A message from the editor, Mike Harris:
I’m a great fan of technology and innovation within the game of golf. I’m always excited to hear about the latest advances, whether they’re in equipment, technique and instruction or course agronomy. Golf’s ongoing evolution is essential for the sport to continue to appeal to new generations of players.
It’s also good to remember the bare bones of golf though, the beauty of the game itself. I was thinking that while reading Fergus Bisset’s excellent feature on playing the original 12-hole Open Championship course at Prestwick, using a set of hickory-shafted clubs (you’ll find it on page 42). The club recreated the original layout to celebrate the 150th Open and Fergus brilliantly describes the feeling of playing the game in a purer, simpler form.
The Prestwick piece made me think about just how far golf has come since those early pioneers strode the links with a bundle of ‘mashies’ and ‘niblicks’. The equipment was rather less than forgiving and the ground conditions a far cry from the pristine surfaces we enjoy at even the lesser-ranked courses today.
Has any other sport evolved so far as golf in the last 150 years? Not only has the equipment we use transformed the game and made it accessible and enjoyable for players of all ages and abilities, but also the surfaces over which we play have gone from rough and unpredictable to smooth and true. In order to appreciate just how amazing the ongoing technological advances are in each element of golf, it’s important we take the odd admiring look backwards from time to time.
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FREE 2023 Calendar
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
Plan your golfing year with our FREE 2023 Golf Monthly calendar featuring stunning images from around the world. Renowned photographer Kevin Murray has had another busy year and he’s hand-picked some of his favourite snaps to brighten any wall and see you through the next 12 months.
Nick Dougherty Masterclass
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The great thing about golf is that anyone can play, from old to young and from total beginner to old-hand. While golfers come in many forms, all have one thing in common – a desire to improve. But with endless, often conflicting advice a mere click away, the journey is rarely easy. Here, TaylorMade ambassador Nick Dougherty sets out to simplify things for three Golf Monthly readers. No matter what level you’re playing at, Nick’s simple tips could well do the same for…
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