Today's Golfer Issue 307 Sample

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PLUS BRITAIN’S SECRET GOLF SOCIETIES > MIZUNO’S FIRST TOUR BALL > POWAKADDY & MOTOCADDY’S NEW TROLLEYS > ALGARVE GOLF GUIDE

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MASTERS PREVIEW AUGUSTA BUILD-UP STARTS HERE

THE 2013 DRIVERS TEST

All the new drivers rated, ranked and tested on

a launch monitor

‘MY KEYS FOR

BIG DRIVESWILL

WORKFOR YOUTOO’

IT WORKS FOR ANYONE

THE ‘FEEL’

WAY TO EXTRA

POWER

FIRST TEENEW THIS MONTH... 14 Masters edition gear15 Greenest greenkeeper16 John Paramor Q&A 18 Fantasy League is back 24 Truth about... iron loft

IS SU E 3 07 ❘ TODAYSG OLF ER .CO.U K

Drive to the course The headlights, wing

mirrors and a top speed of 40mph mean it’s

road legal in Europe.

THE BUGGY THAT COSTS MORE THAN A PORSCHE

TODAYSG OLF ER .CO.U K ❘ IS SU E 3 07

➔IF YOUR NUMBERS COME UP ON Saturday night, you could choose to

become an owner of the world’s most exclusive golf buggy – the Garia Mansory Currus.

It costs €68,900 or around £60,000 – some £10,000 more than a top-of-the-range Porsche Cayman – does 40mph and it’s road-legal. It has been designed in collaboration with Mansory, the car customiser famous for their work on luxury supercar brands such as Bentley, Bugatti and Ferrari.

Just seven will be made and sold, with

features such as a leather dashboard, custom seats and carbon-fibre rear body. It also comes with an adjustable setting for maximum battery regeneration and three different driving modes - Golf, Street and Race - which adjust top speed and acceleration. Lithium batteries give it an extended range of up to 37 miles, and a speed package takes it up to 37mph.

Anders Lynge, designer and creative director for the Danish company Garia, said: “The Garia Roadster is really the closest you get to a golf car version of your favourite luxury sports car. We

were inspired by the sense of freedom and joy you get from driving around in a sports car and we wanted to translate that experience to the golf course.”

Carbon-fibre aside, the Currus features multi-spoke alloys, wing mirrors and leather seats with contrasting yellow stitching. Cup holders, seat belts and a CD player also come as standard. A roof and windscreen are an option.

The Currus golf buggy, which has two seats and holds two bags, made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show last month.

If Batman was a golfer

He’d surely carry his

clubs in one of these.

1. Cup holders as standardThe cup holder next to the driver’s seat has been

designed to accommodate cans and bottles.

2. Performance settingsThe engine has three modes – Golf, Street and

Race – which adjust top speed and acceleration.

3. Attention to detailJust like many luxury cars, the dashboard is

made from real leather and carbon fibre.

MASTERS PREVIEW

Close call at Augusta“I should’ve won it, but I’ve got a lot of good memories from the 2010 tournament”, Lee told TG.

LEE WESTWOOD

t’s one of golf’s longest-running curses – no winner of the traditional Masters curtain raiser staged on the Wednesday has ever gone on to win the main event in the same year.

Lee Westwood insists he is not worried about that par-3 tournament jinx. “I’d love to win it,” he says with a smile. But there’s another hoodoo the 39-year-old is even more desperate to break: his lack of a Major.

Many, including Sir Nick Faldo, believe that a man with 39 worldwide wins on five continents under his belt is long overdue his maiden Major victory.

He’s been close on numerous occasions: Open runner-up at Turnberry in 2009 and 2010 at St Andrews. And three years ago at Augusta, Westwood finished runner-up to Phil Mickelson with a 72-hole score that was good enough to have won 15 of the previous 20 tournaments.

But Westy remains as level-headed as ever about his Masters prospects. He has quietly and assuredly educated himself at Augusta on each visit. And if the 2010 event proved to be another near miss for a player with a stellar Ryder Cup record, it is one that he is determined to take the positives from.

“I should’ve won it, but I’ve got a lot of

good memories from the 2010 tournament,” Westy insists. “Phil had a couple of special runs, especially in the middle of the third round, but I had a five-shot lead at one stage and not many people get five clear at Augusta. I was obviously playing well and doing everything right. I know I can again, but you can’t help it if sometimes somebody else performs that little bit better. Phil did fractionally.”

That close call was not the first time Westy has been in contention coming into Augusta’s fabled back nine on the final day. In 1999, he led the field at the turn on Sunday, the first time he had been in such a position on the last round of a Major championship. He fell away after dropping three shots through the perilous Amen Corner – but it was an important stage in the learning process.

“It was still very early in my career,” he reflects. “I’d only had five years of playing on tour and it was only my third Masters. It was nice to get in that position. Seeing your name on the big leaderboard going into Amen Corner is something you dream of.

“The leaderboards are unique at Augusta; they’ve been in the same places for years. They’re another part of the continuity and history of the event, so it was great to see my

I

No major worries

Westwood exclusive

W O R D S G R A E M E H A M L E T T P I C T U R E S G E T T Y I M A G E S

New home, new clubs, new attitude... Lee Westwood feels fresher than ever in his quest for a Green Jacket

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Hole-by-hole insight by 18 men who know the course intimately

THE MASTERS PREVIEW

A PLAYER’S GUIDE TO AUGUSTA NATIONAL

Augusta National is a “second shot” course, where strategy and placement off the tee is imperative if a player wants to find the right portion of the green where the flag is placed. Missing those portions results in a difficult two-putt at best. To discover the challenges each hole presents, we spoke to 18 players who’ve played here recently – including two men who’ve won the Masters.

1. Tea Olive / Par 4, 445 yards

4. Flowering Crab Apple / Par 3, 240 yards

2. Pink Dogwood / Par 5, 575 yards

5. Magnolia / Par 4, 455 yards

3. Flowering Peach / Par 4, 350 yards

6. Juniper / Par 3, 180 yards

Aaron Baddeley

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano

Geoff Ogilvy

Jose Maria Olazabal

Brandt Snedeker

Matt Kuchar

You can reach the bunker on the right, but you can’t fly it so you

need to stay left there. The key from that point is to hit the middle of the green; the approach can be anything from 5i to 9i depending on the wind. It drops off quite severely on the left. Ideally you aim for the middle of the green and putt to the corners.

I know this is stating the obvious, but it’s very long – I’ve hit

5-wood before. If they move the tee up, which they probably will at least once during the week, I’ll hit something like a 5-iron. The only target you should have in mind is the middle of the green. If you can keep the ball below the hole, so much the better.

This may be the best green on the course, which is why they have

replicated it on the practice range. The way you play the hole depends on where the flag is on the green. If the pin is on the left, your lay-up is almost in the crowd to the right of the fairway. The hardest pin is the one front right. A great par 5.

This is a long par four, uphill, with two bunkers on the left that you

have to avoid at all costs. I usually hit a driver off the tee unless the tee is moved forward or downwind. After that you have a middle iron onto a very undulating green, with two or three really tough pin positions. If you make par, it is a good score on here.

A short but difficult par 4. You want to put your tee shot short of

the fairway bunkers, leaving a full shot in. If you run too far, you really are tight with the approach into a hard green. The green slopes from left to right and there is a bunker guarding the left, which makes what would otherwise be an easy approach shot more difficult.

It is a 6-iron to the middle of the green, every time. Occasionally it is

a birdie chance, but look for three there. I’d take four of them. I try to jot some notes down every year, be a little more prepared, and study the greens. A break fools you. Hopefully, you take a good note and can remember it for an upcoming year.

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FRONT NINE: 3,725 YARDS / BACK NINE: 3,710 YARDS TOTAL 7,435 YARDS, PAR 72


PLAYER'S GUIDE

13. Azalea / Par 5, 510 yards

7. Pampas / Par 4, 450 yards

16. Redbud / Par 3, 170 yards

10. Camellia / Par 4, 495 yards

14. Chinese Fir / Par 4, 440 yards

8. Yellow Jasmine / Par 5, 570 yards

17. Nandina / Par 4, 440 yards

11. White Dogwood / Par 4, 505 yards

15. Firethorn / Par 5, 530 yards

9. Carolina Cherry / Par 4, 460 yards

18. Holly / Par 4, 465 yards

12. Golden Bell / Par 3, 155 yards

Robert Garrigus

Louis Oosthuizen

Jim Furyk

Fred Couples

Lee Westwood

Adam Scott

Francesco Molinari

Darren Clarke

Rory Sabbatini

Edoardo Molinari

Paul Casey

Ian Poulter

I could just blow my drive right over the trees on the left and leave

an 8 or 9-iron into the green. But there is a risk in that. A safer option is to hit a club you can draw around the corner and make sure you miss Rae’s Creek. The approach should be made straight at the middle of the green.

A 3-wood off the tee has been my game plan every year. From there

you are going in with a 7, 8- iron and on rare occasions, 9. Stick that approach in the middle of the green because from there it slopes left and right. If you hit a good approach, a three is on but I don’t think you stand on any tee on this course and think it is a ‘chance’ hole.

Like every hole it really depends on pin as to what you do here. If in

doubt, just hit it at the middle and you will always have an uphill putt for birdie. It can be as little as a 9i or as much as a 6i, depending on the wind, and the green is pretty deep. What you don’t want to do, if the pin is back left, is leave the ball up on the right.

If it’s wet, you would hit a driver and hook it. If it’s dry, a lower club

would get it down to the bottom of the hill. You then have the three toughest shots on the golf course, for me. I struggle with my second shot on the 10th; you always get a different lie. You don’t want to go long or be short so it is about hitting the middle of the green.

It’s a tough drive. If you get it on the fairway it’s a birdie chance. It’s one of

those severe greens that if you miss in the wrong spot you’re completely knackered. You’re talking three yards between it being fine and impossible. I hit an approach shot in practice that I thought would leave a nice enough chip, but was screwed.

An opportunity for good players to reach in two. The second shot

is real risk/reward. To sneak it around the trees on the left you risk going left and that’s where you can’t go. The green is now slightly wider at the front, which may entice some more players to go for it in two, but they may have found new pin positions down there.

The tee shot here is really important. It is quite tight and you don’t want to miss

the fairway left because the trees block you out. The second shot is into a firm green, sloping away from you; for me that is a mid-iron approach. If the flag is on the right, it is tough. Long and left over the bunker are the more accessible positions. Your birdie hopes depend on that flag.

One of the toughest holes you will play all year, especially

with it playing so long now. You need to go left off the tee, but not too far or you hit trouble. A demanding second shot, with the water left; you’ve also lost your bail out shot right because they’ve raised the right side of the green. Par here it almost feels like a birdie.

The key is hitting a good central drive. Then it’s vital to know the wind

direction and not be afraid to go long. Otherwise, the lay-up isn’t the tricky shot, it’s the third – off a downhill lie over water into a green that isn’t very deep. You could be hitting a 5-wood, 5 or 6-iron on the approach, it really depends on wind conditions.

You need to hit a good drive, on the fairway, to get all the way down the

hill. From there, the second shot is difficult because you’re playing from a downslope onto an elevated green. There are three tiers on that green so you have to be on the right level. On the front nine, I’d say this is one of the easier holes, unless the flag is all the way at the back.

The majority of guys can’t reach the bunker on the left side – the ‘Sandy

Lyle’ bunker – so the shot to hit is a fade off the tee, knowing you won’t reach sand. This is easier said than done of course. There is a pretty narrow gap through which you have got to hit your driver. If everything goes to plan then you have about 165 yards for the second shot.

The 12th looks like a fairly innocuous par 3 – it’s anything but. The wind is

very, very tricky here, though you can get a sense of which way it’s blowing by looking at the flag on the 11th. Despite the length it isn’t really a birdie hole. You have a target in the middle of the green about the size of a table tennis table. Land your ball there and take two putts.

THE MASTERS PREVIEW

Can you improve on perfection?W O R D S K E V I N B R O W N P I C T U R E S H O W A R D B O Y L A N , G E T T Y

Three leading architects offer intriguing thoughts on Augusta National – they even reveal what changes they’d make to the ‘Cathedral in the Pines’…

THE ARCHITECTS

t has been ranked as the best course on the planet. Last year, a poll of PGA Tour players named it the best course they play all year.

Holes have been copied all over the world, while designer Alister MacKenzie is still revered for his work there. But can Augusta National be improved? What would a modern course designer do if he was given the task of making it even better? Three leading architects provide the answers.

What surprises you about Augusta?JG: The number of ‘blind’ shots players have to play, though that doesn’t really detract from the way the course plays, with some pros hitting the ball beyond the brow of the hills. Playing up to the 18th you don’t see the bottom of the flag do you? And it’s the same with the 9th; if your ball is at the bottom of the hill, from there it’s quite a steep climb uphill, something you don’t realise or appreciate watching on TV.JG: I’m not sure about the elevation change on the 18th, but I would guess it’s around a 30m difference, while the landing point on the 10th is a big drop below the level of the green. ME: They obviously had to cope with massive elevation changes with the routing, but produced 18 great holes. Whenever you get that change of elevation it’s a question of how you gain the elevation back without creating ridiculous holes; nobody would say 9 and 18 are ridiculous holes to get back up to the clubhouse.

With so many changes over the years, the course looks and plays differently nowadays. Your thoughts on that?MW: It has been changed since the day it opened. It was initially supposed to be a St Andrews-style pitch and run course but that didn’t last long.ME: I think it’s refreshing you’ve got conditions around the greens where you can play different shots. Ok, the grass type is going to affect the way you can closely mimic links golf but at least you don’t have thick rough round the greens so players like Seve can exhibit his skills – somewhat different to the US Open, Pinehurst excepted.JG: When Seve first played there in the early 1980s I’m sure they had a different grass type on the greens.MW: Yes, it used to be Bermuda grass but they changed it to bent.

IMeet the designers


MARTIN EBERTExperience: 23 years - 15 with Donald Steel & Company and eight with Mackenzie & Ebert. Best work: Pre-Open work at Turnberry, Royal St George’s and Royal Lytham & St Annes plus restoration of the Old Tom Morris course at Askernish in the Outer Hebrides.

JONATHAN GAUNTExperience: Has been involved in golf all his working life and “has been fortunate to have been operating successfully in the golf industry for over 25 years.” Senior member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects. Best work: Castleknock, Dublin.

MARC WESTENBORGExperience: 15 years and a senior member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects. Best work: Rockliffe Hall, Co Durham. The total renovation of the ‘Top 100 Ireland course’ Dooks and the design of a complex high-spec relocation project for Dun Laoghaire, also in Ireland.

➔

THE MASTERS PREVIEW

ack Nicklaus called it one of the best shots in Masters history. But for Bubba Watson, it was just “what I do”. “I had to keep it below 15 feet under a tree, then it

started rising and hooked about 40 yards. Pretty easy,” Watson said, describing his 160-yard play-off winning shot at last year’s Masters... with a 52-degree wedge.

Watson describes his style of play as “Bubba Golf.” He has never had a lesson and has the most untraditional game on the PGA Tour, curving virtually every shot one way or the other, to reflect how he sees it in his mind. Yet he topped the PGA Tour last year in driving distance and was third in greens in regulation. Here, we caught up with the defending champion for an exclusive chat in the clubhouse at TPC Scottsdale, before we hit the range to get his keys for power driving (page 104).

You began the final round three back of Peter Hanson and two behind Phil Mickelson. Did you still think you had a chance? Of course, funny things can happen at Augusta. You can pick up three shots pretty quick there.

When did you really start believing you could win? Probably not until the back nine, and especially after making four birdies in a row from the 13th. Before that it’s probably too early. I mean it doesn’t matter what you shoot on Thursday. I knew I was in a pretty good position after three rounds but it probably wasn’t until, actually the middle of the back nine, that I thought it could happen.

Immediately after the finish on Sunday you said it was all a blur and that you didn’t remember anything. What about now? Oh yeah, every shot. That’s probably a little sad; but I remember every single shot perfectly.

Any in particular? The approaches to the 14th and the 16th were my best shots. On 14 I hit a wedge that spun back to about six feet. You see that shot all the time. Tiger hit it the first year he won I think. Having seen that shot so often then producing it myself was pretty cool. Then on 16, knowing how difficult that shot can be and that I was losing at the time, to hit it in there about eight feet was a big shot.

You played with Louis Oosthuizen in the final round so saw how he was playing. Did knowing it was him you would be facing in the play-off influence how you prepared and approached the extra holes? No, not at all. It doesn’t matter who it is that you’re playing. He certainly wasn’t looking at me and thinking about what I was going to do. All he was thinking about was making a score – the same thing I was doing. You’re just focused on how you’re going to shoot the lowest score possible.

Do you remember what you were thinking about in the cart on the way to the 18th tee for the first play-off hole? Were you stewing over missing a chance to win the tournament in regulation? No way. I forgot about that pretty quick. On the way down to the 18th tee all I was thinking was hitting the fairway. If you hit it in the woods or the bunkers,

chances are you’re going to lose, so all I was concerned with, the whole way down to the tee, was how I was going to hit the fairway.

You did that obviously, then hit a great approach. Yeah, the drive at 18 is pretty tough for me because I like to fade the ball with the driver, but that hole demands a draw from a left-hander. But I hit it great and left myself a wedge uphill to the green. Put it to about 10 feet.

Louis missed from 15 feet, then you had your putt to win. My caddie Ted and I just couldn’t believe that ball went left. We read it as pretty straight and I hit it right where I wanted. But it slid left.

How did that affect you? Well, it was a great opportunity to win so I was obviously disappointed, but I knew that we were going to the 10th tee level, and that I still had a great chance to win.

What happened to your drive at the 10th? That hole sets up perfectly for my power fade, but I just didn’t cut it enough, so it headed straight into the trees on the right. I was obviously pretty concerned at what might happen to it. I’d been in those trees earlier in the day and made par, but I knew you had to get real lucky to have a shot out of there. If it goes too far into the bushes, then you’re dead.

So what was your immediate reaction when you saw where your ball had finished? It was in the

J

BubbaW O R D S T O N Y D E A R P I C T U R E S D A R R E N C A R R O L L

In an exclusive chat with TG, Gerry Lester Watson Jnr reflects on his miraculous 2012 triumph – and looks ahead to an emotional defence

➔

THE CHAMPION

Our newly-formed panel put the latest drivers through their paces over three IT’S THE 2013 DRIVERS TEST

gruelling days of testing. Which would scoop the coveted TG Gold Award?IT’S THE 2013 DRIVERS TEST

➔Just when we thought innovation in golf club technology had reached its

limits, 2013 came along. It’s a boom year for drivers, with all the major manufacturers coming out with a new model. Adjustability is now the norm, and as well as white crowns there are red ones, blue ones, green ones and silver ones. This year’s drivers test is more authoritative and detailed than ever. As well as a new test team, representing a wide spectrum of abilities, we have used our new GC2 launch monitor to record the numbers – and unlike other tests, we’ve published them. These key stats, for distance and forgiveness, can be used with the rest of the test information to help you make a more informed equipment choice – starting with the driver.


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IS SU E 3 0 4 ❘ TODAYSG OLF ER .CO.U K


THE DRIVING ISSUE

Add yards to your own tee game by adapting his straightforward approach to driving

T he 2012 Masters Champion has never had a formal lesson in his life. “I’m a feel player,” he insists. “I see the shot I want to

hit, try to feel it in my body, then hit it. I don’t like to get any more technical than that. If I miss a shot, I don’t ask what position my club was in, or what my legs were doing, or anything like that. I try to remember how I was feeling, and ask myself if I committed myself fully.”

Ted Scott, Watson’s caddie for the last six- and-a-half years, says that while his boss probably does understand terms like ‘in-to-out swingpath’, ‘upright swingplane’, and ‘restricted hip-turn’, he never uses them. “The only thing I’ll ever mention is something to do with his set-up,” he adds. “Bubba totally owns his swing. He just visualises the shot he wants to hit, and then he goes for it.”

Today’s Golfer met Bubba in Arizona to identify the secret behind those prodigious drives. Three central themes emerged – and though you might not have Watson’s talent, they will all help you hit a longer, straighter ball.

1. Hover the clubhead Bubba Watson’s address position is really fairly standard. He appears relaxed; has an orthodox interlocking grip; his knees are slightly flexed; his feet are roughly shoulder-width apart; and he plays the ball opposite the instep of his front foot, as nearly every instruction book advocates.

His grip is strong, as you’d expect, but a lot of

players with similarly strong grips could never hit the ball as far as Bubba – think Paul Azinger, Bernhard Langer or Zach Johnson.

You’ll note Bubba is a hoverer. The clubhead is off the ground as he addresses the ball, just as Greg Norman did in his heyday. “I guess I’ve always done it,” he says. “It’s just perfectly natural to me now.”

A grounded head can lead to a snatchy takeaway, as you need to take up the club’s weight as you start the swing. Bubba’s tactic is designed to create a smoother, less erratic, takeaway, and release tension. Because he hovers the head, Watson says the clubface of his driver is at precisely the same height as his ball on the tee. “I don’t ever change the height of the tee,” he adds. “Doesn’t matter what shot I’m trying to hit, I always tee it the same.”

BUBBA’S 3 KEYSFOR BOOMING TEE SHOTS

W O R D S T O N Y D E A R P I C T U R E S D A R R E N C A R R O L L

Above: Hovering the head ensures you have the club’s weight supported – aiding a smoother start. ➔

IS SU E 3 0 5 ❘ TODAYSG OLF ER .CO.U K

W O R D S K E V I N B R O W N P I C T U R E S H O W A R D B O Y L A N , B R I T I S H A I R W AY S

Our secret societyMany of us have joined one, but it takes a particular kind of golfer to become a member of these golf societies…


SOCIETY GOLF

Our secret societyMany of us have joined one, but it takes a particular kind of golfer to become a member of these golf societies…

Open to: All former and present serving Royal Marines, and any former or serving serviceman who served with the Royal Marines in 3 Commando Brigade. Founded: 1956. Affiliated Club: Launceston GC, Cornwall.As you can imagine the 400-odd members are a competitive bunch – never moreso than during the annual tussle with the old ‘foe’ from the Parachute Regiment. “It’s all about bragging rights, pride and honour,” RMGS organiser Ned Kelly told us. “Fortunately we’ve never lost to the Paras. Yes, we are competitive, but the best part about golf is the etiquette and sportsmanship and the Marines follow this to the letter.

“For us it’s about having a good crack and a bit of banter. It’s a great relief and escape: the Corps has been very busy with operations in the past decade; the guys need to wind down on their return - there’s no better way to do this than golf.”

Ned arranges about 15 fixtures per year including a number of charity events for causes like Help for Heroes. “Quite a few of our Royal Marines have died on Operations over the past few years and often their dads will organise a golf day to commemorate their son’s life, and will ask for our support, which we love to do.”

The group forms a formidable unit, though they finished second best when they took on their US counterparts last year. “We had eight days there leading up to a Ryder Cup style match, and though we got beat it was a fantastic trip.”

avid Cameron might still dream of creating his ‘big society,’ but he’s been beaten to it by the UK’s golfers.

Society golf provides a sense of belonging our PM would love to emulate. It has all the elements we love about the game – new adventures, a sense of fun, camaraderie, banter, sharing a pint and laugh over that missed putt or shanked chip; like-minded people coming together after four or five hours immersed in golf.

To celebrate this particularly British phenomenon, TG set out to discover some of the UK’s more quirky, unique and entertaining society fellows. We found five that caught our attention – but if you feel your society is missing, let us know at the address on page 36.

THE ROYAL MARINES GOLF SOCIETY

Green berets Expect a tough but

well-spirited game against the Royal Marines Society.

D

➔

PLAYING

➔LISTS OF THE TOP 100 COURSES in Great Britain & Ireland are interesting

exercises, but ultimately they serve one main purpose – to spark debates in clubhouses.

Because let’s be honest, most of them aren’t really on the radar of most golfers, who understandably baulk at paying £150 to hit a

little white ball around a nicely-mown bit of grass. Those lists have their place, but it’s generally for voyeuristic entertainment.

This list is different. It will spark debate, but it will also spark participation. Because by its very nature, this list only includes courses which are affordable – every one costs

£60 or less to play. And, unlike the usual Top 100 list, the courses are spread much further apart, rather than grouped in a little corner of Ayrshire, Fife, Southport and Surrey. There will, almost certainly, be one within a short drive of you. So, let us begin the countdown, and with it the debates and the away days...

Top 100 GB&I courses £60 & under


Welcome to the real Top 100. You can play – and afford – every course in it

Welsh star Play the superb Porthmadog, with its views of Snowdon, for just £37.

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Above: St Pierre – host of several European Tour events and the 1996 Solheim Cup.

Above: Dartmouth G&CC offers a fabulously-conditioned parkland course.

PLAYING

‘JUST A SHORT DRIVE OUT OF GLASGOW, EAST REN IS A QUALITY BRAID HEATHLAND’

100 Bridport & West Dorset

Par 70, 5,875 yardsGreen fees: Mon-Fri £34 a round & £50 a day; Sat-Sun £38/£58 2-FORE!-1: Any time (day rate) Tel: 01308 421095Clifftop golf doesn’t get much better and the stunning par-3 6th is almost worth the green fee alone. The course is in excellent condition year-round and on a clear day you get views over Lyme Bay and Chesil Beach.

99 Dartmouth G&CC, Devon

Par 72, 6,637 yardsGreen fees: Mon-Fri £45; Sat-Sun £50 2-FORE!-1: All week after 2pm Tel: 01803 712686Challenging undulating parkland with a nice variety; the Championship course boasts a terrific set of short holes including a thrilling par-3 finale over a water-filled valley.

98 Wildwood, SurreyPar 72, 6,663 yards (Parkland

& Lakes nines)Green fees: Mon-Fri £40; Sat-Sun £60 Tel: 01403 753255Home to 27 holes of Hawtree-designed parkland golf – three loops of nine – and a splendid par-3 course. Wildwood is laid out on relatively flat land, surrounded by mature trees and further protected by several lakes.

97 Sand Martins, BerksPar 70, 6,232 yards

Green fees: Mon-Fri £40; Sat-Sun £45 Tel: 0118 979 2711The outward nine are parkland – with lakes, streams and dog-legs – while the home holes have a ‘linksy’ feel, incorporating deep rivetted bunkers as well as a ravine.

96 Llanmynech, Shropshire

Par 70, 6,036 yardsGreen fees: Mon £30; Tues-Fri £35; Sat-Sun £45 All include bacon bap and one-course meal Tel: 01691 830983 Perched on the England-Wales border, this is where Ian Woosnam learned to play. A mature parkland, 15 holes are in Wales and three in England; at the 4th hole you drive off in Wales and putt out on English soil!

95 St Pierre (Old Course),

MonmouthshirePar 71, 6,514 yards

Green fees: £60 2-FORE!-1: Mon-Thurs Tel: 01291 635205This is an established parkland where Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman and Bernhard Langer all tasted European Tour glory. Water is a consistent theme over the closing stretch, climaxing in a par 3 over a lake.

94 East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire

Par 70, 6,060 yards Green fees: £50 Tel: 01355 500256Just a short drive out of Glasgow, East Ren is a quality Braid-designed heathland which strangely receives few plaudits. A heathland and moorland hybrid, it reminds us of Gleneagles in many respects.

93 Whittington Heath, Staffs

Par 68, 4,795 yardsGreen fees: £50 Tel: 01543 432317Short but popular heathland course which winds between heather and trees with a backdrop of Lichfield Cathedral. It was transformed into an 18-holer by heathland guru Harry Colt in the late 1920s.

92 Rowlands Castle, Hants

Par 72, 6,398 yardsGreen fees: Mon-Fri £45; Sun £55 2-FORE!-1: Mon-Fri Tel: 02392 412785Founded over 110 years ago, this parkland venue is today a hugely attractive test. Tricky around the turn, recent irrigation additions mean a good surface to play on is pretty much guaranteed all year.

91 Bristol & Clifton, Bristol

Par 70, 6,049 yardsGreen fees: From £30 per golfer Tel: 01275 393474A mature, undulating and well-maintained parkland offering a varied examination. In season, it plays firm and fast, with greens often at a plus-11 stimpmeter reading!

90 The Warwickshire, Warwicks

Earls - Par 72, 6,750 yards; Kings - Par 72, 6,487 yardsGreen fees: Mon-Thurs £46; Fri-Sun £51 2-FORE!-1: All week (on peak rate) Tel: 01926 409409

Meet our Top 100 panellistsKevin BrownTG Courses editorGolfing claim to fame: Aced the 17th during a TG Reader Day at Chart Hills, Kent. Forewent the nearest-the-pin prize though.

Tom MackenzieGolf architect (Mackenzie & Ebert Ltd)Golfing claim to fame: Has worked on some of the finest courses in Britain.

Chris Jones TG EditorGolfing claim to fame: He once played the front nine on the Hotchkin at Woodhall Spa in one-under gross; but was 13-over on the back nine.

Chris BertramFreelance golf writerGolfing claim to fame: Has played 172 of the Top 200 courses in GB&I .

Dave WhyteScotland-based golf writer/photographer/videographerGolfing claim to fame: It’s a fact that Dave plays better golf with a camera & tripod close to hand!

Jonathan GauntRuns his own course architect company (Gaunt Golf Design).Golfing claim to fame: Since his 1987 work on St Andrew’s Jubilee Course, Jonathan has designed more than 35 golf courses on four continents and advises over 100 courses/clubs on improvements and sympathetic renovations.

What Gear 2013The Ultimate Buying Guide389 products + How to choose + Custom fitting advice

What Gear 2013Buying new golf clubs is a minefield. There are hundreds of products available, in every price range. Some boast ‘cup face technology’. Others have ‘flex frames’. There’s black clubs, blue clubs, green clubs. Orange clubs. White clubs. Orange and white clubs… Then there are the loft options. The shaft options. There are dozens of different heads in new irons. Bounce options in wedges. Shape options in

putters… That’s why we’re here to help. What Gear 2013 is the only place where you will find every club on sale in 2013.

We worked with every manufacturer to deliver a comprehensive guide to the gear on sale this year; complete with prices, pictures and technical highlights. It will help you whittle down your shortlist of new clubs, but that’s just half the story. Every section (right) contains buying tips from experts in the industry. They’re designed to help you understand how different clubs can help improve your game.

Of course, once you’ve identified the clubs you want to buy, the process really begins. Today’s Golfer is a big fan of custom fitting, and we’d advise anyone buying new golf clubs to get some advice before handing over any money. Try the club on a launch monitor. Get a pro to explain the numbers to you. Understand the effect spin rates and launch conditions have on your shots – and how different lofts and shafts can change them. Don’t think you’re ‘not good enough’ to benefit from a fitting – every golfer will get something out of a session.

To see what you can get, we’ve compiled a complete fitting guide (see page 24), where each manufacturer explains what they offer.

Today’s Golfer is the only magazine that rates golf clubs, and throughout this year the majority of the clubs featured in What Gear will be tested. We use our own GC2 launch monitor to really get under the skin of a product’s performance. To get your copy delivered to your home, subscribe – and take advantage of some great offers.

Have a great golfing year.

06 Drivers showcaseOur pick of the big sticks

08 Drivers listingsEvery driver on sale in 2013

12 Fairway woods showcaseWoods worth a look this year

14 Fairway woods listingsDozens of different options

16 HybridsshowcaseThey’re growing in popularity

18 HybridslistingsIncluding expert buying advice

24 Custom fitting guideWho offers what in a fitting

26 Irons showcaseNew irons to help your game

31 Irons listingsThere’s a set to suit any handicap

34 Wedges showcaseOur pick of the scoring clubs

36 Wedge listingsIncludes how to build a set

40 Putters showcaseIn numerous shapes and colours

42 Putter listingsAn astonishing array of flatsticks

46 Ball showcaseAll the new balls together

48 Ball listings There will be one to suit your game Joel Tadman, Equipment Editor

With thanks to Matt Millard and Jon Greathead

S U B S C R I B E T O B R I T A I N ’ S B E S T G O L F M A G A Z I N E A T W W W . G R E A T M A G A Z I N E S . C O . U K / T GY O U C A N A L S O B U Y T G O N T H E i P A D . V I S I T T O D A Y S G O L F E R . C O . U K F O R D E T A I L S

Today's Golfer Issue 307 Sample

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