Golf Digest Middle East - January 2025

THE #1 GOLF PUBLICATION

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Team Cup exclusive with Jordan Smith

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

Dylan Frittelli to defend in Kingdom of Bahrain ‘Where To Play’ Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

DUEL DESERT IN THE

JA N UA RY 2 0 2 5 AED20 KD1.7 OR2.1 SR20 BD2.1

JON RAHM AND RORY MCILROY MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE MAJLIS

J A N U A R Y

2 0 2 5

Majlis Memories The 36th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is upon us as the regions oldest tournament returns.

Page 34

by harry grimshaw

the starter 8 Building a Legacy DLF Golf and Country Club has over 25 years of history within Indian golf. by harry grimshaw

voices 10 The Speed Era is Misunderstood Golf’s next stars are longer than ever. Is it just misunderstood? with drew powell

features

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32 Jordan’s Journey to Team Glory The Englishman has his sights set on his biggest year to date. by harry grimshaw

34 The Majlis Matchup McIlroy chasing history as Rahm looks to steal the show.

46 Lee to LIV Chinese Taipei has their first LIV golfer as “Max” claims LIV promotion spot.

by harry grimshaw

38 Harrington Hunting History Padraig is aiming for a record-breaking week in Ras Al Khaimah.

14 It’s Time to Check Your Grip The way you hold the club might be costing you a bunch of yards.

24 On The Greens Are mallets better than blades?

by david leadbetter

66 Q&A: Wedges Carry a matched set or pick and choose?

16 Make the Climb The strategic and technical keys to playing an uphill hole. by mike labauve

49 Go Low on a Fast Track How to adjust your game to a firm golf course. by eric alpenfels

18 The Archive Throwback to Payne Stewart’s timeless ball-striking tips.

and kelly mitchum

by luke kerr-dineen

56 Overlooked in Scotland The Edinburgh course hiding in plain sight.

20 Turn Your 7-iron Into a 5-iron The key is lag, and you can train for it in the gym.

by jamie kennedy

by ron kaspriske

how to play

what to play

12 Tony Finau Hit bunker shots like you are holding a baby.

23 Stay in the Groove Titleist Vokey Design SM10

by ron kaspriske

by peter morrice

by harry grimshaw

40 The Royal Treatment Dylan Frittelli returns as the comeback King. by harry grimshaw

30 Middle East Swing DP World Tour touches down in the desert to kick off the new year.

42 For the Greatest of Causes Al Noor and 100 World Legends Golf Day.

by harry grimshaw

by harry grimshaw

GOLFDIGESTME.COM

44 King of the Kingdom Joaquin Niemman with the top spot in Saudi Arabia, again!

JANUARY 2025

by mike stachura

where to play 26 Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club This overlooked championship course oozes charm. by harry grimshaw

28 Sharjah’s Hidden Gem How best to play the only course in Sharjah. by sam mclaren

the gulf club 64 Club News A gallery of just a handful of the local winners in the amateur circuit in the region.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY IMAGES

the majlis : courtesy of the club

6 A Year of Change Will 2025 finally settle things, on and off the course?

E D I T O R’S

LETTER

editor-in- chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer managing partner & group editor Ian Fairservice chief commercial officer Anthony Milne editor Harry Grimshaw art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores publisher David Burke gener al manager - production S. Sunil Kumar production manager Binu Purandaran

A year of change

T H E G O L F D I G E S T P U B L I C AT I O N S editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde senior director, business development & partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan

Will 2025 finally settle things, on and off the course?

BY HARRY GRIMSHAW

I

T’S SAFE TO SAY the 2024 season had its share of fireworks, but now the excitement turns to what is coming in 2025. There’s plenty to look forward to, with major tournaments and new storylines, definitely making it a year to keep an eye on.

While Nelly Korda, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler continued their dominance in 2024 on their respective Tours, the focus for 2025 is on the fresh challenges and rivalries that are about to take centre stage.

One of the first big talking points is the DP World Tour’s Middle East Swing, which kicks off in the second week of January with the Team Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, a warm-up to the Ryder Cup later in the year.

Luke Donald will be casting his eye on the two team captains, Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose, as they go head-to-head with their squads in the matchplay event.

The following week will see the blockbuster event of the 36th Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the Middle East’s longest-serving professional golf tournament, as Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy duel in the desert over the Majlis in the season’s opening Rolex Series tournament.

In the three weeks following, the DP World Tour continues to Ras Al Khaimah, Bahrain and Qatar, with these events becoming crucial for players looking to set the tone for the season. Strong fields are expected to battle it out in the desert. Of course, you can’t forget the 2025 LIV Golf League, which kicks off their season in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh Golf Club in February, as we creep ever closer to a deal being

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struck between the PIF, DP World Tour and PGA Tour which will hopefully see them coming together in some way.

Moving beyond the Middle East, 2025 also promises to be a major year for the Ryder Cup, with the U.S. team aiming to rebound after their tough loss to Europe in 2023. The big question will be whether Keegan Bradley can guide the Americans to victory on home soil against Luke Donald.

On the majors front, the Masters will again, as always, be the early season centrepiece of the year, commencing in April, with McIlroy chasing that elusive win. For the World Number Three, who won the 2014 Open Championship, a Masters title is the only thing standing between him and claiming all four. He has now had ten attempts at winning at Augusta National since that Royal Liverpool victory.

Nelly Korda simply took over women’s golf in 2024, racking up seven victories, including a second major title. On the golf course, Korda earned $4.4 million, but it was her off-course earnings that vaulted her into the top 10 highest-paid female athletes in the world, with Sportico estimating Korda made $10 million in endorsements!

Overall, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of shifting tides, with LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour all seeing key figures move on, making way for new faces. Watch this space!

GOLF DIGEST USA editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde gener al manager Chris Reynolds editorial director Max Adler executive editor Peter Morrice art director Bill Specht managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington pl aying editors Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson

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the starter

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Building a legacy

DLF Golf and Country Club has over 25 years of history within Indian golf

BY HARRY GRIMSHAW

D

lf golf and country club, located on the outskirts of New Delhi, is one of India’s most prestigious golfing venues.

The club’s championship course features two exceptional layouts: an 18-hole design by Gary Player and the original 9-hole course, crafted by Arnold Palmer.

The two nines on the 18-hole layout are very distinctive. The intimidating course is scattered with its renowned dramatic bunkering and is routed around two large lakes, featuring the Lakes Nine (1-9) and Quarry Nine (10-18).

Since the venue opened in 1999, DLF has hosted numerous high-profile tournaments, including the 2008 Johnnie Walker Classic, a joint then European Tour and Asian Tour event, and the 2009 Hero Honda Indian Open, part of the Asian Tour.

From 2010 to 2012, the club also served as the host venue for the Avantha Masters, a tournament co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour, and PGTI. While more recently, home to the Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour and PGTI for the past five consecutive seasons.

In addition to these, DLF Golf and Country Club has been a regular host of the Ladies European Tour, having staged seven consecutive events at the club.

Looking ahead to 2025, DLF Golf and Country Club will play a key role in the Asian Tour’s International Series, marking the series’ historic debut in India at the end of this month. The tournament, presented by DLF, headlined by home favourite Anirban Lahiri, will feature leading players from both the LIV Golf League and the Asian Tour.

This event serves as the opening tournament of the groundbreaking 2025 calendar across the Asian Tour and the International Series, highlighting the DLF Golf and Country Club’s continued work in international golf.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TRISTAN JONES

ANALYSIS

The Bomb-andGouge Era is Over Golf’s next stars are longer than ever, but this new speed generation is misunderstood

BY DREW POWELL

F

I R S T, T H E R E WA S T H E Bomb-and-Gouge era, which emerged as statistics proved the importance of driving distance. In turn, new technologies, fitness regimens and swing techniques allowed players to swing faster than ever.

Now we’ve just entered a new age in golf—the Speed-Plus era. Among the leaders of this new generation are Gordon Sargent, the former top-ranked amateur and current senior at Vanderbilt, and 6-foot-8 newly turned professional

Christo Lamprecht, both of whom register ball speeds over 190 miles per hour.

What makes this era different? For one, these leaders aren’t outliers. Nearly everyone in elite amateur golf boasts speed. What was once considered fast— say, 175 mph ball speed—is now barely average in the college ranks.

But this new generation is misunderstood. If the Bomb-and-Gouge era of the past decade was about maximising distance at whatever cost, Speed Plus players are more thoroughly informed

by statistics, which concede that while distance is the most important factor to lowering your score, it comes with diminishing returns. As it turns out, distance control and wedge play are emerging as the difference between a solid amateur and an elite tour player.

One leader in shifting this narrative is Scott Fawcett, who founded the coursemanagement system DECADE Golf and works with numerous PGA Tour pros.

Fawcett has long maintained that speed is the most important factor to lowering scores, but he acknowledges that the data shows a “speed boiling point” after which you get less benefit and would be better off working on your game in other areas, like wedge play.

“I’ve always said that about 190 to 195 mph ball speed is the maximum usable ball speed to be any good at golf,” Fawcett says. “It’s a very fine line, even at 190. The kids are right. If they’re in that 182-185 range, that’s good enough.” If players get too long, which Fawcett says

GUTTER CREDIT TK

FAST START Sargent earned his tour card while still in college through PGA Tour U.

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GUTTER CREDIT TK

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROSS PARKER/R&A VIA GETTY IMAGES. SIDEBAR: JESSE RIESER

is about 190 mph ball speed, “The shot pattern is too wide. It’s not functional on any course. The ball’s in the air too long.”

Aside from being difficult to control, the longest players also see decreased benefit when they find the fairway. Citing strokes-gained creator Mark Broadie’s book Every Shot Counts, Fawcett explains that the difference in tour scoring average from the fairway at 180 yards vs. 140 yards is .17 shots. The difference in that same 40-yard margin when you go from 120 yards to 80 yards, however, is only a tenth of a shot. “I’d rather you be 80 yards away than 120, but it’s not that big of a deal,” he says.

The Speed-Plus generation is embracing this strategy, not only because they buy into the analytics but because many of them have seen it in practice by playing PGA Tour events. One guy who has watched plenty of the best players recently is Luke Clanton, who reached No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in part by recording three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour last summer. Clanton acknowledges that while he used to train for speed, he now focuses more on precision.

“I played with Scottie [Scheffler] in a practice round at Pinehurst,” Clanton says. “On the first hole he hit this feathery pitching wedge to a front right pin, and I’m like, that’s the difference. It just shows you how the difference between amateur and pro golf is the wedges and putting.

It’s the biggest thing for sure.”

Palmer Jackson, who has been ranked as high as 36th in the WAGR, says he chose to go back to Notre Dame for a fifth season of college golf last year specifically to improve with his shorter clubs.

“What I learned over five years is that there’s a lot of guys that have speed,” Jackson says. “There are not a lot of guys that have incredible wedge play. I think that’s what separates good from great.”

Duke senior Luke Sample, a semifinalist at the 2024 British Amateur, echoes a similar sentiment. “Speed’s definitely something that’s been part of my training over the years,” he says. “It comes and goes. Recently I haven’t spent as much time working on speed and more just trying to build a strong golf swing that can hold up under pressure.”

If all this makes it seem like the next generation has had enough of the race

for speed, not so. Each of the three players mentioned is longer than most and can reach more than 180 mph of ball speed. So where does that leave those players who may not already have above-average length?

Bryan Kim, who won the 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur and competed in the 2024 U.S. Open, feels like he’s in the middle of the pack, averaging low 170s ball speed.

With that in mind, he speed trains by “loading my right side a little more.”

Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat won an Asian Tour event at 15 and is a freshman at Stanford. Having played on the Asian Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf, he sees reason to get longer.

“I don’t necessarily struggle, but I could definitely use more [speed],” Chantananuwat says. “On the Asian Tour, I’m at least average, if not above average, but when I play against the LIV guys, like Matt Wolff, he was outdriving me by 40 [yards]. That’s not OK. I’m definitely trying to build speed.”

Kim and Chantananuwat are still trying to reach the speed boiling point. “If you’re in your mid-20s and want a long career and you’re 170 ball speed, you need to find some speed quickly,” Fawcett says. But, again, even for these players, it’s not a reckless pursuit. “You have to make sure your swing is correct at all times when you’re doing it,” Chantananuwat says of speed training. “That’s the only way you can swing faster without damaging the swing.” Fawcett agrees with this approach and cites one of his clients, PGA Tour player Max Greyserman, who has picked up 10-20 yards by speed training in a way that keeps his technique intact. According to Fawcett, Greyserman hits 10 balls a few times a week as hard as he can. Then, he’ll hit two “cruiser” shots with a smooth pace.

Statistics isn’t the only factor shaping the Speed-Plus generation’s approach.

Improved college practice facilities, many of which have launch monitors, dozens of targets and the ability for players to practice with the same premium balls they use on course have all allowed players to sharpen their wedge games better than any previous generation.

All of this is what makes the SpeedPlus generation so compelling, even if to this point they have been largely mis-

It Takes Two Speed Plus players have different swings for their driver and wedges Compartmentalisation is important to become a great player. What the best driver does, technically, isn’t the same as what the best wedge player does. If you look at Tiger Woods when he first came out, he was a horrific wedge player. Then when he shortened his action and got a little wider with not as much wrist set (shown above), he really improved. As soon as you start swinging hard with a wedge, you’ve got big problems.

— Mark Blackburn, Golf Digest’s No. 1 Teacher in America BLACKBURN’S DRIVER KEYS: 1. Full wrist set in backswing 2. Higher hands at the top 3. Allow your lead heel to lift in backswing BLACKBURN’S WEDGE KEYS: 1. Lean shaft toward target at address 2. Limited wrist set in backswing 3. Stay centered, rotate torso and pelvis

understood. This is a speed-minded era, yes, but players also have a certain artificial wisdom that usually only comes after years of professional mediocrity, marred by poor wedge play. For that, they have analytics experts like Fawcett, Broadie and Lou Stagner to thank.

As one feathery Scottie Scheffler short iron dropping pin high proved to Clanton, and as the statistics confirm to others, “That’s the difference.”

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E D I T E D

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K A S P R I S K E

“My best bunker advice? Get into a nice, wide base in your setup, low handle.

Then pretend you’re rocking a baby, meaning, swing like there’s a baby in your arms. When you take the club back, you want the baby’s head (your right palm) to be facing you. Going through, you also want the head (right palm) facing you. Oh, and swing smooth. You don’t want to wake the baby!”

SAM GREENWOOD/GETTY IMAGES

–TONY FINAU

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DIY

GOLF

It’s Time to Check Your Grip The way you hold the club might be costing you a bunch of yards

BY DAVID LEADBETTER

W

ITH GOLF SEASON in its quiet period, it’s time to review how you hold the club. This might be one of the toughest adjustments to work on but necessary if you’re making this common mistake with your grip.

Take a look at this golf glove that I’ve drawn some lines on to illustrate the problem (small photo, right). Many golfers hold the club with the handle mostly in the palm of their gloved hand, across the red lines. When you hold the club predominantly in your palm, you can’t release it properly in the downswing. Not only does that make it much

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harder to square the clubface at impact, it also restricts your ability to give the shot some “pop,” because you don’t have enough energy to release at the bottom of the swing.

A telltale sign that you’re gripping the club too much in the palm is the condition of your golf glove. If it’s frayed or worn in the pad below your pinky finger, or if you tend to tear them in that spot, you need to adjust how you’re holding your clubs.

Although this might feel really strange, perhaps even weak, you should grip the club more across the fingers of your gloved hand—see the black lines

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(large photo, above). SLIDE IT OVER Get the This position gives handle yo u m u c h m o r e more in the freedom to hinge, fingers. unhinge and rehinge the club as you swing back and through.

Your hands and wrists are able to act like a lever, and the more levers you have in your swing, the more power you can generate for your shots.

—WITH RON KASPRISKE DAVID LEADBETTER is one Golf Digest’s Legends of Golf Instruction PHOTOGRAPHS BY J.D. CUBAN

THE MAKING OF AN EXTRAORDINARY LEADER THE BUILDING OF A REMARKABLE NATION

ava i l a b l e at a l l m a j o r b o o k s t o r e s a n d o n b o o k s a r a b i a . c o m

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MANAGEMENT

Make the Climb Here’s how to tame even the steepest of holes

BY MIKE LABAUVE

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THE UPHILL PAR-4, 478yard 15th hole at Bethpage Black (pictured here), site of this year’s Ryder Cup Matches, was the toughest hole relative to par in all three majors contested there. The hole almost always plays into the wind, and the final 200 yards ascends to a green 50 feet above the fairway. Not all uphill par 4s play the same, but you’ll avoid big scores on most of them if you stick to these sensible strategies.

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Adjust your stance and swing Before you play the hole, here are a few swing tips for uphill lies. The tendency is to mistakenly hang back, hoping to lift the ball into the air. To combat this, maintain pressure on the inside of your trail foot as you turn back against it, and start the downswing with a lateral bump of the hips toward the target. Aim right to compensate for the slope pulling the ball left, and swing to a forward, balanced finish.

chris condon / pga tour / getty images

COURSE

Play it like a par 5 Many uphill 4s play closer to a par 5, so treat them that way.

Hit a reliable club off the tee for position, then lay up to a comfortable distance. This makes it more likely you’ll be on in three and avoid a double bogey. Who knows, maybe you’ll stick your approach and walk away with a bonus par.

BLACK MAMBA

Bethpage’s 15th is scary, so proceed with caution.

Take more club Don’t underestimate your approach shots. Take one more club for every 15 feet of elevation change. If it’s 50 feet and there’s wind into me, I might really club up, hitting a 8-iron where I would usually pull a gap wedge.

Factor in the best miss According to statistics from Arccos Golf, the average 15-handicapper hits the green less than half the time from

100 yards to 125 yards—and that’s not factoring in an uphill target. The odds are that you’re going to miss the green, so determine where you have the best chance to get up and down and factor that into your aim. Be smart and play away from the worst-case leave.

—with dave allen MIKE LABAUVE, a Golf Digest 50 Best

Teacher, is director of LaBauve Golf at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale.

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GD

ARCHIVES

ACCESS TO HISTORY Stewart, a three-time major winner who died in a plane crash in 1999, contributed to many instruction articles for Golf Digest.

You can read all of his advice, plus tips from the likes of Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus and more legends, in the Golf Digest Archives online.

PROBLEM: Stance too wide THE FIX: Set your shoes in line

with your shoulders What made Stewart’s swing so loose and free-flowing was his ability to move his hips and body without restrictions.

When his stance got too wide, it was difficult for him to turn his hips as well as he wanted, which made his swing shorter and disrupted his tempo.

“I think the ideal stance width is narrower than most average players think,” he said. “The TAKE IT EASY outsides of your For tempo, golf shoes should hit your be about even with irons less than your max the outsides of your shoulders.” distances.

swing was one of the silkiest of Payne all time, but that doesn’t mean Stewart’s Tips it wouldn’t get funky every now and then. It’s an issue he talked about in a 1984 Golf Digest article, and his fixes for Solid are worth revisiting if you feel like your swing is out of sync.

Ball-striking PAYNE STEWART’S GOLF

Two adjustments from the late golfer will have you striping it again

BY LUKE KERR-DINEEN

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“I was doing an outing in Jamaica and it seemed a good time to work on my swing,” he said. “Two problems had crept up: My stance had become too wide, and my swing tempo was too fast.” Stewart had two smart solutions to these problems:

JANUARY 2025

distances To finish smoothing things out, Stewart scaled back his effort. “I hit my normal 4-iron 190 yards, but I practiced making a full swing and hitting the 4-iron only 150,” he said.

“Then I gradually increased the distance, 160, 170, 180, up to my normal level of 190. I was still swinging easily but going at it just a little harder at the bottom to increase distance.”

The two things worked. He won the 1983 Walt Disney World Classic, hitting all 18 greens in regulation in the second round en route to a $72,000 check.

“It was the first time I’d ever putted for 18 birdies in a round,” he said.

“My confidence kept building after that, and I won by two strokes. Good tempo tends to carry you like that.”

PGA TOUR ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

PROBLEM: Tempo too fast THE FIX: Hit full shots to shorter

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THE

CORE

Turn Your 7-iron Into a 5-iron The key is lag, and you can train for it in the gym

BY RON KASPRISKE

BOBBY CLAMPETT, THE former tour pro turned golf instructor, studied the impact conditions of golfers of various abilities and found that the swing bottom of an elite golfer is up to four inches in front of the ball. That’s why you see those carpet strips of grass flying when Scottie Scheffler (right) stripes one.

How do they do it? Their hands and lower body are in front of the ball as the clubhead strikes it, says Darin Hovis, a Golf Digest 50 Best Golf- Fitness Trainer and the owner of Par 4 Fitness in Naples, Florida. That “lagging” action, where the clubhead trails the hands and body rotation through the impact zone, can be trained in the gym, he says. Here he demonstrates two exercises that can help move your swing bottom forward.

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WIND UP, THEN LET IT LOOSE

s c h e f f l e r : dy l a n b u e l l / g e t t y i m a g e s • h o v i s : t y l e r b o a r d w ay

Winding up like you’re making a backswing and then releasing a mediumweight medicine ball, as Hovis is doing here (right), forces you to rely on mostly your body to perform the exercise. Your arms are propelled by the rotation of your hips, followed by your torso. All the while, you have to maintain a stable base with your legs or you’ll fall off balance when you throw. Subliminally, you are training the very action you need to swing so that the club trails your body rotation in the through-swing.

ROTATE DOWN AND THROUGH Aside from that massive divot Scottie is taking on the previous page, the other thing to note is that he’s in basically the same posture at impact that he was in at address. The key to a good iron shot is to keep the clubhead moving downward through the turf after impact as your body rotates toward the target.

You can work on this by harnessing an anchored band over your lead leg and mimicking golf swings, Hovis says. It should feel as if you have to resist the band from pulling you forward (above). Start slowly, but if you can swing without losing your posture, gradually increase your swing speed.

See how fast you can go without losing your balance.

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M O R R I C E

Stay in the Groove You might love that beat-up wedge in your bag, but there comes a time when the grooves get so worn that the club just doesn’t work as designed.

Titleist says that after 125 rounds, a current wedge—like this Titleist Vokey Design SM10— will spin the ball about 25 percent less and produce more than twice as much roll-out.

Another industry rule is that when your grips seem ready to be changed, it’s likely time for new wedges, too. Don’t get on the wrong side of the spin cycle.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN DENTON

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ON

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GREENS

Are Mallets Better than Blades?

Traditional lines are blurred, which gives you more options

W HEN IT COM ES TO HOW to improve your putting, the debate over whether a blade putter or a mallet is a smarter solution seems as dubious as deciding whether vanilla or chocolate is a better flavour of ice cream. (Chocolate, obviously.)

The issue really isn’t whether blades provide a simpler, more natural look at address and better feel for distance control, or whether mallets provide more built-in forgiveness and alignment features for more consistency— even at the game’s highest level. Case in point: Scottie Scheffler (next page) is a recent convert from blade to mallet.

No, it doesn’t matter whether you gravitate toward a mallet or blade. With the plethora of fitting tools and stroke analytics available to sort out how one style works better than another, the starting point in your search for a new 24

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JARED C. TILTON

BY MIKE STACHURA

putter shouldn’t be about deciding once and for all that you are a blade fan or a mallet fan. One shape will produce results that give you more confidence. The right tool for you should be dialed into your length and alignment requirements. Then, it’s a matter of understanding results (distance control, consistency of contact, truer roll, etc.), not simply leaning on the model that you’ve holed the most putts with.

There have been some long-standing thoughts about whether the blade— generally with its hosel attached in the heel, creating what’s called “toe hang”— works better with strokes that have more arc to them. Conversely, some say the mallet—generally with a more face-balanced orientation—fits strokes that are more straight back and straight through.

But because of new methods of internal weighting, mallets now can feaBEAUTY IS AS BEAUTY DOES ture toe hang and Blades have the work well with an classic looks, arc stroke. but mallets Chris Marchini, often perform director of golf better.

Today’s mallets can have more of the feel you’ve previously had only with blades while building in more features for aim and consistency. experience for Golf Galaxy and chief fitter at the Hot List, doesn’t think the differences are clear-cut anymore.

“We’re starting to look at what kind of putter works with what kind of stroke, and we’re seeing evidence that it’s not even the case most of the time that facebalanced putters work with one kind of stroke and toe-hang putters work with a different kind of stroke,” Marchini says.

There are, he says, a lot of variables in play, including how far back the centre of gravity might be on one putter versus another, and whether that internal weighting better aligns itself with a par-

ticular stroke. Nick Sherburne, founder at Club Champion where he wrote the training manual for the fitters at the company’s 143 facilities, also has seen the shift toward mallets. “Teachers and teaching aids have pushed folks away from an arcing stroke to more straightback, straight-through, which lends itself better to a mallet,” he says.

In addition, today’s mallets can have more of the feel you’ve previously had only with blades while building in more features for aim and consistency. That’s what we’ve seen with Scheffler’s switch to a mallet that helped key his run to a dominant position as World No. 1.

Scheffler’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X L-neck helped give him a similar control that he had in a blade, plus more forgiveness. The result was an 87-spot jump in rank in strokes gained putting.

Of the top 30 players in the world right now, 23 use mallet putters, including five of the top 10 and three of the top five, a fundamental shift from 20 years ago, when 17 of the top 20 players in the world preferred blades.

Is there something that has made mallets a more fashionable go-to? A look at our Hot List scoring shows a slight preference overall for mallets.

Specifically, when our players provide scores for putters, they give us a 1-5 preference for Look, Sound/Feel and Performance, where “1” is worst and “5” is best. If you look at the average Performance scores for all players for all mallets that made the Hot List, that score is slightly higher than the score for blade putters that made the list. The median Performance score for any mallet from our players’ ratings was 4.02, and the median for all blades was 3.96.

That’s not a huge advantage, but what makes it more telling is that our players were giving a significantly higher Look score to blades than they were mallets (3.88 to 3.76). In other words, our players might not have been in love with the appearance of a mallet, but they were very much smitten by the results.

Mallets may not have the jewelry-like appeal of a classic blade, but their versatility is an overwhelming benefit. If you were to make a switch, we can’t promise Scheffler-like results, but we don’t think you’d be giving up anything, either.

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where to play E D I T E D

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B Y

H A R R Y

G R I M S H A W

Designed by world-renowned architect Peter Harradine, Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club is often overlooked. Located close to both Dubai and Sharjah International airports, this 9-hole championship course, when played twice, offers a par 72 challenge that oozes a relaxed charm and a deserved break from the hustle and bustle of the UAE.

PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB

COURSE

GUIDE

Sharjah’s Hidden Gem This 9-hole championship floodlight course is just 10 minutes from the Dubai border.

BY SAM MCLAREN

O

PENED IN November 2005, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club (SGSC) is located just 10 minutes from the Dubai border and provides a 9-hole, championship-standard floodlight golf course, designed by Peter Harradine.

With its par 72 layout, it can range from anywhere between 5,576 to 7,164 yards thanks to its variety of tee boxes. Each hole has five tee options, allowing for a different experience every time you play, with some holes varying by over 150 yards, critical for a 9-hole course.

Additionally, as a fully floodlit golf course, it offers golfers with the opportunity to play at night— a popular experience that many of its members and guests regularly enjoy.

The course features wide fairways, large greens, water features, bunkers, and undulating terrain, making it a rewarding test for golfers of all levels.

With a thriving, strong and loyal core membership, members and visitors often comment on the club’s sense of community. Unlike some other clubs in the UAE, SGSC doesn’t see as many tourists, which fosters a sense of familiarity and belonging that their members value. This, along with its active event calendar—hosting two to three

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events per week—makes SGSC a popular choice as a home club. It’s one of the key reasons many choose to join.

Almost daily, first-time visitors describe it as a hidden gem, often remarking that they didn’t expect the course to be of such a high standard.

People mistakenly think SGSC is further away than it actually is. In reality, its only 20 minutes from Business Bay and 30 minutes from central Dubai—closer than most think.

The club takes great pride at being a host venue of the European Senior Tours, now Legends Tour, Sharjah Senior Masters. The tournament was the first DP World Tour, Challenge Tour, or European Senior Tour event held on a nine-hole course. Emphasising the course’s status as a true test of golf.

Nine-hole courses often face the misconception of being merely a pitch-and-putt, but anyone who has played SGSC knows that this is far from the case. Over the past two years, they’ve made several key improvements. The most notable include the introduction of a completely new fleet of golf carts, complete with GPS units that had been absent for a few years. Additionally, the have completed a full bunker renovation, replacing the old sand with a finer variety that has significantly enhanced both the visual appeal and playability of the course.

NIGHT GOLF

Offering golfers the chance to play once the sun goes down.

Sam McLaren is the Director of Golf at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

KEY HOLES 4TH / 13TH This is the most risk-reward hole on the course, ranging from 520 yards to 570 yards.

Longer hitters may take a more aggressive approach, while a tee shot or layup favouring the right side offers a slightly easier route to the green. With no bailout option, clearing the water with your approach shot is a must.

Water runs along the left side of the green, and a bunker guards the right. A bold approach will be rewarded.

8TH / 17TH

9TH / 18TH

A challenging par three that can require either a pitching wedge or rescue club, playing between 135 and 205 yards. Water tightly hugs the right side of the green, while a bunker stretches along the left. Players must navigate a narrow green with precision.

A safer play might be to aim for the bunker, but that brings its own challenge—a bunker shot with water lurking just beyond. Center of the green is the only option to overcome this tricky par three.

From an elevated tee, you›ll face a generous fairway, but with water to the right and a canopy of palm trees to the left, precision is key. The green is surrounded by water and a bunker, with its undulating surface making putting a challenge. Hitting the fairway is crucial here, with distances ranging from 435 yards from the back tees to 328 yards from the front. Choose a club that ensures you find the short grass and set yourself up for a strong approach.

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DP WORLD TOUR

2025 MIDDLE EAST SWING T

he DP World Tour kick starts the year with their usual Middle East Swing with a five tournament spin around the desert.

Commencing at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort with the Team Cup, this three-day Matchplay event, scheduled from 10 to 12 January, will feature Major champions Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose skipper their Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland teams respectively, under the guidance of Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald.

Following the opening event in Abu Dhabi, the DP World Tour will travel to the bordering emirate of Dubai for the 36th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Where Rory McIlroy will seek a record-breaking fifth Dallah trophy in the Rolex Series event at Emirates Golf Club, joined alongside Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott and a host of other top stars starting on the 16th January.

The Tour’s then continues on with the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the 23rd January at Al Hamra Golf Club, before the Bahrain Championship the following week on the 30th January at the Royal Golf Club.

The swing of events will then conclude with the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, commencing on the 6th February, hosted at Doha Golf Club.

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Team Cup ABU DHABI GOLF RESORT Abu Dhabi, UAE Jan 10-12 Defending: Team Continental Europe

Hero Dubai Desert Classic EMIRATES GOLF CLUB Dubai, UAE Jan 16-19 Prize Fund: US$9 Million (Rolex Series) Defending: Rory Mcilroy

Ras Al Khaimah Championship AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Jan 23-26 Prize Fund: US$2.5 Million Defending: Thorbjørn Olesen

Bahrain Championship ROYAL GOLF CLUB Kingdom Of Bahrain, Bahrain Jan 30 – Feb 02 Prize Fund: US$2.5 Million Defending: Dylan Frittelli

Commercial Bank Qatar Masters

RICHARD HEATHCOTE/GETTY IMAGES

DOHA GOLF CLUB Doha, Qatar Feb 06-09 Prize Fund: US$2.5 Million Defending: Rikuya Hoshino

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JORDAN’S JOURNEY TO TEAM GLORY AFTER A TOUGH 2024, THE ENGLISHMAN HAS SIGHTS SET ON HIS BIGGEST YEAR TO DATE.

BY HARRY GRIMSHAW AS THE 2024 GOLF SEASON now slips into the rearview mirror, England’s Jordan Smith will perhaps be relieved to see it behind him, having narrowly missed out on a PGA Tour card by just one spot on the final day of the 2024 Race to Dubai season.

The Bathonian is already on a mission to elevate his 2025 season and accomplish one of the game’s most prestigious goals—earning a spot on the squad for Team Europe at the 2025 Ryder Cup in September. A goal he is getting an early taste of this month, having been selected for Justin Rose’s GB&I squad in the Team Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort on the DP World Tour.

But while the road to the Ryder Cup is long, Smith’s journey has already been filled with unforgettable moments, especially here in the Middle East. Titles previously at Sokhna Golf Club in Egypt and the iconic Al Hamra Golf Course in Ras Al Khaimah hold a special place in Smith’s heart, with the latter marking the site of his Challenge Tour victory in 2016, when he topped the Order of Merit.

“I always love coming back to the UAE. I have such fond memories here,” says Smith. “It’s perfect for golf with its great weather, top-notch practice facilities, and plenty of courses to choose from. It’s just a fantastic place to be, both for work and play.”

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ROSS KINNAIRD, STUART FRANKLIN, HUNTER MARTIN/GETTY IMAGES

Another venue where Smith has gained invaluable experience is the National Course at the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, site of this year’s Team Cup. A familiar layout for the 31-year-old, Smith knows exactly what it takes to perform well here.

“It’s a great course and always plays tough,” Smith explains. “Being long off the tee and hitting a lot of fairways and greens is really important.

The people who do well here are always the best ball strikers. You need to have everything dialled in—distance, accuracy, and consistency.”

As an amateur, having represented GB&I at the Walker Cup in 2013 and England in the European Amateur Team Championship in 2014, Smith had to wait nearly a decade for his next taste of team golf at the Hero Cup in 2023. He now gets another bite at the cherry with a place in Captain Rose’s GB&I team at this month’s Team Cup in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s an honour to be picked for an event like the Team Cup and represent GB&I. I played in it last time and loved it. We had a great team room—lots of fun personalities, which made it easier to relax and enjoy the experience. But we also wanted to perform our best for each other.”

Team golf provides a welcome contrast to the solitary nature of professional golf. It’s no wonder he’s enjoyed his previous experiences, including the Hero Cup, where he got a taste of what it might be like to be a part of the European Ryder Cup squad.

“I loved the Hero Cup. We may not have won, but we came together as a team, and it gave me a small taste of what the Ryder Cup would be like,” says Smith.

“It really gave me the drive to want to make that team in the future. Being part of something like that would be amazing.”

That desire to make the Ryder Cup team is what drives Smith forward in 2025, as he eyes a place at Bethpage Black in 2025. For Smith, making the Ryder Cup team isn’t just another goal—it’s the pinnacle of his career.

“The Ryder Cup is my only goal this year,” Smith states with purpose. “It would be the best achievement of my career, by far. To play on Luke Donald’s team would be an absolute honour.

“I watched the Ryder Cup ‘Una Famiglia’ documentary, and I had goosebumps all over me,” Smith recalls. “Seeing how much it means to the European team—it’s inspiring. You can feel the passion and the history, and it only makes me want to be a part of that much more.”

While he acknowledges the challenges that come with competing in the U.S., especially with the hostile New York crowds, Smith is firm in his goal.

“It’s going to be tough—especially in America— but I’m up for the challenge,” he says. “It’s one of those environments you dream about, and if I make the team, it would be incredible.”

Jordan Smith’s journey from a young talent to being at the game’s top end, in a relatively concise span of time is nothing short of inspiring. His commitment to improving his game is always evident, along with his drive to represent in team golf.

As he prepares for the challenges that 2025 and beyond will bring, one thing is clear: Jordan Smith’s eyes are set firmly on the prize, and the Ryder Cup is the ultimate goal.

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OPPOSITE PAGE

Jordan’s pro debut in a team event, the 2023 Hero Cup TOP LEFT

A throwback to the Walker Cup in 2013 as an amateur ABOVE

Smith’s only goal this year is to make the 2025 Ryder Cup

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BY HARRY GRIMSHAW

MAJLIS MATCHUP THE

WITH MCILROY CHASING HISTORY,

RAHM WILL BE LOOKING TO STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT 34

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ory McIlroy will be hoping to kick-start 2025 with a bang by defending his title at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and aiming to make history by becoming the first-ever five-time winner of the event. With victories in 2009, 2015, 2023, and 2024, McIlroy is hoping to make it three straight wins, and there’s no doubt he’ll be hungry to add another Dallah Trophy to his collection.

But the Northern Irishman won’t have an easy ride.

Two-time Major champion Jon Rahm will be making his debut at Emirates Golf Club, and he’s coming in with plenty of momentum. Rahm, who has already made a name for himself in Dubai with three wins at the DP World Tour Championship (2017, 2019, 2022) and a Race to Dubai title in 2019, is looking to add the Hero Dubai Desert Classic to his already impressive list of accomplishments, backed-up by winning the Individual Title race on the 2024 LIV Golf League.

While McIlroy is chasing history, Rahm will be aiming to steal the spotlight and assert himself as the top dog in Dubai.

The two have been part of many thrilling battles in recent years, and with both in the spotlight for the 2025 edition of this prestigious Rolex Series event, it’s shaping up to be a rivalry worth watching.

The pair will be joined by a world-class field of contenders, including Akshay Bhatia, Tommy Fleetwood, Min Woo Lee, Robert MacIntyre and Adam Scott, all vying for a share of the US$9 million prize pool.

As McIlroy seeks his third consecutive victory and Rahm aims to make a statement, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is shaping up to be one of the most exciting chapters yet in this high-stakes rivalry.

In what is set to once again make more memorable moments at the Majlis course, we sat down with Simon Corkill,

Executive Tournament Director of Hero Dubai Desert Classic, to discuss about the biggest and grandest event in the Middle East, now in its 36th edition. simon, how big is it to have rory confirmed for the 2025 hero dubai desert classic?

It’s fantastic for us that Rory is going to play. We can’t take Rory for granted. He’s played a lot in the Middle East and played a lot in Dubai and a lot of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic’s, as you know he’s announced he’s going to reduce his schedule for 2025, so for us to get him to commit is fantastic.

He’s unbeatable pretty much around the Majlis course, which is great and that’s why he enjoys it. I think a lot of golfers will go back to golf courses that they enjoy and play well on. But he is the master of the Majlis. He certainly brings in the crowds, he’s Europe’s best player, he’s World Number Three, he’s golf’s box office hit. So we’re delighted that he’s committed to play.

WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT JON RAHM IS MAKING HIS MAIDEN APPEARANCE IN THE EVENT, what does that bring to the hero dubai desert classic?

Having a player of Jon Rahm’s calibre making his debut at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic is a tremendous boost for the tournament. Jon is not only one of the most exciting players in the world but also a two-time Major champion and former World Number One. He’s one of those handful of truly boxoffice players who adds star power to any event he tees it up

‘THIS EVENT CONTINUES TO SOLIDIFY DUBAI’S POSITION AS A GLOBAL GOLF DESTINATION’

getty images

in and we’re very fortunate that he’s expressed his desire to join what is shaping up to be an exceptional field at Emirates Golf Club this month. The duel between Rahm and Rory is one which will captivate golf fans around the world, and we can’t wait for the action to begin on January 16th.

AKSHAY BHATIA The two-time PGA Tour winner will be making his debut

let’s talk a bit about the majlis. has it got under any significant enhancements or tweaks in the last 12 months?

There are no real changes. There’s a couple of little tweaks to the second tee, just to make that hole a little bit longer. I think the rough has been grown in a bit on the second, but not a huge amount. The DP World Tour were out here back in September, Mikael Eriksson the Tournament Director and Graeme MacNiven the Deputy Director of Tour Agronomy, along with Matthew Perry at the Emirates Golf Club. They are all very happy with how it was coming through the summer. It’s obviously

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WE WANT TO IMPROVE EVERY EXPERIENCE AND EVERY TOUCHPOINT’ tough as we know in Dubai, to get the courses through the summer. But the Majlis came out very well and Mikael said to us to set up the course the same as last year because everyone was delighted with the setup. It was tough, but it was fair. And the great thing about when it’s in that condition is the cream rises to the top. So, we’re happy with the progress and, I’m sure it’ll be obviously be a great event and a great test for players. it was a few years ago that they re surfaced the greens. was that the last major thing that the majlis has had amended?

I want to say it was three years ago, and it was always going to be a process. I think last year was probably the first year that it was back to where it should be. It was obviously a big restoration to change all the greens, and probably needed doing. There was a lot of talk even before I came to Dubai that they had to be done. It was obviously a big thing for that to happen, but certainly now since the greens have bedded in, there doesn’t seem to be any problems with them. obviously executing an event of this scale takes a fair amount of planning. how soon does it all start for the upcoming year?

As soon as the final putt drops on the previous year. We basically have a simple mantra that we want to improve every experience and every touchpoint, and we certainly don’t sort of just put things away and go “right we’ll do the same thing again next year.” We analyse everything and want it to be better for everyone. The sponsors, the players, the caddies, the media, the volunteers, the spectators, it’s every touchpoint.

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am i right and thinking you’ve been involved in the tournament for five years now? how much have you seen it progress in that time?

It’s certainly evolved. I was very lucky to inherit a really, really great canvas. It’s the Majlis golf course, and the skyline is awesome. So, the whole team have done a fantastic job in lifting this event. Being a Rolex Series event really helps certainly with it being at the pinnacle on the DP World Tour.

The DP World Tour’s Rolex Series tournaments have certain standards and we have to adhere to those. So it’s very important for us to really push each element. We’ve certainly made big strides with the hospitality around the 9th and 18th green, and have really made that into a fantastic product and probably one of the best in the world.

We are a bit biased, but I think it really is. I’ve seen enough tournaments around the world to see where we stand in that pecking order. But we also really make sure that the event is for everyone. Our new tagline for this year is “More Than Legendary Golf.” We know we’re going to get really good golfers, so the golfer side of it will be excellent as it always has been at this event with the champions we’ve had. But we’re really pushing the areas off the golf course. So we will expand on our tournament town, really ramp up activities in there especially for the children. We have really ramped up the food experience to make it like a food festival, and we’ll continue to do that.

So even if you don’t enjoy golf, you can come with friends and family and have a good day out and watch a bit of golf.

But you will get engrossed in the golf because the venue is fantastic for watching golf. It’s one of the easiest golf courses in the world to watch golf. You can jump from hole to hole easily. There are galleries on every hole with roars ringing out from each part of the course, so we’re very lucky because we’ve got a great canvas and we hopefully have made it a little bit better each year. you were awarded your geo certification, not only as the first event in the middle east but the first

getty images

‘WE HAVE A SIMPLE MANTRA,

MAC IS BACK The master of the Majlis is going for his sixth Dallah trophy

BOTTOMS UP The hospitality stand on the 9th and 18th rival the best in the world

ROLEX SERIES EVENT TO DO SO. THAT ECHOES WITH THE SUSTAINABLE APPROACH THAT DUBAI IS DRIVING. We managed to get our certification in 2023, a year ahead of schedule, which was fantastic. And then we managed to retain it in 2024, which is not taken for granted. There’s some fairly strict criteria to make sure you get that. So we were very happy with that and now we’re looking to expand on what the initiatives are that we’ve already done, and now it’s to really emphasize these and really get into the nitty gritty of different sustainable initiatives.

We can’t change the world, but we’re going to try by showing an example, and try to make things to get people thinking a bit differently. We introduced the park and plant initiative a couple of years ago where all the proceeds went back into our sustainability initiatives, and we planted over 1700 mangroves out at the Jebel Ali nature sanctuary.

It’s these little things that we keep doing each year to make them better and better. We will continue to push that message, and as you said, it’s part of the Dubai strategy going forward.

THE 2025 EDITION WILL BE THE 36TH HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC. HOW PROUD ARE DUBAI AND THE UAE OF HAVING THIS EVENT ON THEIR ROSTER? 1989 was the first one and you will have seen the pictures, but a lot of people haven’t seen the pictures. But it was a golf course in the middle of the desert. Sheikh Zayed Road was a single, two-lane road and it’s just amazing how it’s developed. We are extremely proud how the event still stands on the

world circuit, with the champions we’ve had. It’s like a role of honour for a major with Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and more recently Viktor Hovland. So we’re very proud of it and we’ve got to keep striving to make it bigger and better.

One of the key initiatives that we hopefully have started the ball rolling on, is last year we introduced the Mental Fitness and Recovery Zone which really targeted the players, their entourage and their caddies in regards to making sure they were mentally fit and so they could perform better. We had a fantastic facility at the golf club with this Zen area for the players to go and get away from the hard-core pressure of playing golf and to relax.

We introduced that last year, and we’re going to really push it again this year. We have even seen other events are starting to implement this and I would like to see that these sort of zones are almost as common as practice balls for the pros on the range.

It’s something that is happening and it’s very important in the world of sports that we can deliver this. We are an elite event, and we need to provide these elite services for the players. As part of that, we are going to work very closely with The R&A this year on the Golf is Good campaign and really promote the health benefits of golf to the public. It’s fantastic to go and watch a golf event. You can go and get lots of steps in, you can get out in the fresh air and really enjoy it, plus January in Dubai is perfect as we know.

IT’S ANOTHER GOLF EVENT IN THE UAE FOR THE NATIONAL PLAYERS TO SHINE. JOSHUA GRENVILLE-WOOD GOT A SPOT LAST YEAR WHICH WAS HUGE. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR THOSE KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES? It is. We get one national spot. We would like more, but because it’s a Rolex Series event there’s obviously massive competition for those places and are well sought after by all the pros that have earned the right to play in the event. But it was a great opportunity for Joshua Grenville-Wood.

In the past we’ve had Josh Hill play as an amateur and he has done exceptionally well. We hope that these opportunities are used as a springboard for their career.

One area that we also have pushed is that we have a couple of our amateur spots that we give to the PGA Tour University Number One ranked player, David Ford this year, and one of the highest ranked amateur players in the world.

That being said, we’ve been lucky enough to have some really key players play in the past since we introduced this. Sam Bennett played and he was the US Amateur champion, then last year Ludvig Aberg took up a spot and went on to play the Ryder Cup in the same year! These guys are going to be world stars.

Amateur golf is very important to us and the fact the Emirates Golf Club has won the rights to host the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship is fantastic which will be just before the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, a perfect lead in.

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Harrington Hunting History

BY HARRY GRIMSHAW THE 2025 RACE TO DUBAI sees the UAE playing a central role as always, with the Ras Al Khaimah Championship forming part of the International Swing, known as the Middle East swing for the old guard.

The event is number three on their early schedule to be held in the United Arab Emirates, and one of five across the Middle East, promising an exciting start to the new season while offering a chance to see both new faces and familiar ones.

Pádraig Harrington, a three-time Major champion and two-time Senior Major winner, will return to familiar territory in January. The Irishman had a stellar 2024, racking up three victories on the PGA Tour Champions and earning top-10 finishes in two Senior Majors. His form also saw him finish tied for 22nd at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Though he has shifted his focus largely to the PGA Tour Champions circuit since turning 50 a couple of years ago, the 2021 Ryder Cup skipper remains confident in his ability to compete with the best, and age is very much just a number.

Harrington has made the cut in each of his last three appearances at Al Hamra Golf Club, and he’s looking forward to adding another chapter to his Middle Eastern journey at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in 2025.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing in the Middle East, and Al Hamra is one of my favourite courses,” said Harrington.

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“The layout suits my game, and I feel like I’ve got a real chance to contend if I bring my best stuff. I’m excited to get back out there and challenge for a win.”

A victory in Ras Al Khaimah would be more than just another title for the 53-year-old—it would make him the oldest winner in DP World Tour history, a record currently held by Spain’s Miguel Ángel Jiménez at the 2014 Open de Espana, when he was aged 50 years and 133 days.

“One of my big goals is to break Miguel’s record and become the oldest winner on the DP World Tour,” he added. “Ras Al Khaimah is definitely a place where I think that could happen.

“The course is in great shape, and the hospitality in the UAE is second to none. We’re always well taken care of, but the welcome we get at Al Hamra is something special.”

Having made its debut on the global stage by hosting three European Challenge Tour events, including the 2018 Challenge Tour Grand Final and the DP World Tour since 2022, Al Hamra Golf Club is ready to host another exciting chapter of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, with Paddy aiming to make history himself, with a bit of the luck of the Irish of course.

One of my big goals is to break Miguel’s record and become the oldest winner on the DP World Tour”

WARREN LITTLE / GETTY IMAGES

PÁDRAIG HAS HIS EYES ON RAS AL KHAIMAH FOR RECORD-BREAKING WEEK

a perfect TEE-OFF for Your SENSES

VISIT FAIRMONT.COM/AJMAN

DEFENDING CHAMPION DYLAN FRITTELLI, RETURNS TO BAHRAIN

BY HARRY GRIMSHAW DYLAN FRITTELLI was one of the comeback king’s last year. The South African took home his first DP World Tour win in six years at the 2024 Bahrain Championship, thanks to a clinical back nine on Sunday at Royal Golf Club.

Frittelli hit the ground running with wins in Austria and Mauritius in 2017 on the then European Tour. Paving the way for his move to the PGA Tour, where he captured his first win at the John Deere Classic in 2019.

However, 2023 was rough for Frittelli, as he struggled to find form he returned to the DP World Tour, and found his way back to the winners circle in Bahrain.

Now he returns to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the fourth stop of the DP World Tour’s Middle East Swing with multiple memorable memories.

Dylan, how excited are you to come back to the Kingdom of Bahrain and defend this special title?

I’m really excited to get back to the Kingdom of Bahrain. I obviously have fond memories of the week, not only for winning, but also experiencing a new culture and a new place.

It was a really cool place to go where 40

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the King still reins and people have so much respect for their royal family and leaders.

It’ll be nice to see familiar faces again and people I’ve built relationships with there, including the interesting expats I met.

Then obviously, I can’t wait to test myself again on the challenge that is Royal Golf Club!

The scoring wasn’t as deep as we usually see, does that reflect how tough a test it was?

I think the golf course surprised a lot of people. People probably didn’t think it was going to play that tough. Credit to the DP World Tour to playing it to its full length and not giving us easy pins.

I think that’s the type of golf I excel in when the conditions are tough and you’ve got to control your golf ball in the wind.

Hopefully this year we get the wind again and play it how Middle East golf courses should be played. It deserves to be a respectable Championship and have a score that shows that.

The course underwent a lot of chang-

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You said the victory showed your mental toughness, do people on the outside not give you guys enough credit as to how tough it is to win?

I don’t think anyone outside of the golf circle realises the pressure you go through. In a way, it’s the same pressure any amateur sees in their Saturday competition, but we obviously have our livelihoods on the line. We might be stressing about money or travel and how to fund your next season if you don’t go out and play well in the preceding year.

Thankfully, I’m on the backend of a 14-year career so I have some money saved up, but there is still some pressure and some angst of that weird feeling of “ah, if I don’t make this putt then I’m two shots behind.”

Those little thoughts do add up over a long career and a long Sunday which is a tricky scenario but one I have come to terms with in the past year. The year leading up to the win in Bahrain was a really scary time with those thoughts popping up in my head every shot or every hole.

ross kinnaird / getty images

THE ROYAL TREATMENT

es prior to the Championship last year. What holes did you feel you had to capitalise on for your victory?

I personally think the par 5’s are the tough ones to look out for at Royal Golf Club. You have got two really difficult ones on the front nine with the third and the ninth. If you don’t hit the fairway with your drive you are really struggling to make par, if you do and you hit your second shot onto the green then you’ve got a chance at a safe, easy, birdie.

Then on the back nine you’ve got the back-to-back par fives on 13 and 14 which is a really cool feature that not a lot of courses replicate.

You have the same story there, I can hit a long ball off the tee on 13 and then same again on 14 which is straight downwind with the prevailing wind conditions. You can hit something close to a 400-yard drive and leave yourself with just a seven iron into the green. If you don’t get it over the hill on the left, then you’ve left yourself with a blind layup from a sandy lie.

Those are two really well-designed par fives on the back nine and the two on the front nine are as equally really well designed. I think if you can play those par fives well throughout the week then you’ll definitely be in contention.

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FOR THE GREATEST OF CAUSES The Al Noor and 100 World Legends Golf Day

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SCAN TO WATCH

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he 100 World Legends, in partnership with the Al Noor Training Centre, gathered at Arabian Ranches Golf Club for an unforgettable golf day to raise awareness and funds for an important cause, supported

by Golf Digest Middle East and Motivate Media Group.

Made up of high-profile former international rugby stars from over 20 countries, the 100 World Legends is an organisation dedicated to creating lasting change for People of Determination by championing the core values of rugby union.

Respect, hard work, and integrity are at the heart of their mission as the Legends positively impact communities worldwide through a variety of charitable initiatives, youth programmes, and sustainable rugby-for-life projects. This time around, it was golf!

In collaboration with Al Noor, the Rehabilitation & Welfare Association for People of Determination, the centre opened its doors in Dubai on 21st November 1981, initially serving just eight children. Today, the centre supports over 260 children at its purpose-built facility in Al Barsha, offering personalised programmes for young people with diverse physical and cognitive challenges.

With global rugby icons—including over 20 former international players such as Ireland’s Shane Byrne, England’s Delon Armitage and Tamara Taylor, as well as more than half a dozen former All Blacks—guests competed in fourball teams alongside a rugby legend in the Texas Scramble Format. The action was closely observed by Paul Waring, the recent 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion, who also participated in the event.

The day was a resounding success on the newly revamped Arabian Ranches, with more than AED 160,000 raised at the charity event in favour of Al Noor, with participants bidding on unique rugby memorabilia combined with all tournament entry fees and sponsorships.

As for the competition, the podium spots were as follows: Third place: Team Byrne, led by captain Shane Byrne, alongside Mark Chatten, Ken Owiti, and Paul Byrne, with an impressive score of 15-under-par score, 57.

Second place: Team Waring, comprising of skipper Paul Waring, Brian Thomas Smith, Hader Nashie, and Richard Bernans, they finished with a score of 16-under-par, 56.

First place: Team Betsen, the inaugural winners of the Al Noor and 100 World Legends Golf Day were Serge Betsen, Tillmann Kloss, Ofisa Tonu’u, and Karl Te Nana, who triumphed by the narrowest of margins.

Experiences like this aren’t possible without the generous support and help from sponsors. A special mention must go to Al Noor, 100 World Legends, Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Egolf Megastore, Emirates Golf Federation, Esus, Maersk, Media One Hotel, MMI, MyGovindas, Nezesaussi Grill and Wasl.

Here’s to an even bigger event in 2025!

REHABILITATION & WELFARE ASSOCIATION FOR PEOPLE OF DETERMINATION

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Joaquin Niemann on top in Saudi Arabia, again!

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images : asian tour

IV Golfer Joaquín Niemann capped off one of his most impressive seasons to date with a thrilling victory at the US$5 million PIF Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

The Chilean overcame Australian Cam Smith and American Caleb Surratt at Riyadh Golf Club, with a birdie on the second extra play-off hole, to pocket a winners cheque of US$1 million.

Not only did victory in Riyadh earn Niemann his 15th worldwide win, but it was his second trophy in the Kingdom having also claimed the LIV Golf Jeddah title in March last year.

Reflecting on the achievements in Riyadh, Niemann said, “I love being in that position, but sometimes it takes longer than expected.

“It was a good day, and Caleb and I played really well. I never thought we’d end up in a play-off with Cam Smith though—he was done an hour before

us, and I thought we might avoid that 21-under.”

In a dramatic final day for the 26-year-old, he also came way with top spot in the season-long International Series Rankings ahead of American Peter Uihlein and New Zealander Ben Campbell, who finished second and third, respectively.

For Smith, who had finished his round earlier in the day, it was a surprising turn of events. “I honestly thought my chances of a top-five finish were slim.

“It’s a funny game, and you never know how it’s going to unfold.”

At just 20-years-old, Surratt came heartbreakingly close to securing his first professional victory. However, a costly bogey on the 18th hole, where his tee shot found the water, dashed his hopes.

Despite finishing as a runner-up in several International Series events, Surratt once again takes it as a learning

curve on his career progression. “It’s tough,” admitted the LIV Golfer. “I gave it my all, but it just wasn’t my time.”

For Campbell, just one shot behind Niemann, he narrowly missed out on a place in the play-off with a spot at LIV Golf up for grabs for the International Series Rankings winner.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton secured a solid fifth place, while Moroccan amateur Adam Bresnu turned heads with his a fantastic performance. Bresnu, at just 20 years-of-age, finished in a tie for sixth, one shot behind Hatton and alongside South African Branden Grace and Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra. Bresnu’s impressive showing in such a strong field, further cemented his potential as a rising star in the game, while proudly flying the flag for Arab golf.

As the curtain came down on the season-ending event for both the Asian Tour and The International Series, Niemann’s victory was a fitting end to a remarkable season, one that will undoubtedly shape the Tour’s future.

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Lee to LIV

T H E 30 -Y E A R- OLD F ROM CH IN ESE TA IPEI H ELD OF F T H E LIK ES OF BR A N DEN GR ACE TO E A R N A SPOT ON LI V G OLF FOR 202 5.

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hinese Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po secured a spot in LIV Golf’s 2025 season with a clutch performance at the 36-hole promotion event at Riyadh Golf Club.

Winning by two shots, the 30-year-old has become the first player from his country to earn full-time status in the league.

Lee, known as Max in English, shot a 10-under total across the final 36-hole shootout, finishing ahead of Taichi Kho and former LIV Stingers GC player Branden Grace, thanks to an impressive nine birdies—four of them coming in the final five holes.

The 92-player field was whittled down to just 20 for the final round, with Lee holding a two-shot lead over American Ollie Schniederjans, who shot a bogey-free 66.

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The final round wasn’t without drama though. Lee’s lead shrank after a bogey on the 16th, but a clutch tee shot on the par-3 17th that nearly went in the hole steadied the ship as he regained his cushion to close out the win on the 18th.

“Just tried to reset my mind,” Lee said. “Hole No. 17, that shot is very important. I hit a very good tee shot.”

The win marks a big milestone in Lee’s career. After battling a hip injury last year, he made swing adjustments that helped him regain form. His win in Thailand on the International Series in 2024 was a breakthrough victory, and now he’s set to take his game to LIV Golf, where he’s excited to compete alongside some of the world’s best golfers.

Other players in the top 10, including Schniederjans and Australians Brett Coletta and Jack Buchanan. Finishing inside the top-10 earned them exemptions to LIV’s Interna-

montana pritchard / liv golf

tional Series for 2025. Schniederjans was encouraged by his strong showing after dealing with injuries that had affected his game in recent years.

“I’m very confident about where everything is heading,” he said. “I had to hit a lot of cool putts and shots under pressure, so it was really nice to see that. It did give me even more confidence. But I have a lot of confidence in my future.”

While Lee’s win was the talking point, there were other strong performances throughout the field. Grace, who had hoped to reclaim his spot on LIV, finished with a solid effort but fell short. “Played good, gave it everything,” Grace said.

“It was a good go. Now I’ll go home and have a holiday.” It’s still unknown whether the nine-time DP World Tour winner will be re-signed by his former team mates.

ON THE LIV TOUR, EVERY PLAYER IS VERY STRONG. I THINK I CAN LEARN SOMETHING. I WILL LEARN SOMETHING.” –LEE CHIEH-PO For Lee though, the future looks bright. He’s excited about the challenges of competing on LIV Golf and eager to learn from the league’s top players. “On the LIV Tour, every player is very strong,” he said. “I think I can learn something. I will learn something.”

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G O L F I N T H E F O OTS T E P S OF CHAMPIONS AT YAS L I N KS A B U D H A B I

V I YAG O L F. C O M / YAS L I N KS

GO

FROM GREEN TO TEE, HOW TO ADJUST YOUR GAME TO A FIRM GOLF COURSE

LOW

ON

A FAST TRACK

BY ERIC ALPENFELS & KELLY MITCHUM, PINEHURST GOLF ACADEMY

WITH GOLF DIGEST ASSISTANT EDITOR MADELINE MACCLURG PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADAM RIDING

WHEN THE U.S. OPEN RETURNED TO PINEHURST NO. 2 LAST YEAR, THERE’S A

good chance you saw some of the world’s best golfers hitting shots they seldom try.

The design of this Donald Ross classic, with its famous turtle-back greens, collection areas and links-style contouring, practically implores you to adjust from your normal game—even nudging the pros to putt from off the green!

If you want to avoid double bogeys and lower your scores, there’s a lot to be said for taking what a course gives you. It’s certainly a big part of what we teach everyday golfers who visit us. For example, on a firm-and-fast course like No. 2, it’s often a lot easier to keep shots low and let them run to their destination than it is to execute some sort of finesse shot you rarely, if ever, practice.

In this article, we’re going to give you some pointers for playing a course when fairways are tightly mowed, bunkers have crusty sand and tee shots seem to keep running until they find trouble, and we’ve asked Golf Digest Assistant Editor Madeline MacClurg, photographed here, to test drive our tips to verify their merits.

Whether you ever get to No. 2, a links course in Scotland, or a long drought has turned your normally lush course into a baked-out runway, read on to learn how to score in these challenging conditions.

ALWAYS THINK FIRST, CAN I PUTT THIS?

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t Pinehurst No. 2, you have to be precise with your approaches or the ball is likely to roll off into a collection area or worse. As discouraging as barely missing a green might be, don’t compound a tough break by following it with a low-percentage recovery shot.

When Martin Kaymer won the U.S. Open by eight shots here in 2014, his strategy around the greens was simple and smart—putt everything possible. If your chipping game is erratic, consider a similar game plan.

To master the off-green putt (above), think of it as a normal putt, just longer with a few adjustments. First, stand slightly wider than normal for better stability. Next, take a 50

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few practice swings focusing on a long, flowing stroke that doesn’t feel like you need any extra effort to get the ball onto the green. You don’t want to make a fast, jerky stroke that could cause a mis-hit. The emphasis should be on making solid contact so that the ball seems to roll up the slope effortlessly. “I also leaned the shaft forward a touch to hit it solid and help get the ball rolling quicker,” MacClurg says.

Another thing to remember is to read these putts just like if you were on the green. Factor dew, the firmness of the turf, the contours and the height and grain of the grass.

It’s never a bad idea to hit a few of these before you go out to play. Practice instills confidence. Just ask Martin.

UNSURE ABOUT PUTTING? GO WITH A BUMP-AND-RUN

I

f you feel uncomfortable putting from off the green— maybe there’s too much distance to cover or it’s a steep climb up to the putting surface from a collection area—your best bet is the bump-and-run. Think of it as a low chip that lands short of the green but has enough momentum to propel the ball on and scoot it toward the hole.

To execute it, grab a short iron. The club you choose depends on a lot of variables, so experiment with everything from your wedges to an 8-iron to see what works best.

In terms of technique, set up favouring your front foot

and get your nose over a spot an inch in front of the ball.

This stance helps promote crisp contact.

Make a few practice swings focusing on keeping the club’s shaft leaning forward through the impact zone.

This also helps catch the ball cleanly and gets it to come off the club lower with enough roll to get it past whatever is between you and the putting surface.

This swing is not all that different than a putting stroke, so remember to minimise your wrist action back and through (below). Don’t try to scoop the ball.

KNOW YOUR SAND BEFORE PLAYING FROM A BUNKER

B

etween the natural areas and vast bunker complexes, it’s hard to avoid sand shots at No. 2.

Making it more challenging, some of the sand is fluffy, but a lot of it is pretty firm. That means you can’t play every bunker shot the same way. Maybe your course is similar. If so, you need to adjust your stance and swing to the bunker’s firmness.

For packed-sand lies, which are more common on linksy or dried-out courses, you need a steeper downswing than you would for a normal bunker shot. If you come in too shallow, you risk the club bouncing off the surface and sending the ball over the green. For the same reason, be careful not to open the clubface too much at address.

Instead, lean the shaft slightly toward your target and set more weight into your front knee. This will increase stability and help you get a little steeper (above, left), making contact with the sand just behind the ball with a little

digging action. These shots don’t require a big swing or a lot of speed. Go with a shorter backswing than normal and hold off your finish. Think, Halfway back, halfway through.

Your arms should finish low, but your upper body should be pointing at your target (above, right).

If you do encounter a fluffy-sand lie, don’t make the mistake of digging in too much with your feet. That makes it easy to take a lot of sand and leave the shot in the bunker.

For success from these lies, play the ball a couple of inches forward of centre in your stance, and set your club’s shaft more perpendicular to the ground. The face should be slightly open as it enters the sand to get the club skimming through it and splashing the ball out. You need to create more speed and commit to a full shot when the lie is fluffy.

Make a longer, wider backswing with less wrist hinge, then keep your speed up in the through-swing, finishing with your upper body facing the target.

ADJUST TO THE SLOPE ON UNDULATING FAIRWAYS

T

elevision doesn’t do No. 2 justice. It might look flat, but its fairways are like a bunched-up carpet in a lot of spots, producing all kinds of uneven lies. As disappointing as it might be to find your next shot is on a downhill, uphill or sidehill lie, you can’t ignore it and just swing away. Adjusting to the terrain will ensure you advance the ball either onto the green or close to it.

First, set your shoulders parallel to the slope. If it were an uphill lie, your left shoulder would be higher than your right, and vice versa if it were a downhill lie. Also, stand slightly wider than normal to help with balance.

Next, take a few practice swings. Pay attention to where your club naturally strikes the ground. You’ll want to adjust your ball position in relation to the low point of the swing.

Ideally, play it a half-inch to a full inch behind where your club catches the turf, and keep your eyes focused on that point of contact, not the ball. When you swing, feel like

your arms are stretching and fully extended as you keep moving long after the ball is struck, even if that throws you off balance. These shots are more about function over form.

Often the toughest of these uneven lies is when the ball is lower than your feet (below). A lot of players struggle because they rarely encounter or practice this shot, so they don’t know how to adjust. To hit a good shot from there, set up with a slight forward lean with your upper body and realise that you will have more weight favouring your toes because of the slope. On a severe sidehill lie, go ahead and feel more weight in your heels to offset the awkwardness.

“I thought about keeping my lower body less involved than normal to make sure I struck it pure,” MacClurg says.

Again, don’t forget to take a few practice swings to determine where the club naturally strikes the ground. Then set up to the ball so it’s behind that spot. It will likely fly lower than normal, which is why you take more club.

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GET ALL BALL TO PUT IT BACK IN PLAY

E

ven good tee shots on a firm-and-fast course can keep rolling or carom off hard turf into dicey situations adjacent to the fairway. At Pinehurst, you can find yourself in one of the sandy native areas that border our holes. On your course, you might end up in a hardpan lie. From these spots, your next shot requires the best contact possible to escape. Here’s how to get it.

Play the ball about an inch further back in your stance than normal, grip down on the club, and set your weight so its slightly favouring your front leg. It might help to focus on a spot just in front of the ball (above). All of these adjustments should get you to pick it clean. When

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you swing, it’s OK if your backswing and finish are shorter than normal so that you don’t lose your balance and mishit it. Just remember to commit to the follow-through.

“Clean contact is huge, but I found it just as important to pick an imaginary window to hit the ball through to really narrow my focus on getting back in play,” MacClurg says.

Sometimes your ball might end up in an even worse spot, like in the wiregrass found at Pinehurst. When facing a lie like that, ask yourself, What’s my chance of getting it out?

Hacking out can be an injury waiting to happen, so please think safety before scorecard. If you have a shot, don’t be a hero. Just grip down, shorten your swing and punch it out.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY A ‘WIDE’ FAIRWAY

P

inehurst No. 2 can play tricks on your eyes. It might look like you’ve got tons of room to park your tee shot (left), only to find it kept rolling through the fairway and was swallowed by some wiregrass.

Firm fairways mean less friction to stop the ball, so you can’t just swing away. You need to figure out both the direction and distance your ball can safely go to stop in a good lie.

Identify any trouble spots and visualise your shot in relation to avoiding those spots. Then, select the optimal distance and direction for your tee shot and pick something just in front of your ball to help line you up. (Note: It’s against the rules to place something down as an intermediate target, so be sure to pick something already lying there, like a spot of dead grass.)

Remember to aim your club at the target just in front of you before you set your feet, and give that target one last glance before pulling the trigger.

Why? Looking further down the fairway can conjure negative thoughts such as, Don’t go left or I have to carry a hazard. Focusing on the intermediate target helps clear your mind.

Also, overestimate, even double, the amount of curve you see. Remember, when the ball hits the ground, it will roll in that direction even more.

With all of that said, there will be some instances when you actually want the ball to keep rolling and rolling. A draw with a driver or 3-wood usually gets the ball tumbling down the fairway much better than a fade.

To create this shot shape, practice from a narrow stance, making slow half swings with the intent of rolling your right forearm over your left through impact (left). This rotation closes the clubface in relation to your swing path and helps produce the draw. Eventually, get back to your normal stance and try to recreate this feel when you hit tee shots. The result should be a nice, sweeping draw that bowls the ball down a firm fairway.

Come visit us at Pinehurst to put this and the other shots you learned through their paces. Bet you walk off 18 a lot more satisfied than if you tried to play here with your usual game.

OVERLOOKED IN

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE KENNEDY

BRUNTSFIELD SHORT HOLE COURSE IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT NEAR EDINBURGH CASTLE

by Jamie Kennedy

SCOTLAND

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AULD ASSETS

Keeper of the green, Jimmy Robertson,and the starter hut that doubles as a tool shed.

tom shaw

Any golfer will tell you the game is rarely a walk in the park. But in Scotland’s capital, it has always been exactly that.

Nearly every visitor to Edinburgh sees the famous castle at the end of The Royal Mile. The 11th century architectural wonder is hard to miss, perched on volcanic rock in the centre of the city. In its shadow to the south is an open area of grass densely bordered by coffee shops, bars and four-story residences. Think New York’s Central Park. Tens of thousands of people walk through this area every day. Yet most are unaware of the Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Course here, and its rare history.

“I’m not the story, the story is out there,” says Jimmy Robertson, age 79, pointing across the rumpled 30 acres dotted with 36 small, tightly-cut greens. Jimmy is to the Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Course what Old Tom was to the Old Course: The keeper of the greens. “All this history and all this development but golf is still played here,” Jimmy says. “Other than a couple of the greens moving over the years, it hasn’t changed since the early days. It sounds cliché but playing here is like taking a wee walk back in time.”

Like his father before him, Jimmy volunteers. Along with much else, he marks the small, rectangular teeing areas, creates the three-foot metal pins, runs a small club of golfers that are members, chases away university students set on barbequing and hounds the local council for support. Despite all that, his email signature just reads “Jimmy… Vice Captain, Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Club.”

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“THE FIRST MENTION OF GOLF BEING PLAYED HERE DATES TO 1695.”

The green shed where I meet Jimmy was previously used as a “cabbies’ hut” in the 1920s for horse-drawn carriages. Jimmy has the only key. The single room inside is draped in golf-related tools and artefacts.

Balls, scorecards, metal signs, hole-cutting tools and a bucket of old clubs. It’s a fascinating, yet stale-smelling headquarters.

The first mention of golf being played here dates to 1695. The local council granted part of the links to be rented for use as sandstone quarries, with the rented acreage to “always being at ane distance from the place where the neighbours play at Goulf.” About 50 years later, a local family bought land alongside the links and applied to build on it. They were granted permission but only as long as the development could in no degree “be hurtful to the Exercise and Diversion of the Golff”.

Whilst the spelling of the game changed over the years, the activity of playing these links never did. In the 1800s, two local societies used the grounds: The Burgess, founded in 1735, and Bruntsfield, founded in 1761. Both clubs later moved out of the city in the 1870s and then again to their current locations, side by side, in the northwest corner of Edinburgh. Thus in 1890, the Short Hole course was established. The layout changed from six full holes to a 36-hole layout of shorties ranging from 40 to 90 yards. Every green, all of which are roughly 500 square feet, boasts one of the iconic metal pins with a painted hole number.

The course weaves back and forth through the public land, playing out towards the backdrop of Arthur’s Seat, another extinct volcano and hill near the centre of Edinburgh, and returning to a green outside The Golf Tavern, one of Scotland’s oldest existing pubs.

As players add up their score and head for a pint at the, well, 37th hole, they can be excused for missing a small, circular blue sign on an adjacent dormitory building. Twenty feet up is a placard that reads, “On this site stood Golfhall, built 1717, the world’s first golf clubhouse.”

“Historians know about this place, but most regular players don’t have a clue,” Jimmy says. “There’s a few signs and bits of information around, but most people think it’s just a park. I was in Florida a few years ago and I went to the World Golf of Fame [since relocated to Pinehurst, North Carolina]. I came out of the lift into the museum and there was a huge picture of a painting of the Bruntsfield Links, done in the late 1700s.”

The course is free to play for the public. Members of the Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Club gather to play weekly competitions.

“Aye, there’s about 40 or 50 of us in the club. A few that don’t play anymore but still like to be members and help support the course,” Jimmy says. “In the summer, we have weekly competitions on Tuesdays or Thursdays and usually head to the pub after.”

And what does membership to one of the world’s oldest links cost?

“It’s twenty pounds to join. That’s for a year,’ Jimmy says. “And it’s five for the juniors.”

A footnote: I first played the Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Course when I was seven. Dressed in my dad’s Maxfli visor to channel my

THE 37TH HOLE

The Golf Tavern is at the site of the world’s first golf clubhouse.

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tom shaw

The flags are metal and the course is surrounded on all sides by buildings.

childhood-hero, Fred Couples, it was my first competitive round of golf.

I shot 171, which was 63 over par for the 36-hole par three course and I finished third for my age group. I was hooked.

And now I’m a new member. Along with access to the competitions and post-round tales over pints, soon I’ll get my very own Short Hole handicap.

“It’s funny, lots of players that have low handicaps on traditional courses struggle around here. And the same vice-versa, guys that don’t have the length for a longer course but have a decent short game can do really well.”

Without diving into the weeds of Jimmy’s unique handicapping system, handicaps are adjusted by half a stroke for every shot a player’s net score is below the par of 108. If that net score is over par, that player’s handicap is increased by 0.1 for each shot with a limit of one full shot per round.

Paul Middleton is a member who lives near the course and caddies 20 miles away at Muirfield. As well as being a long-time member of the club, he is also the course record holder.

“Yeah, I shot 90,” Paul told me, modestly. “It was all twos and threes. Eighteen twos and 18 threes, no bogeys. I had shot 92 two or three times before.”

As I pictured the purity of a scorecard with only twos and threes, I asked Paul if he had a handicap at the club.

“I think I’m plus 10. The lowest was after the course record (in 2013), I got to plus 14, but I’ve come up since then.”

Told he may have been the lowest handicap-golfer anywhere in the world, he didn’t bite. As for aces? “I’ve lost count, to be honest. I probably made about half a dozen a season there when I was playing quite a bit. Now, it’s more like one or two. There’s no shortage of ones out there.”

Paul and Jimmy symbolise exactly what it is that makes Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Course so special: understated, overlooked, modest and perhaps a little rough around the edges. I recommend it to anyone visiting Scotland’s capital that has even the slightest interest in the game.

For five pounds, you can rent a couple of clubs and balls from the Golf Tavern, the site of the oldest golf clubhouse, and enjoy a local pint after 36 holes. You’ll leave with a scorecard for a souvenir and a story to tell.

It may be hidden in plain sight, but I doubt there’s better value anywhere in the world.

“HISTORIANS KNOW ABOUT THIS PLACE, BUT MOST REGULAR PLAYERS DON’T HAVE A CLUE.”

JANUARY 2025

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the gulf club A gallery of some of the local winners in the amateur circuit. Spot anyone you know?!

David Warham, Richard Green

Aoife Kelly

Jumeirah Pairs by The Brain and Performance Centre Jumeirah Golf Estates

Ladies Open Trump International Golf Club Dubai

Craig Vance

Brendan Els, Andrew Turnbull, Bradley Valentine, Kevin Voegeli

Black Tee Challenge Trump International Golf Club Dubai

Lincoln Dubai Golf Pro-Am | Jumeirah Golf Estates

Ravi AE Orient Travel Monthly Medal Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club

Competitors 2024 Past Captain’s Quaich Royal Golf Club, Bahrain

To read more, visit golfdigestme.com/thegulfclub 64

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QUESTIONS

ANSWERED

Also, you should rethink the shafts.

You might have more control with a shaft that’s a bit softer or more flexible than a typical wedge shaft. You might benefit from a shaft that’s a click heavier than your iron shafts, especially if you are playing graphite in your irons.

Can all of these features come from the same manufacturer and be options within the same model family? No question about it, but don’t get tied to that. Don’t think about “getting new CUSTOMISED Nick Dunlap wedges” as a packhas four age deal. Each club TaylorMade in your bag has a job, wedges but two different and that’s especially true with each wedge. models.

Q:

OTHER THAN LOFT, OBVIOUSLY, SHOULD ALL MY WEDGES BE THE SAME MODEL?

There is a simple answer to this question: “No.” But we don’t like simple answers because every player’s equipment journey is unique. This is why a relationship with a quality fitter is so important.

First, the answers about things like loft gapping, bounce, sole grinds and even shafts are not immediately intuitive. For example, nearly every major company with a wedge line offers four to seven distinct sole grinds throughout its loft range. (Decoder rings don’t exist yet and likely never will.)

Second, while many companies provide tips for picking wedges and detailed descriptions, the only real way to get it right is through a trial process on the range and short-game area, and we know that’s often not a viable option.

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Third, unlike a driver or iron fitting, your typical course style or conditions (bunker sand, green runoffs, etc.) may or may not impact the ideal wedge for you for a particular situation.

All that said, here’s why the answer is a firm “No.” When we talk about wedges, we’re considering every loft above the 9-iron. Some 9-irons today have lofts as low as 37 degrees, and some are in the low 40s. In either case, we believe your pitching wedge and gap wedge, which you use for full swings, should match the other full-swing clubs in your bag.

Unless you’re an elite player, you don’t want what is essentially a muscleback blade as a full-swing club.

But there are, of course, other jobs for your wedges, and you need to consider them. Maybe your 54-degree needs more bounce for bunker shots or less bounce for low-running chips that are hit with a shallower swing. Maybe your higher-lofted wedge needs a sole grind that works better for open-face shots.

JANUARY 2025

Q: I TAKE A LOT OF RIBBING BECAUSE I DON’T USE A TEE ON A PAR 3. SHOULD I? If we understand your thinking, you hit irons all the time directly off the turf, so why wouldn’t you do it on a par 3? There are a few reasons. To begin with, most golfers are more comfortable hitting irons when the ball is slightly propped up—think a cushy lie in the fairway or first cut. The tee box features a closer, tighter cut of grass.

But the big reason to tee up is that hitting directly off the turf steals yards.

Using Arccos data from 2023 (all players with all irons), the gain was 12 yards—143.4 from the grass versus 155.3 off a tee—and no iron from 3- to 9-iron showed less than a 9.7-yard increase.

Does more distance mean more greens in regulation (GIR)? You bet. On all shots from fairway-type grass, the GIR percentage for all handicaps was 36.2 percent. With a tee, it was 40.7 percent.

More distance and more greens hit are pretty solid arguments for teeing up.

Answers by Golf Digest’s equipment experts, Mike Stachura and E. Michael Johnson.

KENNETT MOHRMAN

Wedges: Carry a Matched Set or Pick and Choose?

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