A message from the editor, Neil Tappin:
Are you a goal setter? Do you look at the season ahead and think about the achievements you’d love to tick off? I’ve dabbled with this in the past, but lacked the self-discipline to stick with them.
This year, though, I’m going to commit to something tangible for the season. The obvious starting point is my biggest weakness – my short game. My shot-tracking data tells me that in my last 20 rounds, I’ve only got up and down from greenside bunkers 15% of the time. For context, the average for fellow 4-handicappers is 30%.
By happy coincidence (I promise it is a coincidence!), our leading instruction feature in this issue comes courtesy of Top 50 Coach Anders Mankert and is dedicated to greenside bunker play. From the basics of the set-up and swing to the best drills and techniques for tricky lies, he covers all the bases.
So, I’m going to use the tips provided by Anders to work on my sand play and in my next 20 rounds, my goal is to get up and down 30% of the time. By committing this to print, I’m holding my own feet to the fire and if I can hit my target, I should be able to make a tangible improvement to my scoring. Here’s hoping!
See below for more highlights from the issue...
FREE Top 100 UK & Ireland Courses Mag
This is the 11th edition of our biennial list and we strongly believe it has evolved to be an honest, representative and trustworthy ranking. No golfer will agree with all of the positions, but we have always acknowledged that subjectivity is at work, while striving to make it as objective as possible. What we ultimately love about it is that it serves as a source of endless debate and enjoyable discovery. We very much hope you will be inspired to visit some of the big names as well as those you may not yet know.
Ultimate 2025 Driver Test
Our gear guru Joe Ferguson has tested more than 25 different driver models in 2025. If you're looking to make an investment this year, his in-depth verdict is a must-read.
Bunker Masterclass
When you play a perfect bunker shot, it feels (and looks) fantastic. You take just the right wedge of sand and the ball splashes out safely over the lip and settles close to the pin. There’s no reason why you can’t do this every time, or at least a lot more often. As PGA Master Professional Anders Mankert demonstrates here, if you practise the fundamentals, the standard greenside bunker shot will actually become quite simple – and you may even start to hole a few.
Linn Grant Exclusive
Linn Grant is one of European golf’s hottest prospects and she’s determined to give herself the best possible chance in the Majors this year. She tells Alison Root about her journey so far and what the future holds.
Tyrrell Hatton Exclusive
Tyrrell Hatton has won three times in ten months after a three-year drought. He tells David Facey about his return to the winners’ circle and determination to make the Ryder Cup team.
Building Bryson's Clubs
PGA pro and GM gear expert Joe Ferguson let his curiosity get the better of him and entered a pro event playing a full bag of Bryson DeChambeau’s actual clubs. He couldn’t win, could he?
The Best Courses You Can Play
Our team of course experts travel the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland to bring you a mix of well-known clubs and hidden gems to add to your wish list. This month we also talk to Sam Cooper, whose madcap idea to tour the coast of Britain in a campervan and play every links course somehow turned from pipedream to reality.
Touring Adidas HQ
Dan Parker visits Adidas’ HQ in Bavaria to understand how golf has worked its way up the pecking order at this sporting giant.
