Today's Golfer Issue 303

HOW THE COLD AFFECTS YOUR BALL + DAVID LEADBETTER

TODAY’S GOLFER JANUARY 2013 (NOV EMBER 29 - DECEMBER 26)

Golfer Today’s

NEW GEAR INCLUDING NIKE’S

WWW. TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST-SELLING GOLF MAGAZINE

WORLD FIRST CAVITY BACK DRIVER

ALL-NEW RESEARCH

NEW GRIP

REVOLUTION THE FIVE-MINUTE FIX THAT CAN SAVE YOU FOUR SHOTS A ROUND

PUTTING GURU DAVE PELZ’S TOP 3 DRILLS

JANUARY 2013 ISSUE 303 NOV 29 - DEC 26

6 RANGE £4.20

DRILLS Make a basket count ‘42O WASN’T LONG ENOUGH’ The weird world of long driving WET BUNKER TIPS

Plus: How to score in the wind

RORY’S SWING

Learn from the world No.1

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PLUS JUSTIN ROSE > DARREN CLARKE > JAMES BOND’S CLUBS > ROB LEE’S NEW COLUMN > BREAK 100/90/80

FIRST TEE

See the video Watch Poulter’s trick shot school at www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/ poultertrickshots

THIS MONTH’S SECTION

10 Bond’s new clubs, and Rory’s club swop 12 Golf’s new frontiers 14 David Leadbetter Q&A 20 How golf’s World Rankings are worked out

POULTER PRAYS FOR MORE LENGTH ➔

HITTING A SEVEN-FOOT LONG

driver while on his knees was just one of the shots Ian Poulter attempted under the tutelage of World Golf Trick Shot Champion Geoff Swain recently. Poults nailed it – and Swain was impressed by his trick shot skills.

“Ian’s hand-eye co-ordination is great. The best shot had to be Ian hitting my chip to him on the

volley with a driver. I stood about 15 feet behind him. He had to look back and time his shot to perfection to hit it on the full. Poults flushed the first decent chip I gave him.”

The recent WGC winner added: “It was awesome to try out all the different trick shots, a lot of which I’d never seen before. I managed to pull most of them off, but it took a few takes.”

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

THE SECRET DIARY OF JUSTIN ROSE 1/3 (AGED 32 ) With multiple worldwide victories, a starring role in the greatest-ever Ryder Cup and a place in the world’s top five secured, Justin Rose is now targeting a Major championship WORDS KIT ALEXANDER PICTURES GETT Y

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s a fresh-faced Justin Rose flung his arms into the air to celebrate his 50-yard pitch-in for birdie that secured fourth place and the Silver Medal at the 1998 Open, the 17 year old had the golfing world at his feet.

But teenage success is no guarantee of a long and glittering career and for every Rory McIlroy and Michael Owen there are just as many Ty Tryon’s and Francis Jeffers’ who fall into obscurity. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to turn that raw talent and bursting potential into lasting headlines and achievements.

The path to greatness is rarely straightforward and Rose’s rise to Ryder Cup

hero, WGC champion and world top five player has been punctuated with setbacks and challenges that have tested his resolve and amplified his drive to keep improving.

His journey to the top has produced a balanced and likeable individual with a wellrounded game able to win on any course.

Each tournament victory has been a step up in prestige and importance, and the next stage in this upward spiral is a first Major championship.

Just five days after he finished birdiebirdie to complete a remarkable Ryder Cup singles victory over Phil Mickelson and set Europe up for the greatest comeback in sporting history, Rose spoke to TG about the defining moments of his career to date and his Major prospects. ➔

I was offered cash to break the hands of a Ryder Cup player He could have had a life of violence and criminality, but “Gypsy Joe” Smith turned to golf instead and became a pro. This is his story WORD S M A RTIN PASHLE Y PIC TURES JA MES CHE A D LE

GRIP REVOLUTION

BACK TO BASICS: SIX QUICK AND EASY STEPS TO A ‘NEUTRAL’ GRIP We’ve shown you how to make a strong or weak grip work for you. But of course there are plenty of golfers out there whose natural arm hang suits a neutral grip. Here’s how you can create one

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POSITION THE HANDLE IN THE FINGERS

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CHECK THE NUMBER OF KNUCKLES

Allow the handle to rest in the fingers. If the club is positioned correctly in your left hand you should be able to support the weight of the club with the bottom heel pad and the forefinger.

The top heel pad of the thumb will sit on top of the handle. A neutral grip will see 2-3 knuckles visible on the left hand depending on the person. One is too weak, four is too strong.

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INTRODUCE THE RIGHT HAND

As you introduce the right hand, connect the little finger to the left hand in the desired fashion and ensure the club is held in the remaining three fingers, not in the palm.

ANOTHER RULE OF THUMB

Just like on the left hand, ensure the end of the right thumb doesn’t extend past the first knuckle. You’re not trying to hold the club like a hammer, it requires far less pressure.

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ADOPT A ‘SHORT’ LEFT THUMB

Shorten the left thumb, creating a crease between the basejoint of the left forefinger and thumb. This locks the fingers in place and allows the wrists to hinge freely.

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LOCK THE THUMBS TOGETHER

The fleshy part on the base of the thumb is almost designed to sit perfectly against the left thumb. You can wrap your hand over and a short right thumb locks the right hand in place.

INTERLOCK, OVERLAP OR BASEBALL? What feels best is key when choosing a grip type. One hand size may tend to favour a certain type, but personal preference should take priority. The main goal is to unite the hands and get them working together in as comfortable fashion as possible.

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Overlap The most popular grip by far, where the little finger rests in the groove next to the left index finger. It gives the grip more freedom and flexibility and offers more strength.

Ideal for golfers with large hands or thick grips.

Interlock Interlocking tends to favour those with smaller hands, but does take the left index finger off the grip. Be careful not to force the fingers deep into the hands as this gets the handle in the palms, which limits wrist hinge and forearm rotation.

Baseball Children tend to start with this grip, where all 10 fingers are in contact with the handle, because it provides maximum strength.

Also popular among golfers with small hands as it helps get their fingers around the handle correctly.

REVEALED: WHY 85% OF GOLFERS ARE USING THE WRONG GRIPS Worn or ill-fitting grips are harming your game – and replacing them with new ones could save you up to four shots a round...

GRIP STATS PROS Q

A TG surv UIZZED ey of all E lite Pros found tha needed th t 63 % of golfers eg changing rips on their clubs . Only 30% of golfers contemp lated cha ngin while all pros offere g d grip fittin g.

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IT’S ONE OF THE MOST

undervalued and neglected part of your bag, and the only part that requires regular maintenance. Pros and club fitters claim it’s wrong for up to 85% of golfers, yet it’s one of the cheapest things to fix.

We’re talking about your grips.

A national survey of golfers in the USA found that 66 per cent of those who had their clubs re-gripped and custom fitted cut an average three to four shots off their scores. Yet UK research by Sports Marketing Surveys, which interviewed almost 1,000 golfers at 450 clubs, discovered more than 30 per cent of us have never even contemplated changing our grips.

“The majority of golfers, maybe as ➔

Choices galore Grips now come in four different sizes: undersize, standard, midsize and oversize. Have you got the right grips for your game?

BIG, STRONG AND VERY, VERY LONG

Thought Bubba, Dustin and Alvaro were big hitters?

Welcome to a world where 350-yard drives are a failure WORDS TONY DEAR PICTURES JAMES CHEADLE

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lthough 25-year-old Tom Hollingworth jokes he is built like a Spartan, the first thing most people compare his upper body with is the proverbial outdoor facility made of brick. His arms are abnormally large, his torso probably unique among Sheffield-based environmental consultants whose day job involves ‘discussing badger habitats’.

The Doncaster native’s physique and overall fitness are the result of five days a week in the gym lifting heavy weights (he bench-presses 165kg), performing cable swings and pullups, swimming, and working on flexibility. He also eats enough for two grown men; roughly 5,000 calories a day he gets from generous helpings of steak, chicken, eggs, pasta, and beans. Despite this intake, his waistline is no bigger than most guys his age, but at 16st 7lb, he commands quite a presence.

Dan Konyk, 35, is a PGA Professional working at the Woodlands Driving Range near Barnsley. His arms may be sized more normally but, at 6ft 3in and 16st 5lb, the father of three-month-old Georgi is still plenty powerful. In his home gym (‘it’s actually my garage’) three or four days a week, Konyk works on fast-twitch exercises incorporating fast repetitions with a combination of light and heavy weights. He may not count the calories quite as closely as

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Hollingworth, but he does concede he consumes a lot – probably too many ‘after a pork pie with brown sauce’.

You’d certainly not pick a fight with either man, but even they would think twice before upsetting Joe Miller, a 27-year-old Londoner who blocks out more sunlight than both of them. Twenty frightening stone packed into a 6ft 4in frame, Miller gorges six meals and 6,000-8,000 calories every day (“I eat everything in sight with protein in it”), filling up on Omega 3 eggs, wheat toast with peanut butter, porridge, fruit, chicken, rice, pasta, steak, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, and multiple glasses of whey protein.

Before training, he knocks back a nitric oxide drink and, following his extreme workouts, recovers with 60g Whey Isolate, 100g Vitargo, and 10g of Creatine. He’s so ripped, it’s a wonder he finds shirts with sleeves wide enough.

Besides hoisting weights most people would have trouble moving, and eating enough food in a day to satisfy a family of four, this disparate trio of Englishmen share something else that sets them apart – each consistently drives a golf ball beyond the 400-yard marker (at the ranges that have one) and they all competed at this year’s RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nevada.

Miller is in fact a former champion having beaten 16-year-old Dominic Mazza under the floodlights at the Mesquite Sports and Event Complex in the 2010 final. After

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LONG DRIVING Monster drives Englishmen Joe Miller, left, and Dan Konyk are two of the biggest hitters in golf.

EXCLUSIVE

‘People who think I’m a party guy who plays golf and then goes straight to the pub don’t know the true Darren Clarke’ The bare-knuckle boxer who turned his life around with golf In this extract from his new autobiography, Darren Clarke uses typically candid language to describe his character – and how it has shaped his intense relationship with the game

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o what is the real me?

One of my biggest pluses is also one of my biggest negatives, in that my desire and determination, admirable qualities for the most part, sometimes get in the way of what I am trying to achieve. I want things so badly that although my attitude has driven me to the highest of highs, it has also taken me to the lowest of lows. And I find it very difficult to deal with the lows. I’m either up or down. When I’m up I’m fine, and when I’m down I’m best left to my own devices. There’s not a lot in the middle.

Without that drive I don’t think I would have achieved half of what I have. If I’m going to do something, I do it properly – and in golf it is always within the rules of the game. But the desire can be so great that it makes me intolerant of imperfection.

If you ask people outside the game to list the golfers most dedicated to their profession, I doubt that my name would figure too highly, but ask anybody inside the game and they will tell you

that I am often the last to leave the range. But therein lies the problem. Because I work very hard, I expect results to follow, and golf doesn’t work like that. Sometimes it goes the other way and that frustrates the hell out of me.

Success and failure in this fantastic but infuriating game can rest on one lucky bounce; one kind ricochet off a tree back into the fairway or deeper into the woods; one holed putt against a lip-out; one hop left into safety or right into water.

There are so many variables and at times I have struggled to cope with them.

Consistency has never been one of my strong points and that’s the way I’ve always been. I’m a streaky player. When I’m on, I’m as good as anybody; when I’m off, I can’t beat Chubby. The trouble is I know how well I can play and I want to play like that every week. It just does not happen and never will.

That same desire, determination – talent, if you will – is also the reason I get so low and fed up with the game. At times I am tempted to break the clubs or throw them away, but then I remind myself that losing my head and misbehaving on ➔

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NEW GEAR What lies beneath A section has been removed from the sole to allow for more perimeter weighting.

FIRST LOOK

THE WORLD’S FIRST CAVITY BACK DRIVER The technology has been used in irons since the 1970s, but it’s taken 15 years for it to arrive in a big stick ➔

DON’T LET THE COLOUR FOOL YOU,

the big story here isn’t the fiery red design, it’s what lies beneath the crown – an innovation 15 years in the making.

Nike have removed the back-middle section of the driver to allow for perimeter weighting, creating the world’s first cavity back wood – the VR_S Covert. Look down at the crown at address and you’d be none the wiser, hence the name.

The innovation doesn’t stop there – Nike has developed a new FlexLoft adjustability system which allows loft and face angle to be altered independently.

The silver-faced 460cc model (£249) is joined by a black-faced 430cc Tour edition (£349). Both are adjustable from 8.5º-12.5º with low-torque Mitsubishi Diamana Kura Kage shafts as standard. They will be available from late January.

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Independence The Covert’s loft and face angle can be adjusted independently.

Power face The woods feature NexCOR face technology, which delivers faster ball speeds off a wider area of the face.

Key things to know about Nike’s VR_S Covert driver

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Cavity back design Nike engineers have saved weight by employing the cavity design, and this mass has been redistributed towards the heel and toe of the clubhead, improving stability and increasing the moment of inertia to offer more forgiveness, as well as better distance on mishit shots. And while the design is certainly unique, from an address perspective it feels classic. The only difference you’ll notice while over the ball is the colour because the cavity is completely hidden.

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That colour According to Cindy Davis, President of Nike Golf, one of the briefs behind the driver design was to make it “visually iconic”. “It’s exciting. The more we worked on the product, the bolder it became,” she told TG. The red crown complete with brand swoosh is certainly bold and will help the Covert stand out on Tour, in the bags of club golfers and on the retailers’ racks. Designer Tom Stites is a huge fan of the colour. “It’s passionately red, it’s fiery, it’s a fighting colour, it emotionally just draws you to the game, and it works,” he told TG at the launch.

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Simplified and innovative adjustability Nike’s VR_S Covert driver takes adjustability to a new level. The dual axis adjustability system contained in the new FlexLoft innovation allows you to adjust the driver from 8.5° up to 12.5° and adjust the face to any angle independently from the loft. Nike are renowned for adjustability innovation with their STR8-Fit driver setting the tone when it launched in 2008, but it did seem complex. The new FlexLoft addresses that and ensures it is considerably more straightforward and intuitive.

New aesthetics The bright red head will give it lots of exposure on Tour, but the cavity design is well-hidden at address.

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Proven face technology Nike’s NexCOR Face Technology isn’t new, but it remains a clever piece of design, creating faster ball speeds from a wider area of the face.

The innovation was first seen in VR_S woods, which will be replaced by the new range, and the results ensured the likes of Francesco Molinari put them into play on the European Tour.

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Tour ready version Nike’s smaller, more workable 430cc Covert Tour edition has a deeper face and is designed for better players looking to work the ball. As well as the smaller head, it also has a black face as opposed to the silver colouring of the 460cc model, and a weight plug in the sole to optimise the centre of gravity. This cannot be adjusted.

The pro’s verdict Jhonattan Vegas, PGA Tour “The Covert driver is absolutely fantastic and it is so appealing to the eye. It feels solid, the face is much more stable when you strike the golf ball and the reaction you get from the face when you mishit a shot is still incredible – it’s one of the things I’ve always wanted in a driver but this is probably the first time that I’ve felt it in a club.

“I have been using the VR_S, but I’ve just switched to the Covert. Pretty much as soon as I got my hands on that club I knew I wanted to get it in my bag. When you first see the club, it makes you stand back and go ‘wow’ – the colour is so attractive and appealing.

There could be a red driver, a blue driver and a white driver and I guarantee most people would be attracted to this because it is incredibly striking. I think the colour is one of the things that will drive this club to be popular with golfers all around the world.”

Classic shape Though the technology is innovative, the classic shape of the head will appeal to many golfers.

Meet the man who made it happen Director of Product Creation, Tom Stites

How long have you been designing this innovation?

The first concept prototype was about 15 years ago, but there weren’t manufacturing techniques to do what we envisaged.

Five years ago we thought there might be casting techniques to make it happen so we elevated it as a possible project. Three years ago we dedicated the resources to try and make it happen.

Has Tiger tested it and how quickly will Tour players get into it?

Tiger’s testing it and other products. It’s always a challenge to convince him as he’s more traditional than people think.

Francesco Molinari has it, a number of guys will come out with it very soon and then the rest will be shortly behind.

Why should our readers play it?

Because it’s traditional in shape from the playing position, but radically technological from the ball’s perspective. It’s really the best of both worlds. The Dual Axis adjustability system allows you to adjust the loft without changing the face angle. It’s very consumer-friendly. Maximum geometry, maximum technology, but on a traditional shape and frame.

See new clubs first every day at www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/gear

NEW GEAR

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

TOUR DRIVERS Four better players head to The Belfry to test eight hot drivers used on the worldwide tours in the past 12 months W O R D S J O N G R E AT H E A D P I C T U R E S T O M C R I T C H E L L

JAMES RIDYARD Pro, and TG’s resident club tester-in-chief.

DARREN WALTON PGA pro, attached to Bedford GC.

MICK ROSSBOROUGH Six-handicapper seeks feel and consistency.

CRAIGSUTHERLAND Five-handicap Craig likes to work drives.

Hard drive Trackman testing gave factual feedback...

Getting personal ... while our team of four offered opinion.

THE EXPERT DESIGNERS WE SPOKE TO

Benoit Vincent TaylorMade’s chief technical officer.

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MOST OF US WANT A DRIVER

to do two things – find the fairway, and travel miles down it. But clubmakers persist in producing clubs that suit that percentage of players who want to add workability to their list of demands off the tee. We’ve put eight of the class of 2012 through their paces. The results are over the page. But first, designers at Callaway, TaylorMade, Nike, Mizuno and Ping reveal what makes a “better-player” driver.

Andy Kikidas Tour operations manager for Mizuno.

Why do manufacturers make them?

Benoit Vincent (TaylorMade): Betterplayer drivers address the needs of these players which are mainly about eliminating the left side of the fairway (the club should not hook), delivering lower ball spin rate and desired trajectories and a good feel for high swing speed players. To satisfy these needs, BP drivers feature an open face angle (2 to 3 degrees), stiffer shaft, and centre of gravity position towards the toe. Taller faces are preferred because the ball spin is lower when the ball is struck above the CG which is easier to do with a taller face.

Marty Jertson (Ping): We’ve only made a Tour version once, as part of the G2 driver family. We made it at 400cc compared to the 460cc standard version. None of our Tour players played it as it didn’t have the forgiveness and ball speed of the 460cc version. Since then, we’ve never made another Tour version driver.

Tom Harper Head of clubs and balls for Nike Europe.

Why do they cost more than the standard model?

Tom Harper (Nike): Among the reasons are forged construction instead of cast, increased adjustability features, upgraded shaft construction, or more expensive materials or material finishes.

Marty Jertson Senior design engineer at Ping.

Dr Alan Hocknell Callaway senior vice president for R&D.

Why don’t all pros on the worldwide Tours use these models?

Marty Jertson (Ping): Because with drivers, Tour players care about the same thing as most golfers – forgiveness, feel, distance. The need for more workability in drivers is pretty low; most Tour players hit their drives very straight and there are not a lot of golf courses that require big changes in shot shape off the tee.

Dr Alan Hocknell (Callaway): In fact all Callaway Tour pros play drivers with head designs available for regular golfers. The reasons we can design drivers which are optimised for Tour pros and average golfers at the same time are 1) Adjustability 2) Designs vary by loft (each loft is designed with the characteristics of the intended player type in mind) and 3) Technology. The ability to tune the performance of each loft comes from key technologies in materials and manufacturing processes that allow us to keep the total weight of the head within optimal levels, while offering adjustability and tuned performance through weight placement.

Andy Kikidas (Mizuno): Not all pros are alike and sometimes they choose gear completely against what you thought they might like. Therefore there isn’t a “type” of driver that you could blanket fit to every single player, amateur or top level pro. We never expected our MX700 fairway woods to be used on tour – they were too shallow and very big. Though most of our guys ended up using them just because they flew miles.

What do designers prioritise when producing a better-player driver?

Tom Harper (Nike): Better-player drivers are more likely to feature a deeper face, which enables optimal vertical CG

location for lower launch and are frequently smaller than 460cc maximum volume permitted by the R&A/USGA, typically 420-460cc. More traditional pear shapes are often preferred as most have played golf for many years and are accustomed to this shape from address.

Marty Jertson (Ping): With a betterplayer driver, we are trying to give the clubhead optimised launch conditions for higher swing speed players, while maximising forgiveness and providing an inspirational head shape, slightly open looking face, and pleasing impact sound.

Andy Kikidas (Mizuno): Generally it should maintain workability. Lower MOI will allow the player to move the ball left and right. A higher CG will keep the spin down and for the better player nowadays it should sit slightly square to open.

Can you see the demand for these products ever come to an end?

Dr Alan Hocknell (Callaway): Tour models for us are a rarity as we design drivers that perform for the best players in the world – on Tour – and also offer significant performance characteristics for everyday golfers. The widespread adoption of adjustability only furthers that practice for Callaway R&D. Tom Harper (Nike): I believe there’ll always be wide variance in launch conditions so offering heads with different launch characteristics makes a lot of sense.

Benoit Vincent (TaylorMade): The demand evolves as engineers find ways to add adjustability. The shafts are the last component to adjust. So, the market drivers become closer and closer to meet almost all needs of these players. The head can be the same and the shaft can be custom ordered. ➔ TODAYSG OLFER .CO.U K ❘ IS SU E 3 03

INSTRUCTION SWING SEQUENCE 1

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM 2

3

Rory holds a nice, long back at set-up, a good focus for any golfer.

A wide arc is set from the start. The club’s travelled most, hips least – good sequencing!

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10 Legs are loaded and poised ready for a full explosion at impact.

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Scott Cranfield Scott is a Master of the PGA. Visit www.cga-golf. com for info on his academies.

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11 Rory’s shaft is perfectly lined up with the ball – a sure sign he is on plane.

WHEN WATCHING RORY McILROY SWING

I get the distinct impression he is simply focused on swinging the clubhead, allowing his body to respond. It is one of the most free-flowing actions you are ever likely to see.

This is important because good flow allows imperfections – which all swings have – to blend in, making the action repeatable. While we all want to improve, too much technical focus can cause one body part to tighten up, making another area overwork to compensate. This is often described as poor

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12 Club and arms are now last in the swing’s sequence, ready to unleash into the golf ball.

timing or co-ordination. Learn to balance technical practice with a good pre-shot routine to minimise swing thoughts. To create a flowing swing like Rory’s: n Spend an equal amount of time focusing on swing technique and rhythm and flow. n Accept the fact your swing will never be textbook perfect just as no other swing in the world is, or ever will be. n Commit to keeping your swing flowing when you play.

Follow this formula to help swing a bit more like Rory Mcllroy.

THE WORLD’S BEST SWING 5

Swing flow aids consistency – and Rory McIlroy is a perfect role model

6 The club continues on its simple set-up arc – there’s no body manipulation.

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7 Arm plane begins to shallow ready for downswing.

He’s turned around his spine nicely.

Rory’s body has started unwinding as the club remains close to the top.

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Flow brings easy rotation; his belly faces the target yet his left foot stays grounded.

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THINGS TO TAKE FROM RORY’S SWING

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16 The spring in Rory’s legs has now been used as they ease up and then straighten out.

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TRANSITION

As Rory’s club completes his backswing, his lower body has already started to unwind back to the target. You can practise this by swinging one-handed as if replicating a throw.

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FOOTWORK

Rory’s lower body is alive and reactive; it looks like every stud in his shoes are springs. Use this focus to hone a great leg action like Rory’s – and fire better lower body support into your action.

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BIG ARC

Rory’s natural flow-induced width sends the club on a wide arc.

Imagine the clubhead travelling on the perimeter of a large circle. This creates room in your swing which translates into power.

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PLAYING Famous landmark The view of the worldfamous lighthouse from Ailsa’s 9th tee.

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WEEKENDER

SOUTH AYRSHIRE Open-legend The Ailsa, The Kintyre and Belleisle make this tiny corner of Scotland a golfer’s dream W O R D S K E V I N B R O W N P I C T U R E S G LY N S AT T E R L E Y

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THINK OF YOUR MOST VIVID

dream. The one that left you checking if it really was a dream.

That’s the feeling you get as you drive away from Turnberry. Forget golfing paradise, this is golfing fantasy in a destination little bigger than a hamlet on South Ayrshire’s coast. Most places this size don’t have a village shop.

Turnberry has a world-class hotel overlooking two world-class links courses and some of the world’s most spectacular scenery.

Turnberry’s a haven far away from the madding crowds; so cornered and remote in fact that it cruelly lost its place on the Open Championship rota despite staging the legendary 1977 ‘Duel in the Sun’ shootout between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. It rightly returned to the Open scene three years ago and, fittingly, produced one of the greatest ever Championships with the legendary Watson denied a fairytale victory at the ripe old age of 59 by fellow American Stewart Cink.

The luxury hotel underwent a multi-million pound refurbishment for the 2009 event and beneath its thousand red tiles you’ll uncover an inspired place steeped in history – it was used as a hospital and POW camp during the Second World War – and towering above a land of poets (Robbie Burns) and heroes (Robert the Bruce and William Wallace).

Nowadays Turnberry has the complete package with a sumptuous spa and a variety of eating options on offer. Naturally all this comes at a price – class never comes cheap – but staying here is something special, something extraordinary and

something every golfer should aspire to. Very little will trump the feeling as you look out of a sea view room to Ailsa Craig, a spectacular rock 11 miles out in the Firth of Clyde, Mull of Kintyre and Isle of Arran vistas.

It was the back end of summer when TG visited and, as you would expect, the Americans were out in force but unusually subdued... it was only a couple of days after Europe’s

‘CLASS NEVER COMES CHEAP BUT EVERY GOLFER SHOULD ASPIRE TO PLAY HERE’ astonishing Ryder Cup victory at Medinah. But the defeat wasn’t going to dampen their Turnberry visit and they merrily clicked away with a battery of cameras capturing permanent reminders of the worldfamous landmarks.

Just two miles up the coast you’ll find the quaint fishing village of Maidens which is comparatively cosmopolitan compared to its worldfamous neighbour – it has a café, general store and garage as well as two hotels with restaurants.

And a 15-minute drive away (although TG would recommend the slightly longer but ultra-scenic and breathtaking coastal route) is the popular coastal town of Ayr, famed for being the centre of Burns Country – Scotland’s best known poet Robert Burns was born in Alloway south of Ayr and clearly loved it, eloquently describing it as follows: ‘Auld Ayr wham ne’er a toun surpasses.’ ➔ TODAYSG OLFER .CO.U K ❘ IS SU E 3 03