CATEGORIES

KINDRED SPIRITS

With the 2023-24 rankings not far away, Rob Smith meets up with fellow golf course enthusiasts on the Top 100 assessment panel

COUNTY MAYO

Mayo might be regarded as a golfing county off the beaten track, but take joy in that. There is plenty of sparkle

PLANET GOLF - Kauri Cliffs

New Zealand and Australia are each blessed with some of the most wonderful coastal courses in the world

MUST PLAY - North Berwick

The East Lothian coast is home to one of the most concentrated stretches of fine links courses both ancient and modern anywhere in the world. No trip to the region is complete without a visit to North Berwick's West Links, looking out over Bass Rock and the Firth of Forth, where there's a real sense that precious little has changed over the last 190 years.

Best 2023 golf watches

A golf watch can become a trusted companion that provides GPS distances and A strategy-enhancing information, all coming in a wearable package many golfers find more convenient than a rangefinder.

Joel Tadman on...Should you buy a new driver in 2023?

Be sure to buy or borrow a sturdy travel cover that offers complete padding and protection. At particular risk are the longer clubs - the driver and woods, which stick up highest out of the bag.

Wilson Staff Model TM22 putter £370

The Wilson Staff Model TM22 is one of the two mallet putter shapes in this premium range of heads. Milled from a block of 304 stainless steel, the TM22 exudes class and uses different milling patterns to highlight different parts of the head.

Ping iCrossover utility iron £275

Aiming to bridge yet another gap in the bag you didn't realise you had, the iCrossover sits between your longest iron and the shortest hybrid, but is more of an iron than a hybrid. Compared with the previous Ping G425 Crossover, the sole is a little narrower and the head a bit sleeker to make it play more like an iron.

PXG 0211 2023 driver £319

By offering aspirational aesthetics and solid performance at a more affordable price, the Arizona-based brand has certainly piqued the interest of golfers with its 0211 range of woods and irons. We were particularly impressed by the playability of the original PXG 0211 driver. It was easy to launch and forgiving, so when we heard that a new version was launching, we were keen to see how PXG would move things forward.

TaylorMade P-Series irons £165 per club

TaylorMade's updated trio of better-player irons are constructed differently to provide specific types of performance, and we tested all three.

New Rules for 2023

The Rules of Golf have typically been updated every four years of late, but the major modernisation that came into effect in January 2019 strayed a year early from that cycle.

Jay Haas

The three-time Senior Major Champion offers some pointers to help you get the most from your game

How can I improve my bunker play?

Now with a ball  - The third circle happens to have a ball on it, so use the first two circles to practise technique before trying for real.

Conquer the 50-yard bunker shot

With an 8-iron, aim slightly left of target (in this case, the flag). It's harder to sit the hands low to get the loft to point towards the target as we open the clubface with lower lofts.

How to fix an open clubface

INSTRUCTION: FAULT FIXER

Perfect your putting this winter

Top 50 Coach James Jankowski explains how to boost your flat-stick prowess this off-season

THE PROMISED LAND

Golf Monthly's Elliott Heath has been on a mission to break par for the first time, a feat he achieved towards the end of 2022...

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Jeremy Ellwood heads to Edgbaston GC to speak to members of the British Golf Collectors' Society and find out more about the organisation

The art of captaincy

Davis Love III reveals the lessons he's learned leading the US team and why it means so much to him

FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS

With an action-packed tournament schedule across the circuits and controversies still to play out, 2023 looks set to be quite a year in professional golf

Sarah Stirk

We're currently in that funny time in the golfing calendar where the new season hasn't quite got going yet, but there have been a few slightly different tournaments which have kept things interesting of late. I remember writing my column this time last year about what a joy the PNC Championship was to watch, and I have to say it was even more entertaining this time around. The quality of the field just gets stronger and stronger and it's become a real fixture on the pre-Christmas calendar.

Wayne Riley

Happy New Year to everyone, and welcome to what I think could be one of the most memorable years in the history of professional golf.

Srixon ZX Mk II metalwoods £239-£499

The all-new Srixon ZX Mk II woods are said to provide even more power in 2023, largely down to a stronger Rebound Frame design.

Dundonald Links

Jeremy Ellwood pays a return visit to the South Ayrshire links and enjoys his first stay in the brand-new on-site accommodation

Ball above your feet

Top 50 Coach Ged Walters explains the adjustments to make when your lie sees you standing below the ball

Which is tougher in winter: wet, compacted sand or a muddy greenside lie?

THE GAME DEBATE

TALKING POINT: Which will be the best men's Major of 2023?

All four of last year’s men’s Majors delivered endless drama and shocks, all of which were fittingly wrapped up at the 150th Open in St Andrews.

IN THE NEWS

Exempt LIV Golf players permitted to compete in The Masters at Augusta

THE GAME

Tiger returns to action alongside son Charlie

Bill Elliott

You know those moments on a golf course when the weather turns the evil side of bad, the waterproofs can’t handle it and, as the club slips in hands shaking from the cold, another shot crackles into the jungle.