Today's Golfer Issue 321

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JUNE 2014 ISSUE 321 APR 17-MAY 14 £4.40

103 ways to sharpen your

SHORT GAME

239

HOW TO... + > Add width for power > Strike pure irons > Chip over bunkers > Read any break > Find more fairways

SIMPLE TIPS FOR BETTER DRIVES ‘How I cut 19 shots off my handicap... without a lesson’

Great courses rated by you

HOT GEAR

> Callaway X2 Hot 3Deep > TaylorMade SLDR Mini > Radical new putters > PowaKaddy trolleys

GIANT IRONS TEST

42 sets ranked... which is best for you?

320 321

PLUS: JAMIE DONALDSON + SHANE WARNE + CHARLEY HULL

First Tee News, views and reviews from all that’s golf

Edited by Rob McGarr

THEY WILL COME... IF YOU BUILD IT

This plot is supposed to host golf’s Olympic comeback in 2016 Just over two years from now, this site will play host to the first Olympic golf in 112 years, featuring the world’s best golfers, watched by over half a billion sports fans worldwide... no pressure, then.

We’re no experts on course construction, but Peter Dawson is, and he’s not a happy bunny. “We are not satisfied,” said Dawson, Chief Executive of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. “While

➔

the design of the course looks good, the progress with the construction is not where we want it to be. Are there any green shots on the course? If so, they are just weeds.”

A test tournament was scheduled for next year, but Dawson isn’t convinced that the course will be ready in time.

Top American course architect Kyle Phillips, who created leading UK layouts

Kingsbarns and The Grove, feels more optimistic: “They do have an excellent warm climate in Rio, which should work to their favour and really help the grow-in of the course.”

At least 30 countries are expected to be represented in the men’s and women’s competitions, in a 72-hole stroke play format. Let’s just hope Rory’s been practising his over-a-bulldozer flop shots...

Fault Fixer With ANDREW MURRAY Plays on the European Seniors Tour and is a Cleveland Golf/Srixon ambassador.

Short game

HOW TO PITCH FROM TROUBLE OVER A BUNKER

'It's important not to follow the bad shot that got you here with another one'

Get your shoulders level to the slope

You should always try and get your shoulders as parallel as possible to any slope you’re playing off to help control the club’s attack angle and the launch angle of the ball.

Maximum loft Take the most lofted club you have in the bag and open it up as much as you dare because you need all the loft you can get to pop the ball up out the rough, carry the bunker and stop it quickly on the green.

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Saving you shots every time you play

S

hots don’t come much more difficult than this; a downhill lie in thick rough, with a bunker to carry and relatively little green to work with... it’s a disaster waiting to happen. But there are things you can do to minimise the risk and give yourself a chance of getting up and down. Firstly, it’s important not to follow the bad shot

that got you here with another and run up a big number – leaving it in the rough, dropping it in the bunker or thinning it through the green are not what we want. Follow my advice so you know exactly how to get the ball safely onto the dance floor to give yourself a chance of escaping with a par or, at worst, a bogey.

For hundreds of great video tips, visit www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/ tips-and-tuition

Give yourself a putt Manage your expectations and play a realistic shot. Accept that anywhere on the green is a good result. If you try and get too cute you could play yourself into more trouble. Focus on leaving yourself a putt.

The takeaway...

From this position, just aim to get it on the green. Leave yourself a putt – and eliminate a disaster.

Make a steeper backswing Move the ball back a little in your stance to just back of centre and choke down on the club to encourage a steeper attack angle that cuts down through the grass to reach the back of the ball.

Swing with conviction Be sure to give yourself a stable base and commit to the swing because you need to generate good amount of clubhead speed to hold the face open through the tangly grass and generate the high flight required to land it softly.

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Jamie Donaldson is finally realising the potential he knew he had...

WORDS KIT ALE X ANDER PICTURE S WARREN LIT TLE, G E T T Y

D

o you want me to stand on my tour bag?”

No sooner have we agreed to Jamie Donaldson’s suggestion for an interesting picture than the Welshman is springing up onto his bag like an Olympic gymnast. He balances precariously on and around his clubs, pulling funny poses and making jokes as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. Never mind the fact he’s risking damage to himself and his equipment just two days before he is due to begin his title defence at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

That’s just the kind of guy Donaldson is.

There’s a look of mischief in his eyes when

‘ONE DOCTOR SAID I SHOULDN’T PLAY AGAIN... BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO HEAR THAT’

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you meet him, always a smile on his face and if you ask around on tour you’ll quickly realise he’s one of the funniest and most popular guys on the circuit. But in recent years, the 38-year-old has developed some serious game to go with his jovial character.

After a back injury disrupted four years of his career from 2004 to 2007, Donaldson has improved his Race to Dubai finish in each of the last six seasons – 89th, 59th, 46th, 38th, 19th and 5th last year. The real turning point came when he clinched his first European Tour title in his 225th tournament at the 2012 Irish Open. His second victory came just six months later as he fended off a field that included Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy

in the desert last year.

He recorded his first top-10 finish in a Major at the 2012 US PGA, made a hole-inone in his Masters debut last year and his recent runner-up finish at the WGC-Cadillac Championship has lifted him into the world’s top 30 – and within touching distance of a Ryder Cup debut at Gleneagles.

We sat down for an entertaining chat with Britain’s newest golfing superstar – once he’d safely got down from his tour bag!

You turned pro in 2000 and recorded two Challenge Tour wins in 2001. How important was it to win that early in your pro career?

The big interview

after injury almost ended his career Very important, because it enabled me to get my European Tour card so I could move straight onto the main tour the following year. It’s a case of doing whatever you need to get onto the European Tour, whether it’s loads of big finishes or a couple of wins. You just want to earn enough money to get your European Tour card.

Was the Challenge Tour a good grounding for life as a tour player?

It’s a great stepping stone to play tour golf.

You play a lot of different golf courses and it’s got everything you need to learn about playing European Tour golf without the pressure. The courses aren’t quite as difficult,

but they’re very good, and you’re playing a lot of golf and the competition is very tough.

How did you deal with the injury problems you had from 2004 to 2007?

It’s frustrating at the time, but everyone gets injuries and you’ve just got to hope you can find a way to overcome them and move on. It still affects me, but it’s more of a management process now.

You’ve improved your Race to Dubai finish every year from 2008. What’s been the key to making the step up? ➔

‘I TOOK UP GOLF LATE, BUT ONCE YOU GET THE BUG YOU JUST WANT TO PLAY’

My life in golf

‘Am I competitive on the golf course... what do you think?’

Shane Warne, the finest spin bowler of all time, talks about playing with pros, poker with Sergio and joining the Seniors Tour when he turns 50 WORDS KEVIN BROWN PICTURES HOWARD BOYL AN

W

ith a cricket ball in his hand, Shane Warne was nothing short of a genius. He took a then-record 708 Test wickets, including 37 fivewicket hauls and single-handedly removing the opponent’s entire batting order on 10 occasions. His performances across a glittering 30year career saw him named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Century, certifying his place as one of the five most influential cricketers of our time.

TG went to see the 44-year-old Aussie as he attempted to put a different ball under his spell at the Shane Warne Classic golf day, organised by Your Golf Travel and held at The Grove, near Watford.

Warne adores golf almost as much as he enjoyed bamboozling batsmen and is just a whisker away from achieving singlefigure handicap.

He plays as much as he can, wherever in the world his variety of work commitments take him, and boasts a best round of one-under on the Old Course at St Andrews.

He’s ambitious, too, with thoughts of taking a run at the professional ranks and bagging a spot on the Seniors Tour. We assessed his credentials and discussed all things golf with the largerthan-life master of spin...

Once you get bitten by the bug, you just want to play as much as possible.

When work and travel take over and the golf stops, I miss it so much.

A LIVING LEGEND Shane Warne’s accolades include: n Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1994 n Wisden Cricketer of the Century n Best bowling figures are 8-71 v England in Brisbane, November 1994 n First cricketer to reach 700 Test wickets n Man of the Match in the 1999 World Cup Final win v Pakistan n 3000 Test runs, holding the record for the most runs without a century n Dismissed Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes series with what many call “the ball of the century” n Seventh highest number of catches in Test cricket n Took 40 wickets in 2005 Ashes series v England and was named Man of the Series. n Shane Warne Foundation has raised over $7 million for underprivileged children n Retired after Australia’s 5-0 2006-2007 Ashes victory

Warne is off 10, but once was 6.7.

My current handicap is 10. The lowest I’ve been is 6.7. If I haven’t played for a few weeks, it could be genius or horrific – I’ll know either way after a few holes. My weakness is my long irons; I use rescue clubs most of the time. My strengths are off the tee and putting; I’m generally straight off the tee and can be fairly long, but not massively so – anything between 270-300 yards. My putting is above average; some days I putt like a genius and other days I might as well putt left handed.

I’ve had plenty of tips and advice.

Warne admits that long irons are his weakness.

The best I’ve had is when putting get your hands up and out, rather than too close to the body. Plus, when driving, try and keep the club on the ground as long as possible during the takeaway – Aussie Tour pro Peter O’Malley told me that.

Playing with a stationary ball is very

I’ve been a regular competitor in the

different to what I’m used to; many things can go right and wrong. One day you can be chipping and putting nicely, but your driver lets you down and the next day it could easily be the other way around. That’s the acid test for us amateurs – consistency with all aspects of the game. The only way you can do that is to practice and play.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

It’s the best week of your life up there.

I think I’ve played in it seven times altogether, but never made the final day, missing out on countback one year when Padraig Harrington sank a 10-footer to put myself and Peter O’Malley out. Last year was pretty memorable as I fired one-under on the Old Course, despite a double bogey on the 16th and a three-putt on the 11th. Mind you, I did sink a ➔

I took up golf quite late, when I was

16 or 17, but I absolutely love playing.

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Trade in your old wedge and get £25 off a new Cleveland 588 wedge. Details www.clevelandgolf588.co.uk

PITCHING

PITCH WITH THE BACK EDGE CONTROL DISTANCE WITH YOUR SWING LENGTH

Your pitching action’s rhythm and speed should always stay the same. Alter the distance you want to hit the ball by swinging your hands back to three different heights – shoulders, chest and waist. Knowing exactly how far each carries the ball is vital for shot selection.

Brush the ground with the back of the club for crisp and consistent contact

N OW H C T A W TC H I N G FREE PI TIPS AT VIDEODAYSGOLER.CO.UK/ WWW.TO RINGACADEMY SCO

SMOOTH AND RHYTHMIC

No matter what else you do, it’s impossible to pitch well without good rhythm and smooth clubhead acceleration into impact. Take the club away from the ball slowly to build rhythm early in the swing and feel like you pause for a splitsecond at the top so you don’t rush into the downswing.

SCORING ACADEMY TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

SET UP WITH SOLID FUNDAMENTALS

BRUSH THE TURF WITH THE BOUNCE

The ball is just ahead of centre and weight slightly on front leg to encourage a descending blow. The feet are relatively narrow to keep the lower body quiet and stand just open to target. Slightly open your 54º or 56º wedge to increase the bounce.

The mistake most golfers make when pitching is to make contact with the turf with the club’s leading edge. Using the bounce and hitting the ground with the back edge allows you to be far more aggressive into impact and promotes a more solid contact.

SHORT FOLLOW-THROUGH, STRAIGHT ARMS

CLEAN YOUR GROOVES AFTER EVERY SHOT

Finish with the shaft close to parallel to the ground and your arms straight. A long backswing with a shorter follow-through helps create a crisp contact, straight arms ensure body turn, arm movement powers the swing and the hands stay passive.

Grooves channel dirt, grass and moisture away from the clubface to create a better impact. If the grooves are dirty or worn they won’t be as effective so you won’t impart as much spin on the ball and you’ll suffer from inconsistent contact and launch.

TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK SCORING ACADEMY

HOW GOOD IS SHE? WORDS ROB McG ARR PICTURE S HOWARD BOYL AN

TG’s man watches as another arrow-straight drive is dispatched down Woburn’s fairway.

Charley Hull

Solheim Cup star Charley Hull is the hottest prospect in women’s golf. How good? We found out over nine holes

M

ale pride can be a terrible thing in golf. It’s male pride that makes you go for that 300-yard carry over water, despite the fact your only chance of hitting a ball that far would be a concrete fairway. It’s male pride that tells you to go for that one-in-a-million, Mickelson-esque flop shot, despite knowing that the only two possible outcomes are a chunk into the bunker in front of you or an equally embarrassing thin into the bushes on the other side of the green. And it’s male pride that tells me I shouldn’t be losing to a girl.

But then Charley Hull isn’t any ordinary girl – she’s the hottest property in women’s golf.

When Charley turned pro on January 1, 2013, aged just 16, eyebrows were raised, with some suggesting she should instead leave her hometown of Kettering and pursue the American college route, honing her game before throwing herself in at the deep-end of the professional game. Hull, however, silenced those doubters by treating that “deep end” like a paddling pool; finishing second in her first five professional tournaments and accruing a further five top10 finishes that year. Her performances saw her finish sixth on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and collect a well-deserved Rookie of the Year award. Her incredible form also saw her dislodge experienced campaigners like Laura Davies to earn a pick for the 2013 Solheim Cup, making her the youngest person ever to play in the event.

European team Captain Liselotte Neumann’s faith in Hull was rewarded – the youngster contributed two points, including a 5&4 singles win over American superstar Paula Creamer, as Europe strolled to an 18-10 victory, their first on American soil. “She plays in a fearless way and it was just awesome to have her on our team,” said Neumann. “She’s a ➔ TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK IS SUE 321

BREAK 100

Three tips to cure your slice Tweak your grip and encourage an in-to-out swing with the correct body positions

STRONGER LEFT-HAND GRIP

TURN THE RIGHT HAND

Slightly strengthening your left-hand grip by turning it away from the target so you can see three knuckles as you look down will help you square the clubface up at impact and can help you hit the ball a bit further.

A slight rotation of the right forearm through impact will turn the right hand over the left and square, or slightly close, the clubface. This can help create draw spin – but don’t overdo it or it will lead to a hook.

KEEP THE LEFT ARM VISIBLE You should still be able to see your left arm at impact when you look down the line if you attack the ball from the inside. The left arm will be hidden behind the right with a slicer's out-to-in path.

SHOULDERS POINT RIGHT If your shoulders point just right of target as you swing into impact it encourages an in-to-out swing path. If the clubface is square or slightly closed to the path, it will start the ball a little right with draw spin.

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BREAK 90

Generate more speed Efficient weight transfer and post-impact extension help you hit the ball further

KNOCK THE BAG OVER Set up with a bag touching your left bum cheek. You should knock the bag forwards and to the left if your hips clear properly to create room for your hands to extend through impact on a neutral plane.

POST-IMPACT EXTENSION The right arm will be straight at this point after impact if you have extended properly. This shows you’ve applied maximum pressure to the ball down the target line at impact and efficiently transferred all the created energy in the downswing.

MORE CLUBHEAD SPEED Every extra 1mph of clubhead speed equates to an extra three yards of carry if you strike the centre of the face. Efficient weight transfer and post-impact extension maximise clubhead speed.

IMPROVE YOUR EXTENSION Swinging with two irons will help you extend through impact. The additional weight of the two clubs will encourage your arms to stay straight as you swing through and engrain the muscle memory so you do it more naturally with a driver.

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New Gear

The mini drivers Callaway and TaylorMade shrink their big sticks Callaway X2 Hot 3Deep £189 I callawaygolf.com Phil Mickelson clinched last year’s Open with the old version of Callaway’s X Hot 3Deep. Now there’s a whole family of deeper-faced woods based on the X2 Hot – a 2Deep (12.5°), 3Deep (14.5°, LH) and 5Deep (18.5°). They feature a thinner, lighter forged cup face than the X Hot Deep for faster ball speeds (especially on shots struck low on the face). A higher moment of inertia is said to boost forgiveness while a flatter roll radius causes shots to launch higher from fairway lies. Mickelson has already used the 2Deep on Tour.

With a smaller head and shorter shaft, the SLDR Mini is for players who need a bit more loft and more control.

BUYING TIP

TaylorMade SLDR Mini

Do you need one?

£199, TP £249 I taylormadegolf.com

For golfers who prefer a deeper face or who want to use a fairway wood off the tee for accuracy, the Deep series is a great option.

TaylorMade discovered that tour pros and amateurs hit a 3-wood off the tee a lot more than from the fairway. So they’ve come up with a “mini driver” that sends it out there but is more forgiving than a driver. At 260cc, the SLDR Mini is near-halfway in size between a 3-wood (160cc) and a driver (460cc). A “Speed Pocket” promotes more ball speed and less spin, while a shorter shaft (43.5in compared to 45.5in for an average driver) adds control.

Comes in 12°, 14° and 16°, also in LH.

TG’s pro tester James Ridyard says: “As a rule the shorter shaft and extra loft means they are easier to control than a driver. The added loft makes it harder to curve the ball either way and the fact that you need to tee it lower also helps with accuracy. They’re also easier to draw without hitting horror hooks like you would with a straighter-faced driver.”

Spotted on Tour n Cadillac WGC winner Patrick Reed shared the secret of his sublime ball striking – he practises with a Ben Hogan persimmon driver. “It teaches you to hit the centre of the clubface, especially with the driver,” he said. He won at

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Doral with Callaway’s Big Bertha Alpha. n Charles Howell III is using three different types of Mizuno irons in his bag. He’s got the company’s JPX-EZ Forged for his 4-iron, MP-54 for the 5 and 6-irons and MP-64 for the 7-iron to PW. n Louis Oosthuizen is using Ping’s new

Ketsch mallet putter. It has a 50-gram weight at the butt end of the grip to provide a counter-balanced effect. n Ernie Els has some new fairway woods in the bag - Adams’ Tight Lies model (right) for his 3 and 5-woods (14° and 19°). n Matt Every won the Arnold

Palmer Invitational using Callaway’s Speed Regime 3 ball at Bay Hill for the first time, designed for players with swing speeds over 105mph (his is 116). n Paul Casey has switched to Nike’s new VRS Covert 2.0 driver, saying the new club is “a little more forgiving” than his previous driver.

BEHIND THE TECH

21%

They’re a forgotten piece of gear, yet they have the same design focus as your clubs n a busy day, your average green can expect over 15,000 footsteps. With that in mind, it’s little wonder that green friendliness is a big focus for golf shoe designers. But golfers, understandably, want to wear shoes that offer the maximum comfort and performance.

To tackle this problem – and offer the holy grail of performance combined with green friendliness – Softspikes has developed the Stealth cleat, which is the standard spike on two of this year’s flagship shoes, FootJoy’s D.N.A. and adidas’ n What makes the Stealth cleat more green friendly?

It’s a lower profile cleat, so the distance between the base and the leg of the cleat is smaller. The legs are soft and flexible, which traps grass for traction, but makes it more green friendly. This was something that both adidas and FootJoy were looking for in a cleat for their 2014 models. Another key aspect is the PINS insert system.

We were able to take

ats cle

O

adizero one. But there’s still a battle brewing between golf shoes with spikes, and those without. New research shows that golfers still prefer cleated shoes to spikeless models – in the UK last year, 80% of golf shoes sold had spikes. Yet every brand now offers a spikeless model, and more and more tour players are wearing these shoes.

So what should you wear?

How often should you swop your spikes? Are spikeless shoes grippier? And what does the future hold for them? We spoke to Softspikes’ VP of Marketing, John Hohman, to find out... material out of the receptacle (the hole that holds the cleat) and make it narrower and shallower.

This brings the golfer closer to the ground but also allows the shoe companies to make the outsole thinner and lighter, so they can add more padding for comfort. n How much research goes into cleats?

A lot! We used feedback from athletes in multiple sports. They spoke about how much

more comfortable it is when their weight is absorbed by the legs of the cleat flexing. On a rigid cleat, the shock goes right into the foot. So with the flex you get in the Stealth, it interacts better with the grass and creates great traction and comfort. n Do you test green friendliness?

Very carefully. Green friendliness is a hot topic right now. People step on the green, remove their foot and see it’s leaving marks. But the true test comes after 8-10 minutes, as that’s when the next

467,000

SHOES SOLD LAST YEAR IN THE UK

79% had

The science of spikes

ss atle cle

Softspikes Stealth cleat, £8.99 (pack of 20). www.softspikeseurope.com

fourball comes through.

We take pictures of indentations from our cleats at regular intervals up to 10 minutes, to see how the ground recovers. n Can you get the same grip from a spikeless shoe?

It might be similar out of the box, but six or 12 months down the line, the cleatless outsole can’t be replaced. We find cleats work better than spikeless in any lie outside of the fairway. And let’s face it, that’s where a lot of us hit shots. 94-96 per cent of the top golfers in the world wear cleats – that says it all.

The Stealth cleat’s PINS insert system is the new, state-of-the-art method of attaching cleats to the outsole via a special two-pin wrench.

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A brief history of spikes

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Courses County Champions ANGUS Champion: Gary Tough (Edzell) Handicap: +1

1 Carnoustie (Championship) Regarded as the most difficult course on The Open rota with the 18th providing one of the iconic closing holes in Major championship golf. Green fees: £154. Tel: 01241 802270.

2 Montrose Links (Medal) 2-FORE!-1 Any course which is over 450 years old must be something special and the Medal certainly is. A traditional links with all the usual hazards. Green fees: £55. Tel: 01674 672932.

3 Panmure Ben Hogan laid the foundation for his victory in the 1953 Open Championship by practising on this tight and challenging heathland links. The clubhouse has great history to soak up. Green fees: £80. Tel: 01241 852460.

4 Edzell (Old) 2-FORE!-1 The Old Course at my home club offers a beautiful mix of heathland and parkland under the Grampian Mountains. Green fees: £42.

Tel: 01356 647283.

5 Downfield One of the region’s best inland courses, where water comes into sight on nine holes.

The host of the first ever Scottish Open is still a proper test. Green fees: £69. Tel: 01382 825595.

6 Monifieth (Medal) An Open qualifying venue where the only par 5s come at the end of both loops. Classy links fare – and where Tom Watson first tasted seaside golf. Green fees: £59.

Tel: 01382 532767.

7 Letham Grange (Old Course) Despite its grand title, this was only officially opened in 1987 by Sir Henry Cotton. This parkland boasts narrow tree-lined IS SUE 321 TODAYSGOLFER .CO.UK

The infamous closing stretch at Carnoustie.

ARGYLL & BUTE

Sheep keep Mach Dunes’ fairways tight.

undulating fairways – and watch out for the holes around the turn.

Green fees: £35.

Tel: 01241 890373.

8 Carnoustie (Burnside) Ben Hogan made it through to the 1953 Open by shooting 70 in qualification on this challenging ‘second’ links at the iconic venue.

Green fees: £42.

Tel: 01241 802270.

9 Forfar 2-FORE!-1 Originally laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1871,

Champion: Graham Bolton (Rothesay) H'cap: Scratch

this wooded heathland isn’t especially long but it’s always in good condition. The dog-legging par-4 15th is a star.

Green fees: £36.

Tel: 01307 463773.

10 Arbroath A relatively flat links where the difficulty comes with the well-positioned sand traps and undulating greens. A friendly club with plenty of history.

Green fees: £35.

Tel: 01241 802270.

1 Machrie Hotel With a variety of green complexes, the need to hit a selection of different shots is a must on this natural links on the beautiful island of Islay. Green fees: £72. Tel: 01496 302310.

2 Machrihanish Dunes Only opened in 2009, but golfers could be forgiven for thinking this magnificent David McLay Kidddesigned links has been around for decades. The bunkers are all

‘PRESTWICK - BIRTHPLACE OF THE OPEN – GUARANTEES YOU FUN’

natural while the views are stunning. A chance to experience golf as it used to be. Green fees: £75. Tel: 0800 151 3701.

3 Machrihanish Designed by Old Tom Morris, this links has been a super test for over 100 years. The opening shot across the beach is one of the best anywhere.

Green fees: £65.

Tel: 01586 810213.

4 Millport Situated on the Isle of Cumbrae, this heathland demands accuracy from the start – out of bounds comes into play on the opening seven holes.

Green fees: £24.

Tel: 01475 530306.

5 Dunaverty A clifftop course near Kintyre, it provides a collection of stunning views. The small greens are difficult to hit, while the 6th is one of the most difficult par 3s in Scotland.

Green fees: £28.

Tel: 01586 830677.

6 Cowal This mature parkland course is laid out above the Firth of Clyde on the slopes of the Cowal peninsula. The most

testing holes come over the exacting, stellar inward stretch.

Green fees: £20.

Tel: 01369 705673.

7 Rothesay My home track is the only 18-hole course on the Isle of Bute. Although short, it still has two par 5s over 500 yards.

Green fees: £20.

Tel: 01700 503554.

8 Glencruitten Also known as Oban GC, elevation changes are a common factor on this challenging parkland – golfers are usually hitting off raised tees towards holes up the hillside.

Green fees: £20.

Tel: 01631 562868.

9 Tobermory A nine-hole clifftop course on the Isle of Mull offers a good variety of holes. Some can be quite long with the par-3 3rd and 4th both 200-yards plus.

Green fees: £20.

Tel: 01688 302741.

10 Bute The oldest course on the island of Bute offers nine unique holes, including the 223-yard, par-3 6th. Green fees: £15.

Tel: 01700 503091.

AYRSHIRE Champion: Stuart Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas) Handicap: +2

1 Royal Troon (Old) Open Championship venue – and one of most demanding. The front nine boasts the famous Postage Stamp while the inward stretch, into the prevailing wind, can provide a tough run for home.

Green fees: £190 (also includes a round on the Portland course).

Tel: 01292 310063.

2 Prestwick Old The birthplace of The Open is a classic links. There

are lots of undulations and quick sloping greens. It’s not long by today's standards but requires a variety of shots and lots of nous.

Green fees: £130.

Tel: 01292 477404.

3 Western Gailes A traditional links with narrow fairways and small greens so the need to hit accurate shots is paramount to score well. Oh, and the clubhouse is unusually in the middle of the course! Green fees: £130 (includes meal & strokesaver).

Tel: 01294 311649.

4 Turnberry (Ailsa) Situated on the coast overlooking Arran and Ailsa Craig, this is arguably the most scenic course on The Open rota. A clifftop-links with several magnificent holes.

Green fees: £250 (£99 twilight rate).Tel: 01655 331000.

5 Turnberry (Kintyre) 2-FORE!-1 Made up of the original Arran course and some new holes, this is really demanding off the tee as the fairways are banked either side by gorse. Green fees: £95.

Tel: 01655 331000.

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