Written by Karl Morris, mind coach to tour pros including Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen on Thursday 28 April 2016
Back in 2008, Graeme McDowell was leading the Scottish Open by four shots with just four holes to play. It was the first time he had been in a position of having a healthy lead going into the final few holes. But at this moment – on the brink of success, and playing the best golf of his career –...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 26 April 2016
Accommodation near The Open venue gets booked up early ever year, and doesn’t tend to come cheap. If you haven’t got yours sorted already, you’re likely to be facing extortionate prices, a long daily journey to the course, or both. Unless you don’t mind sleeping in a tent, that is. The Open Camping Village will be located near to the course when...
Tuesday 26 April 2016
2016 marks the twelfth year of BMW’s title sponsorship of the BMW PGA Championship – a prestigious event on the European Tour schedule and one of the most recognised events in the world of professional golf. Returning once again to Wentworth Club and the iconic West Course, the event attracts a world class field to excite and entertain the large,...
Written by Rob McGarr on Friday 22 April 2016
A little while ago, we explained why many of the traditional golf statistics don’t help you and, in some cases, can actually harm your game. Many of you agreed. But, you asked, what stats should we be tracking in order to improve our scores? Well, we’re glad you asked… Your score from 75 yards and in Every time you’re within 75 yards of...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 21 April 2016
Nine-hole golf is being proposed as a perfect solution to the problem of slow play and golf taking too long. In the latest move, the R&A have announced a nine-hole championship that will take place in the week leading up to The Open. But is simply cutting something in half ever a suitable solution? Does half a round equal half the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 21 April 2016
Of all the ideas proposed to shorten the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf, one has the potential to make by far the biggest difference: reducing the number of holes played from 18 to nine. It doesn’t take a professor in mathematics to realise that without changing anything else, that one simple move would halve...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 19 April 2016
The first time the world saw Tiger Woods’ golf swing was when he was two years old. A young Woods appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, and demonstrated a pretty impressive swing for someone who may still have been wearing nappies. But Woods’ swing at that age looks messy when you compare it to Juan Ignacio, a two-year-old from Chile, taking...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 18 April 2016
Show us a golfer who doesn’t want to hit the ball further and we’ll show you a liar. Distance not only makes the game easier, enabling you to reach par-5s in two and hit shorter irons into par-4s, it is, quite simply, fun. Not many feelings can match the sensation of hammering a drive miles down the middle of the...
Written by Rob McGarr on Monday 18 April 2016
Slow play is one of the main things driving people away from golf, as people don’t have the patience or the time to put up with rounds that take nearly five hours. Lichfield Golf and Country Club decided to tackle the problem head-on by producing a set of ‘Ready Golf’ guidelines designed to improve pace of play. The guidelines state: – Tee off...
Written by Rob McGarr on Thursday 14 April 2016
61.7% of adults in Britain are overweight. 24.8% are obese, meaning their weight is likely to have an adverse effect on their health. Britain has the highest levels of obesity in Europe. In short, we need to do something to get people in shape. Could golf be the answer? “The health benefits are clear for so many who take part,” says Conservative...
Written by Rob McGarr on Tuesday 12 April 2016
“There are three kinds of lies,” said Mark Twain. “Lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The sentiment was echoed by another of the world’s great thinkers, Homer J. Simpson: Unfortunately, I’d wager that well over forfty per cent of people don’t realise that traditional golf statistics are at best useless and, at worst, downright harmful. Allow me to explain. Putts per round “I putted terribly today.