSi3 (10˚) FAIRWAY WOODS: Titleist TSi2 (15˚), Titleist TSi2 (18˚) IRONS: Titleist T100 (4), Titleist 620 CB (5-9) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey SM8 (46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 58˚) PUTTER: Scotty Cameron T-6STR BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

COLLIN MORIKAWA

DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER: TaylorMade SIM (8˚) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade SIM Titanium Rocket 3 (14˚), TaylorMade SIM2 (19˚) IRONS: TaylorMade P770 (4), TaylorMade P7MC (5-6), TaylorMade P730 (7-PW) WEDGES: TaylorMade MG2 (50˚, 60˚), Titleist Vokey SM8 (56˚) PUTTER: TaylorMade TP Juno BALL: TaylorMade TP5

JASON KOKRAK HOUSTON OPEN

DRIVER: TaylorMade SIM (8.5°) FAIRWAY WOODS: TaylorMade SIM2 3 (15°), TaylorMade SIM2 Max 7 (21°) IRONS: PXG 0311 T Gen4 (4-PW) WEDGES: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy (52°), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (56°, 60°), PUTTER: Bettinardi Studio Stock 38 BALL: Titleist Pro V1

TALOR GOOCH RSM CLASSIC

DRIVER: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond LS (9°) FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Rogue (14°) HYBRID: Callaway BB Alpha 815 (17.5°) IRONS: Callaway X-Forged ’21 (4-6), Callaway Apex MB ’21 (7-9) WEDGES: Callaway Jaws MD5 Raw (46°, 51.5°, 55.5°, 60°) PUTTER: Odyssey Tri Hot 2 Prototype BALL: Titleist Pro V1

One of the fastest growing brands in the direct-to-consumer golf ball market, Seed Golf, is opening of a new UK-based website and warehouse to better serve its customers.

Seed Golf, which was set up in 2015, is one of the fastest growing golf ball brands in Ireland, announcing recently that the company is on track to double sales again this year, and now boasts customers in 38 countries.

Setting up in the UK was the next logical step, according to Seed founder Dean Klatt. “We’ve grown very quickly over the past couple of years and it was really time to seriously look at the UK market. There’s been a lot of interest, but we’ve been fulfilling orders from our base in Ireland and that’s not the quickest or easiest way to do it. We wanted to bring the same great value for money balls and fast service to UK customers, and the best way to do that was set up a base here.”

Seed designs and develops premium performance golf balls and sells direct to consumers via the company’s website at prices significantly less than the more wellknown brands. With no retailer margins and no tour endorsements to factor in, the direct model means lower prices, with no drop off in performance. Independent reviews online show performance on par with the big brands in all the key performance categories.

Klatt said “When we started out, our aim was simple – we wanted to offer the same performance for half the price. That’s not

easy to do, but we’ve been blown away for the support for both the brand and the balls since launch. Moving to the UK was the nest step for us.”

Klatt added: “There’s plenty of competition in the golf ball market, but what sets Seed apart is simply value for money. The balls perform on par with the top brands and they’re the best value on the market. It’s a simple strategy really, and we’re looking forward to bringing that to UK golfers.”

The combination of that performance with a subscription buying option is proving more and more popular also, with over 60% of Seed customers now regular subscribers.

Seed Golf currently offers five different ball models across the SD range – SD-01 The Pro One; SD-01 The Jack; SD-02 The Pro Tour, SD-05 The Pro Soft, the SD-15 Country Mile and the SD-X1. They are all offered in traditional white, while the Pro One is also offered in yellow, while the Country Mile also comes in neon green and red.

Featuring a cast urethane cover, Pro One is designed for tour distance and tour levels of spin; The Jack offers the same performance benefits as Pro One but with a strong visual alignment aid; Pro Tour is a four-piece model that offers lower spin off the driver and more spin and control around the greens; Pro Soft is a three-piece construction with a lower compression to help golfers with lower swing speeds to generate more distance, soft feel and improved spin control, while Country Mile is a two-piece ball that boasts a low compression core and a thin Surlyn cover

for a combination of distance, durability and feel. The SD-X1, which launches this month, is described as a ‘bomber’s ball’, with a focus on low spin and out and out distance.

A subscriber pays £26 for a regular delivery of a dozen of the Pro model balls, be that every one, two or three months, or you pay £31 per dozen for a one-off, non-repeated order. The price of the Country Mile ball is £11 for 12 on subscription, or £15 as a oneoff purchase.

Klatt adds: “We’re the only company in the world that offers this service, and it’s proved to be really popular, because you can pause the subscription or alter it and change from the white to the yellow balls or a different type of ball, depending on what you need.”

The company is constantly looking to improve the performance of its balls, with a recently upgrade to the core and mantle formulations bringing about a subtle, but noticeable increase in all-round performance, with faster launch speeds, longer total carry and enhanced spin and feel.

Klatt explains: “The SD-01 (The Pro One) is our most popular seller, and feedback has been great, so we were reluctant to change it. However, the designers got together with our chemical engineers and began tweaking the formulas. In layman’s terms, we ended up increasing the size of the core, and making the mantle layer more elastic.

The urethane cover was made a little thinner also, which results in more power and feedback.”

To view Seed Golf’s entire range, including its new range of golf bags, visit www. seedgolf.com or email info@seedgolf.com.

[32] WINTER 2022 | EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PING HANDWARMER £34.99, PING.COM Winter golf is often a battle between you and your circulation. If your hands get too cold, it’s difficult to group the club properly, and without a solid grip it’s near impossible to make a good swing.

Ping has launched these new hand warmers to keep your hands warm at all times.

Fitted with a waist clip, these stay attached the entire round, ready to slip the hands out at the last minute, and back in again as soon as you’ve played your shot.

CUATER THE RINGER £170, EU.TRAVISMATHEW.COM Cuater is the new golf shoe brand from TravisMathew, bringing the signature Californian style to your feet. With damp winter fairways to contend with we thought we’d highlight the Ringer. A premium tour performance model, worn by tour staff including Jon Rahm, the shoes are fully waterproof and feature a spiked sole. Comfort is delivered through their sweet spot cushioning system that incorporates several layers of targeted foam for full round comfort.

BIG MAX L DRI LITE FEATHER £169.99, BIGMAXGOLF.COM BIG MAX’s lightest ever full-size stand bag eliminates all excess weight while retaining a host of practical features including a fullsize top, trolley-compatible base and bags of storage space. Made from waterproof fabric and zips, it boasts seven pockets including cooler and a waterproof valuables pocket., and a 7-way top. It is offered in five colour options.

PRO SHOP

YOUR GUIDE TO THE LATEST GEAR

PXG 0211 Z FULL SET £1,600, PXG.COM We’ve all seen package sets, but there’s never been one quite like this PXG box set.

Just because you’re new to the game PXG doesn’t believe that means you don’t want a premium product. Available as a 10-piece set, the 0211 Z comes with a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, hybrid irons and putter. These clubs are designed to get the ball airborne, which is what every beginner or slower swing speed golfer tends to need help with. The driver features a carbon clubhead, while the hybrid irons feature a hollow body design and a low centre of gravity to make them super easy to hit. Plus, if you buy the complete set PXG will throw in a Hellcat putter, stand bag, and a PXG cap too.

HONMA BERES BLACK £420-£500 PER CLUB, HONMAGOLF.COM The new Beres Black line-up is designed for the golfer who not only wants the best for their game but has an appreciation for the finer things in life. Designed for distance and control, the woods and irons feature an all-new L-CUP face design that increases initial ball speed as well as enlarges the sweet spot. The woods feature a Triple Sole Slot to further increase ball speed and forgiveness. Key to the club’s performance is the handrolled ARMARQ MX shafts, designed to increase speed, consistency and feel.

EQUIPMENT & GEAR | WINTER 2022

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GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

GOLF DIMPLE CHAIR £1,250, DIMPLEDESIGNED.COM The ideal addition to a golfer’s home office, games room, TV den or swing studio, the Dimple Chair makes for a stylish, comfortable, and let’s face it, fun, seating option for those who are taking a break from chasing a small white ball around a field. Made from a supple, vegan leather fabric, the diamond stitched quilted design and foam lining gives an added cushion effect, while the reinforced stainless steel five-prong stand enables 360° rotation and boasts two settings for reclined or upright sitting.

CALLAWAY APPAREL OTTOMON FLEECE II PULLOVER

ORIGINAL PENGUIN PERFORMANCE HOODIE

£70, CALLAWAYEUROPEAPPAREL.COM Designed by golfers for golfers, Callaway Apparel features Swing Tech to make it as easy as possible to swing freely whatever the conditions. Now the temperatures have dropped this ribbed fleece Ottomon pullover is just the ticket. Featuring Opti-Dri technology, it’s designed to keep you warm while wicking unwanted moisture away from the body.

£70, ORIGINALPENGUIN.CO.UK As golf fashion progresses, the hoodie is becoming more commonplace on the course. This Original Penguin Hoodie is designed for golf and is constructed from performance polyester designed to keep you warm while wicking excess moisture away. Zipper side pockets are perfect for keeping the essentials in or to keep your hands warm on the course.

OGIO ALPHA CONVOY 520S TRAVEL BAG £229, EU.OGIO.COM Ogio is known for its high-quality golf bags that have a lifestyle edge. But did you know they made an amazing range of luggage for all your travel needs? Take this Ogio Alpha Convoy 520s travel bag. Designed to maximise your carry-on space, it has a dedicated laptop pocket to make it easy to remove when in an overhead locker. Designed to be hard-wearing and fray resistant, the bag is made from durable and sustainable Cordura fabric.

CROSSFLY UNDERWEAR £24.99, CROSSFLY.COM If you’ve ever suffered from a serious bout of chafing after 18 holes on a hot summer’s day, you’ll know what a pain a pair of ill-fitting, unsupportive pants can be. Thankfully, Crossfly have launched a range of innovative underwear that not only removes all chafing, but also provides extra support where it is needed most, as well as offering easy access when the call of nature arrives. There’s lots of hidden technology inside too, with the Crossfly’s cocoon design keeping everything gently, but firmly, in separate compartments so there’s no chance of skin-onskin irritation. Made from a super soft, sustainable Modal fabric, which is both breathable and moisture wicking, CrossFly underwear is available as 6-inch boxers or 3-inch trunks in sizes S-XL in white, navy and black.

MIZUNO PRO 221 IRONS £165 PER IRON, MIZUNOGOLF.COM Blade irons are beautiful, and Mizuno blades might be the most beautiful of them all. At this point, blades aren’t going to change drastically, solid slabs of soft forged metal that feel like butter on a pure strike, but let you know about it when you miss-hit them. This Mizuno Pro 221 takes the best bits from what has come before, including the copper underlay and grain flow forged steel from the MP20, plus they’ve made the short irons much more compact for a purist’s view at address.

The new Pro Series range also includes the Pro 223 (£180) and Pro 225 irons (£200), with the former being an elite players' cavity iron, while the latter is a Hot Metal Blade design that offers a blend of power and playability. They are available for fittings now, and at retail from February 3.

[34] WINTER 2022 | EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

KOEPKA SIGNS FOR SRIXON/CLEVELAND Four-time major champion Brooks Koepka has signed a staff contract with Srixon and Cleveland and will play with a Srixon ZX5 driver, Srixon ZX7 irons, Cleveland RTX ZipCore wedges and Srixon Z-Star golf ball, and carry a Srixon staff bag.

The 31-year-old American, who made his official debut as a Srixon staff player in the head-to-head, 12-hole match against Bryson DeChambeau on November 26, which he won 4&3, began working with Srixon’s tour department earlier this year as he played the brand’s ZX7 irons throughout the 2021 season, including when winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open earlier this year.

Speaking about the new deal, Koepka said: “I’ve been a free agent with my equipment for the past few years, so it will be fun to be involved with a company on a daily basis and be able to contribute to the development of their future equipment. I put the ZX7 Irons in play in January and it is the best iron I have played on Tour.”

MOTOCADDY ADDS ‘PERFORMANCE PACKAGE’ TO GPS TROLLEY RANGE

SHOT SCOPE STUDY REVEALS POSITIVE IMPACT OF DARREN CLARKE CBD OIL ON PERFORMANCE A study carried out by automatic shot-tracking technology Shot Scope and independent research company Sports Marketing Surveys has reported the effects of taking Darren Clarke CBD oil has on golfing performance.

The study focused on the way in which the oil impacts the mental and physical aspects of golf, and how this affects on-course performance across a sample of 100 golfers who recorded their performance using a Shot Scope device.

The participants, who were spread across a wide range of ages and handicaps, consumed Darren Clarke CBD oil daily over the course of two months while continuing their typical golf routine.

Shot Scope then used its performance tracking technology to analyse tens of thousands of shots to find out what, if any, effect taking the oil had on golf performance.

Shot Scope’s data found that, on average, the 100 golfers that took part in the test improved by 1.16 shots per-round over the course of the test. It showed that over two thirds improved their scoring average, and of those golfers that did improve, saw an improvement of 2.41 shots per round.

When studying distance off the tee, data collected showed that driving distance across the 100 testers improved by more than 2%, with 71% of testers gaining on average 9.8 yards on their tee shots.

Shot Scope’s data also showed that golfers who took the oil threeputted considerably less, with testers, on average, taking 4.4 more holes between each three-putt, with 61% of golfers improving.

Those who improved their putting were three-putting every 13.1 holes pre-test, and at the end of the test they were three-putting every 23.4 holes.

Motocaddy has added some new features to its GPS-enabled M5, M5 DHC and M-TECH GPS trolleys that gives owners the opportunity to wirelessly access a range of performanceenhancing features.

The new ‘Performance Package’ includes full hole mapping of 40,000 courses directly onto the screen located on the trolley handle; detailed green view with greenside hazards and ‘drag & drop’ pin positions; scoring and statistics tracking; performance analysis through the Motocaddy GPS App; real-time course updates, notifications of software updates and ‘on-the-go’ downloads.

Harnessing the built-in cellular connectivity offered by the M5 and M-TECH models, all the Performance Packages features are available available for free for a six-month trial period, followed by an optional annual subscription package priced at £49.99.

To access the free trial, users will need to install the latest firmware update onto their trolley.

Following installation, the free trial is activated when registration has been completed on the trolley handle.

For more information, visit motocaddy.com.

EQUIPMENT & GEAR | WINTER 2022 GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

WINTER 2022 | WWW.GOLFNEWS.CO.UK/TRAVEL

ALL

E YES

ON

ALCANADA PLAYING MALLORCA'S TOP-RATED COURSE

WINTER GETAWAYS

THE LATEST GOLF BREAKS AT HOME AND ABROAD

ME & MY TRAVELS

WITH JOCKEY LEGEND SIR AP MCCOY

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[36] WINTER 2022 | TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

M A G I C A L

M A L L O R C A

A 72-hour trip to Mallorca sees Charlie and Linda Briscoe-Knight sample the exhilarating golf courses at Alcanada and Capdepera, and the chill-out vibes of the Carossa Hotel & Spa

W

■ CAPADEPERA IS PART OF A NEW COLLECTION OF COURSES BEING MARKETED AS 'MALLORCA GOLF EAST'

hile the Challenge Tour’s Race to Mallorca grand finale was staged last month at the island’s T-Golf & Country Club, there’s little doubt in my mind that they would have been better served, and perhaps more severely tested, should they have had held the season-ending tournament at Alcanada.

That’s certainly the view of the good people at Top100courses.com, which has Alcanada rated as No.1 in Mallorca and No.12 in Spain, while T-Golf, which was formerly known as Poniente, sits at 5th and ?? respectively. While the latter has been much improved by a recent redesign under new ownership, I guess the demands of professional tournament venues are much different to those of the travelling holiday golfer, so while I respect the Challenge Tour’s choice, I know which course I’d

rather play every day of the week, paid or unpaid.

Even though Alcanada only opened its gates in 2003, the venue, which is located on the far north-east of the island, arguably has easily the best atmosphere, layout, views and clubhouse of any venue on the island. This seaside gem, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, embraces undulating terrain, pine forests, Mediterranean bay views, and features a breathtaking clubhouse. If you want to play serious golf, practice to your hearts content on an academy facility that would put a tour venue in the shade, dine on a magnificent terrace, then Alcanada is for you.

The opening hole, a parfive hole could be one of the trickiest we’ve encountered anywhere. A barranca crossing just in front of the green, makes the choice of third shot interesting – and, for the Bryson’s amongst us – the second, which is a forced lay up for the holiday golfer. The second and third holes are good par fours, but maybe a little repetitive due to their similar design, while the 400-yard fifth is a strong driving hole, as is the severely testing 8th, a 450yard par four which is played slightly uphill.

The first four holes of the back nine are somewhat adjacent to each other, and although nice, can feel slightly claustrophobic, while the par-3 15th is a superb short hole that sets up nicely for a birdie if you find the right part of the putting surface. The 480-yard 16th is another cracking long par four, with seven fairway bunkers punishing anything hit remotely offline, while the 350-yard

18th is equally testing, with the slightly uphill par four featuring a nest of six bunkers all down the left side and an almost unsighted raised green nestled in a corner, with red stakes around the back.

With lush fairways and greens running consistently true, there was little to fault the conditioning, while the course benefitted from a major bunker renovation at the beginning of 2019, and that has served to enhance what was already a first-class experience, with new cart paths and a new irrigation system helping to ensure that this course remains at the top of the golfing charts as far as Mallorcan golf is concerned.

Needless to say, a glance over your scorecard, whilst supping on a superior glass of Mallorcan red wine, might reveal scores that enthrall or disappoint in equal measure. It’s a tough beast, but thoroughly enjoyable all the same. Our visit on a glorious early autumn day made everyone in our group vow to return and play again soon.

Our lodgings for the trip we at the Carossa Hotel & Spa, the island’s newest five-star resort, which is nestled in the hills near the town of Arta and provides picture postcard views towards Cala Millor and Alcudia. Once a farmhouse, with an imposing manor house, the Carossa is part of a group of five-star venues across Europe and the owners have made their Mallorcan outpost a place where one can relax, sleep, dine and generally ‘chill out’ in totally tranquility, and it is easy to see

WITH LUSH FAIRWAYS AND GREENS RUNNING CONSISTENTLY TRUE, THERE WAS LITTLE TO FAULT ALCANADA'S CONDITIONING

TRAVEL & BREAKS | WINTER 2022 GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

why it is so popular with yoga retreats and hikers, with its healing and restorative powers so much in evidence.

There are 45 suites located in block-style villas dotted around the estate, whilst a further 30 are situated within the 300-year-old Manor House.

There are also four luxury 4/5 bed private villas and three rustic fincas, all with pools. It can feel monasterial at times, but the contrast between a hectic life in the city and this tranquility has to be experienced to believe how good one feels after two or three days of massage, swimming and sunbathing. With very clement weather, the openair restaurants – one looking towards the sunrise at breakfast, the other looking to sunset at dinner. The latter, under the direction of talented chef Ramón García, serves up fresh seasonal local fare with moreish dishes such as vitello tonnato followed by fresh turbot with fennel, grapefruit and hollandaise sauce, while Carrossa’s sommelier runs a very atmospheric wine cellar, offering tastings from the local vineyards.

Whilst Alacanada is a 45-minute drive from the resort, Capdepera Golf Club is just 15 minutes away and makes for a fun secondary course to play on a short trip. A splendid clubhouse lies below the hills containing most of the back nine, and above the flat layout of the front nine. While not to the same standard as Alcanada in design or presentation, the par-72, 5,867-metre course has some very interesting holes - not least the 10th, a short par 4 which doglegs around a Martello tower and a reservoir, creating some very tricky decisions to be solved off the tee. The 12th is a tight, yet interesting par five requiring careful placement around bunkers at the shoulders of a double dogleg, while short 15th is a lovely looking hole with subtle structures offering additional putting challenges if the green is found with the approach shot. There are other courses to be found nearby at Canyamel and Son Servera, but I’d save your ammunition, and your best golf, for Alcanada, Mallorca’s shining jewel.

For details on the latest packages to the Carossa Hotel & Spa, visit carrossa.com.

For the latest green fee rates, visit golf-alcanada.com and golfcapdepera.com.

■ ALCANADA HAS JUSTIFIABLY EARNED ITS RATING AS THE NO.1 COURSE IN MALLORCA ■ BELOW: THE CAROSSA HOTEL & SPA OFFERS 5-STAR HOSPITALITY AND STUNNING SCENERY

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[38] WINTER 2022 | TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

GOLF NEWS BECOMES OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF CLUBS TO HIRE

RING IN THE NEW YEAR AT ARGENTARIO THE ARGENTARIO GOLF RESORT & SPA in the Maremma region of Tuscany is the perfect place to ring in the New Year in style whilst soaking up the magical atmosphere of one of Italy’s most luxurious five-star destinations.

After a period of limited travel, Argentario’s New Year’s Eve package gives revellers a wonderful opportunity to escape toItaly for a memorable festive break that combines delicious gastronomic Italian cuisine and the chance to enjoy a resort dedicated to tranquillity and wellness, set in acres of private grounds in a Mediterranean nature reserve and offering peaceful panoramas over the Orbetello Lagoon and Tyrrhenian Sea. For gourmands, the highlight of the four-night stay will no doubt be the tasting menu dinner on the evening of December 31 prepared by talented local chef Emiliano Lombardelli. The celebrations come to a climax with a fireworks display and a party with live music and a DJ set to ring in 2022.

For those looking to work off the culinary excesses on New Year’s Day, there is the opportunity to play the Resort’s PGA

National Golf championship course. Designed by the architect David Mezzacane, the 6,218-metre, par-71 layout is an interesting and challenging layout that features a variety of tee elevations, mostly small, undulating greens and numerous water hazards.

The course meanders through ancient cork-oak woods and olive groves on the property with stunning views over the landscape from almost every hole. And thanks to the microclimate enjoyed by the location, golf can be played all year round. Guests can also take advantage of the complimentary use of the driving range and practice facilities. The Argentario Golf Academy features practice areas, driving bays and a TrackMan simulator.

Argentario is accessed from Rome Fiumicino Airport by car in just 90 minutes, whilst Siena is an hour and 15 minutes away, and Florence a two-hour drive. Rates for a four-night stay over the feative period, based on two people sharing a double room, are from €1,970 in a Superior room.

For further information, visit www.argentariogolfresortspa.it

GOLF NEWS, THE UK’S NO.1 GOLF NEWSPAPER, has become the official Media Partner of popular golf equipment rental company Clubs to Hire.

The terms of the partnership will see print copies of Golf News placed inside hire bags, as well as stocked at Clubs to Hire’s outlets located in airports throughout the world.

Tony Judge, founder and chief executive of Clubs To Hire, said: “We have always supplied the best new golf sets to market and pride ourselves on offering great value for money, so to have a quality magazine such as Golf News available to our 50,000-plus loyal clients included in this package is something they will really appreciate.”

Clubs To Hire currently boasts 22 club rental outlets throughout Europe, including Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife, Palma, Faro, Lisbon, Dublin and Edinburgh, while Cape Town, Marrakech, Orlando and Thailand are among those located in longer-haul destinations.

Clubs to Hire has established itself as the hassle-free choice for golfers who don’t want the inconvenience and expense of taking their own clubs abroad, but still want to play with the very best equipment at a far more competitive rate than that offered at golf resorts. Offering the very latest sets from the game’s best-selling brands, including Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, PXG, Wilson and many more, golfers can take their pick from right and left-hand options in a wide variety of shaft flexes and lengths to ensure they’re ready to play their best holiday golf.

Golfers can go online at www.clubstohire.com to pre-select sets of their choice of clubs, which are then either collected from shops in airport terminals or delivered direct to hotels or golf courses for even greater convenience.

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TRAVEL & BREAKS | WINTER 2022 [39] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Sir AP MCCOY Six years after retiring from his record-breaking career as a jump jockey, 47-year-old Sir AP McCoy gets most of his sporting thrills on the golf course these days

Travel with

weather is always good, even if my golf isn’t.

■ THE MAJLIS COURSE AT THE EMIRATES GOLF CLUB IN DUBAI

I’m planning a trip to… the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s a different kind of horsepower, but it’s without doubt one of the highlights of the sporting calendar.

The worst holiday I’ve ever had… was the one enforced one I took after breaking my arm during the latter part of my riding career.

Going on a golfing holiday with your arm in a sling isn’t much fun!

My first holiday… was to Dubai, about 20 years ago. I had been given a riding suspension for a week and had nothing better to do, so I jumped on a plane.

My ideal holiday golfing partners would be… fellow former jockeys Mick Fitzgerald,

My favourite hotel… is Sandy Lane in Barbados.

The service is superb, and the golf courses are top class. It also helps that I get on quite well with one the co-owners – JP McManus, Dermot Desmond and John Magnier.

so golf is a great way of doing something active and relaxing at the same time.

I always travel with…. my mobile phone.

During my riding career I couldn’t ever be out of contact with my agent, trainers, owners, or my wife, so I had to carry it with me everywhere. I was once on holiday in Spain years ago and was told I had to be riding a horse the following day off my lowest weight, so my agent rang me to tell me stop eating immediately and get on the next plane home!

I’m less addicted to my phone now, but it’s never far away.

I am not interested in… doing nothing, sightseeing or taking part for the fun of it. I hate lying on a beach, but I also hate sightseeing,

My favourite meal… when I was

■ MCCOY WOULD HAVE TIGER IN HIS HOLIDAY FOUR BALL

riding chicken and chips with mayonnaise was a diet staple. I know it doesn’t sound very exciting, but when I was riding my weight was constant battle and I couldn’t afford the luxury of a threecourse meal, let alone a pudding. One of the things I’ve most enjoyed since retiring is not getting on the scales every day. These days I’ll eat most things.

My favourite golf course…. Is the Majlis Course at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. The

For all your travel news visit golfnews.co.uk/travel

Carl Llewelyn and John Francome. Mick thinks he’s Tiger Woods, Carl is always in the woods, and John’s probably got more money than Tiger Woods. I played a round with Tiger at the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am in Ireland back in 2010 and although I was completely starstruck, I actually played better than I normally do, as his presence, and the 100,000 people who came to watch him, made me concentrate a lot more.

Since retiring I’ve been lucky enough to play with many of the world’s top players, including Shane Lowry, Rickie Fowler and Lee Westwood, and I now know why they are professional golfers and I’m not.

My top travel tip would be…. to get someone else to organise your holidays for you and always get picked up from the airport – it takes all the stress out of finding your way around a strange place.

[40] WINTER 2022 | TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

LISBON’S REFRESHED LUXURY RESORTS READY TO WELCOME BACK UK GOLFERS

■ SHER ATON

ORIZONTE, Portugal’s leading golf management company, is rolling out the red carpet at its Lisbon-based venues to UK golfers in 2022.

World-class golf, upgraded sports and leisure facilities and one of the Portuguese capital’s most chic new hotels form the centrepiece of the enticing menu that ORIZONTE has put together to welcome golfers back, with four-night, three-round packages available from €353 per person.

The stay-and-play breaks feature golf Aroeira Golf Resort and Ribagolfe, as well as a choice of hotel and self-catering accommodation options, including the recently opened Aroeira Lisbon Hotel.

Nestled amid tranquil natural pine forest, Aroeira – 25km south of Lisbon – is rated among Europe’s top 50 golf resorts and features two 18-hole championship courses – Aroeira I, a two-time host of the Portuguese Open, and Aroeira II. Located on the stunning Aroeira estate, the

SE SIMBR A

Aroeira Lisbon Hotel provides the ultimate in chic modern design, including 68 bedrooms and suites, an outdoor pool, a spa and a choice of five bars and restaurants, and offers easy access to the many golden sandy beaches in the Costa Azul region.

Alternatively, golfers can enjoy a staycation break in one of Aroeira’s choice of villas and apartments with stay-and -play packages also including access to the resort’s refurbished swimming pool and chill-out area – the ideal place to relax and unwind after a day on the fairways.

A short drive from Aroeira, Ribagolfe boasts two of the finest layouts in the Lisbon region – Ribagolfe I and II. Both courses have also been the subject of a winter upgrade while a new hotel partner for 2021, the Four Points by Sheraton Sesimbra, offers the ideal base to play the club known as the ‘Valderrama of Portugal’.

For details, visit www.orizontegolf.com.

PLAN YOUR GOLF ESCAPE TO COSTA BLANCA THE COSTA BLANCA, which covers over 200 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline in the Alicante province of Spain, is becoming an increasingly popular golf tour destination, with a range of challenging courses and a great variety of good value and luxury golf hotels.

There is a great selection of courses to choose from, including Alicante Golf, Bonalba, La Finca, La Sella, Villaitana (Levante & Poniente), Las Ramblas and Villamartin.

The region also offers many other attractions that provide the perfect blend of culture and excellent golf. Alicante, Dénia, Altea, Calpe, Xàbia and Torrevieja are all coastal destinations with an ideal climate to play golf so that some of the Costa Blanca’s most popular courses can still be played in winter.

Further inland, nestled among beautiful landscapes, towns such as Elche, Orihuela, Guadalest and Alcoi offer a rich artistic and cultural heritage. Discover the popular fiestas and celebrations, delicious Mediterranean cuisine, art, and countless activities and events on your next golf holiday.

Whether you’re looking for five-star luxury, spa, budget options, beach or golf on-site, there is something for you in this wonderful region.

With easy access into Alicante airport, it really couldn’t be easier to make Costa Blanca the destination for your next golfing escape.

If you’d like to find out more about Golf Escapes’ range of golf holiday packages to the Costa Blanca, visit golf-escapes.com, call 01342 811777 or e-mail info@golf-escapes.com.

MARINE & LAWN UNVEILS TRIO OF RENOVATED ICONIC SCOTTISH GOLF HOTELS MARINE & LAWN HOTELS & RESORTs, a new collection of luxury hotels on the east and west coast of Scotland, is now accepting bookings for its three Scottish properties – Rusacks St Andrews in St Andrews, the Marine North Berwick in North Berwick, and the Marine Troon in Ayrshire.

Fully re-opened this autumn, Rusacks St Andrews offers 123 guest rooms, as well as a range of culinary offerings, including a traditional Scottish pub and the rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the 1st and 18th holes of the Old Course at St Andrews. The renovated property includes a 42,000 square foot expansion which houses additional guest rooms and the rooftop concept. Room-only rates start from £219.

Also just opened following extensive renovations is the

Marine North Berwick, which overlooks the historic West Links course at North Berwick Golf Club. It offers 84 guest rooms, two restaurants and bars, a spa, pool and fitness centre. Room rates begin at £189.

Joining the Marine & Lawn collection in 2022, the Marine Troon on the Ayrshire Coast is open throughout 2021, but will officially join the Marine & Lawn Collection in 2022.

Overlooking Royal Troon’s Old Course, host to nine Open Championships, the hotel boasts 89 guest rooms, two restaurants and bars, expansive meeting and event spaces and a new fitness and leisure centre with an indoor pool, squash court, sauna and steam facilities.

For bookings, visit ccmarineandlawn.com.

QHOTELS ONE-STOP BOOKING PLATFORM PROVES A HIT QHOTELS’ NEW ONLINE BOOKING PLATFORM, which enables golfers to secure tee times, accommodation and restaurant reservations in just a single booking, is proving popular with UK golfers looking for short domestic breaks.

With users able to make complete bookings in as little as two minutes, the new system is also available for use with both individual and group bookings, making it easier than ever for people to book at any of the seven golf resorts that QHotels operates nationwide – Belton Woods, Dunston Hall, Oulton Hall, Slaley Hall, Telford Hotel & Golf Resort, Forest Pines Spa & Golf Resort and Westerwood Spa & Golf Resort.

Richard Moore, group chief executive of The QHotels Group, said: “As the UK’s largest golf resort operator, we’re thrilled to have launched an online booking system that simplifies the process of securing a golf holiday at one of our resorts to just a number of clicks. We are focused on offering customers the smoothest booking experience so that they can come to one of our seven golf resorts and experience the high quality of our facilities.”

For bookings, visit www.qhotels.co.uk/golf.

■ BELTON WOODS

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Y TO GO A W Y TO GO A W

TRAVEL & BREAKS | WINTER 2022

TO

TE DH R IIV TH ET H I SOM ETWH E R E HE OEA D IR FF RED NT TO

ROAD

Winter Play & Stay from just

Golf Breaks in Brittany and Normandy If you’d like to play golf somewhere different but still close to home, then why not consider a golf break in Brittany and Normandy?

£119

With Brittany Ferries Golf you can play some fine links or beautiful parkland courses, staying at comfortable hand-picked hotels – and all an easy drive from our arrival ports in France.

Our expert Golf Desk will help to create the right break for you, looking after all the travel, hotel and tee-time arrangements so all you have to worry about is practicing your swing!

Go online to discover the full range of golf breaks.

0330 159 5418 golf.desk@brittanyferries.com brittanyferries.com/golf *Price quoted is based on 4 people sharing a standard car, cabin, 2 twin/double rooms and tee offs. Weekend travel supplements apply.

Supplements are also payable at some courses, details of which are shown in the course information our the website.

pp*

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[42] WINTER 2022 | TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

In the G425 MAX, total MOI pushes a record 10,000, largely due to a 26-gram tungsten movable weight that shifts the CG and can be secured in the Neutral, Draw or Fade setting.

SPEED GENERATOR All three driver models benefit from a proprietary T9S+ forged face that generates accelerated face flexing and helps add distance.

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