'It's both a blessing and a curse'

Chase, the other Koepka, on rising out of the shadow of Brooks

Issue 165 • £4.85

@BunkeredOnline bunkered.co.uk

CAMPIONE
How Francesco Molinari
became the Champion
Golfer of the Year

AL RO QUIROS
ALVARO QU
Get to know the Spanish
tour star a little better

HE'S
BOB VOKEY
We meet the man
behind the wedge

BACK!
'I HAVE A
GOOD WIFE'
Meet the guy with
nearly 200 putters
and wedges!

And this time it's for real

THE PUTTING ISSUE RREVIEWED

Awesome tips on P
Ping i500 & i210 +
how to hole out TaylorMade GAPR + Titleist AVX
T
 Welcome
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Y GOLF YEAR HASN’T
EDITORIAL
Editor Bryce Ritchie ç@Bryce_bunkered quite gone to plan. I
Assistant Editor Michael McEwan ç@MMcEwanbunkered
Staff Writer Martin Inglis ç@MInglisbunkered
played probably as much
Staff Writer David Cunninghame ç@DC_bunkered winter golf as I expected
Editorial Interns Chris Doyle & David Hayhoe
but, as soon as the good weather came in,
CONTRIBUTORS
Dougie Donnelly, Kevin Craggs, Scott Clark, Andrew Jowett,
I’ve hardly hit a ball. Typical. When I have
David Patrick, Murray Urquhart, Steve Johnston, managed to get out and play, the worst
Andy Carlton, David Orr, David J. Whyte
part of my game has been my putting.
ADVERTISING
Sales Manager Will McGrath
And that’s the sad part. Usually, I’m a
Sales Russell Stander, Andy Robertson & Julie Keith good putter, so it’s depressing to watch this element of my
ART & PRODUCTION otherwise bang average game fall apart.
Head of Art & Production Cheryl Gilbert
Art & Design Alison Stark, Steve Curran & Anne Collatin
For this special Putting Issue, I recently spent some time
Art & Design Interns Kirsty Campbell & Erin McKeever with Kevin Craggs, Steve Johnston and David Orr – three of
Production Department Louise Harkins
Editorial Secretaries Tracey Campbell, Louise Hope, the guys on our Tuition Panel – and it was great to listen to
Leanne Thorpe & Amy Garwell
their thoughts on how to hole out, including technique and
PHOTOGRAPHY their general approach to this facet of the game. It’s inspiring
Kenny Smith, Eve Conroy and David J. Whyte
PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED to hear it direct from them because what they said really
Getty Images, Adobe Stock, Fotolia.com, Press Association
resonated with me. I like my ‘tuition’ to be simple, otherwise
SUBSCRIPTIONS I can’t focus on the small things. I have too many thoughts in
Subscriptions Enquiries 0141 353 1715
Sales Information Desk 0141 353 2222 Fax 0141 332 3839 my head to worry about this and that.
Email sales@bunkered.co.uk / letters@bunkered.co.uk
So, if like me you’re wanting some help with your putting,
PUBLISHER you’ll love our Lessons section this issue. It starts on page 79.
Paul Grant
In keeping with the short stick theme, we’ve got the latest
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
Thomas Lovering
putters on sale today in our Gear Guide (page 117) and we
meet a man whose got a rather (expensive) habit of collecting
Scotty Camerons. As you’ll discover in our story on page 48,
he has a very understanding wife.
bunkered is a member of the Independent Press Standards
Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and This issue we have interviews with rising US star and
newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice
and are committed to upholding the highest standards of brother of Brooks, Chase Koepka, plus Alvaro Quiros and
journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards
and want to make a complaint please contact [0141 353 Bob Vokey, whilst Michael McEwan gets the lowdown on the
2222]. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you
would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, rise of new Open champion Francesco Molinari, who stared
contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk.
down Woods, Spieth and McIlroy to become Italy’s first major
bunkered cannot accept any responsibility for any unsolicited
manuscripts or transparencies. No part of this magazine may champion. Italy isn’t exactly a breeding ground for golf, which
be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher. While
every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, PSP Media makes it an even more incredible story.
Group Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or
omissions within the information provided. From time to time, I’ve said it before, get your kids into golf. They could make
telephone calls may be recorded for training purposes.
you rich one day. Enjoy the issue.
ISSN 1363-6561

Scottish Publisher of the Year 2011

Consumer Magazine Editor of the Year 2010
Consumer Magazine Editor of the Year 2008
Scottish Brand Development of the Year 2008
Scottish Publisher of the Year 2006
Scottish Consumer Magazine of the Year 2004

Member of the Audit

Bureau of Circulations
Bryce Ritchie, Editor
ç Bryce_N4

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 3
bunkered ISSUE 165 / 2018
contents
96
EQUIPMENT
95 / NEW GEAR
The latest equipment, including:
96 / Ping i500 & i210 irons
The latest incarnation of the tour
ball for slower-swinging golfers
99/ Ping Glide Forged
SšŒïÀÃÈ®ŒÜ–³À—Œˆ܌ˆ—Œ–À³­
Ping in almost a decade
101 / Bushnell Hybrid
Combining the best of both laser
and GPS technologies
102 / Titleist AVX
A new premium offering from the
No.1 ball brand in golf
104 / Golfstream Vision
A feature packed electric trolley
with a revolutionary screen
6 bunkered.co.uk
106 / TaylorMade GAPR
A new utilities line designed to
plug your long game gaps
108 / Shop Window
Want to add to your bag? Check
out these great new releases
110 / Glenmuir
The Scottish brand’s stylish new
Ryder Cup range
113 / Vintage Gear
A look back at a very unique set
of Cleveland irons.
114 / Cleveland CBX
An in depth look at Cleveland’s
cavity back wedge design
117 / Gear Guide
The latest putters and hybrids
GET
MORE!
THE LATEST NEWS & REVIEWS ONLINE
Make sure you bookmark our website so you
can keep tabs on the latest gear, reviews and
breaking news. Visit bunkered.co.uk
FRONT 9
14 / Tiger back on the prowl
The Open gave the clearest sign
that Woods can win major No.15
18 / A smart golf bag?
Take a look at the golf bag that will
select your clubs for you
20 / Eau de Clarke
One former Ryder Cup captain has
just launched his own aftershave
Millennials just want to see the ‘best bits’ on social
media rather than all of the action, live, on a big screen.
- Michael McEwan Page 28
22 / In Focus
Laura Davies celebrates major
success and Duf has a pooch party
26 / Dougie Donnelly “Making a
Why nothing can compare to
decision to
brilliance of the Open
improve requires
28 / Michael McEwan total commitment
Wathcing live golf on the TV might and dedication.”
soon become a thing of the past
30 / Embracing change
Kevin Craggs on why you need to
make changes in order to improve
32 / Analyse your game
Scott Clark’s tips on how you can
get the most out of your game
34 / The unconscious mind
Nicola Ellwood on how using your
unconscious mind can help you
out on the golf course.
REGULARS
12 / Mail Bag
Why times are tough for our PGA
pros
142 / Doon The Stretch
What the sunny summer weather
has done to our golf courses
144 / Crossword
Can you solve our latest puzzle?
146 / Moments
How this Scot ended the long wait
for a British Amateur champ
bunkered ISSUE 165 / 2018
contents
58 FEATURES
36 / OPEN REVIEW
9v—®œïƒŒ®È9³¨œ®vÀœ
9œƒšvŒ¨9ƒÜv®½À³ï¨ŒÃ*Èv¨âƺÃ
ïÀÃÈ­v¦³Àƒšv­½ܜȚœ®½ËÈ
from his coach Denis Pugh
48 / The gear geek
ÜÈưˆ³Ü®ܜȚOƒ³ÈÈâ
Cameron enthusiast and
ƒ³¨¨ŒƒÈ³ÀƜS³­³ÃȌ¨¨³
54 / Ayrshire golf boom
Martin Inglis visits South
âÀڜÀŒv®ˆﮈóËÈܚâ—³¨–
in the region is thriving
58 / EXCLUSIVE
Alvaro Quiros
KǪܜȚȚŒ–Ë®ư¨³Ûœ®—
O½v®œvÀˆ³®–v­œ¨âƜÈv®ÈÀË­ÃƜ
è³Ü½¨vâv®ˆÃ˽ŒÀ½³ÜŒÀÃ
68 / EXCLUSIVE
Chase Koepka
His big brother may have
¦ËÃÈ‚Œƒ³­Œv‚vƒ§ưȳư‚vƒ§
US Open champ but Chase
Koepka is determined to leave
šœÃ³Ü®­vÀ§³®ȚŒ—v­Œ
74 / EXCLUSIVE
Bob Vokey
We spoke to the master
ƒÀv–Èív®‚Œšœ®ˆSœÈ¨ŒœÃÈƺÃ
high performing Vokey Design
܌ˆ—ŒÃ
8 bunkered.co.uk
TRAVEL
125/ Latest news
Everything Troon International has
to offer and lots more besides
126 / West Cliffs
The Portuguese resort has plenty
ȳƒŒ¨Œ‚ÀvȌ³®œÈÃïÀÃÈ‚œÀȚˆvâ
128 / Stunning Sri Lanka
David J. Whyte crosses the Indian
Ocean to evaluate golf in Sri Lanka
132 / Trump International
OœáâŒvÀÃv–ÈŒÀœÈïÀÃȳ½Œ®ŒˆƜ܌
take a trip to the Aberdeenshire
¨œ®§Ãȳ̌š³ÜœÈšvÃÌÈȨŒˆœ®
137/ Where to Play
The pick of the places to play
in Great Britain and Ireland
TUITION
150
80 / Kevin Craggs
SšŒÀŒ®³Ü®ŒˆȳËÀƒ³vƒš—œÛŒÃ
ȚŒ¨³Üˆ³Ü®³®šœÃv½½À³vƒšȳ
improving your putting technique
86 / Short Game
vۜˆ?ÀÀÃvâ猌½vïÀ­¨Œ–È܈Œ
and improve your chipping in the
latest of his short game series
88 / Hole more putts
OÈÀ˗—¨œ®—ܜȚâ³ËÀ½ËÈȜ®—ƢOȌی
2³š®Ãȳ®³––ŒÀÃïیÜ­½¨ŒȜ½Ãȳ
improve on the greens
HO E
OUT
STAY IN TOUCH INTERACT
 YOUR LETTERS

Mail Bag  letters@bunkered.co.uk

+STAR LETTER ONE FOR A RULES GEEK...

As I was about to hit from the ninth
IS THE PGA PRO IN fairway in a recent matchplay game,

SCOTLAND IN DECLINE? I noted that the ball I had addressed

was not my ball. I immediately alerted
In similarity to football, where the money is all the other players in the group to this
unfortunately distributed at the top of the tree, it –vƒÈƜv®ˆܚŒ®ŒÛŒÀâ³®Œœ®ȚŒ—À³Ë½
would appear professional golf has taken on the agreed that the ball in play was 100%
same capitalist trait. the ball I had teed off with, it became
šv­½œ³®Ã4Œv—ËŒƜȚŒ®ȚŒœ—űƜȚŒ®ȚŒÀŒÃÈȳیÀÃÀv½Ãƛ:³ï¨ÈŒÀÃâÃȌ­ apparent I had played the wrong ball
ȳȚŒ—ÀvÃÃÀ³³ÈÃƛf³ËŒœÈšŒÀ­v§ŒȚŒȳ½ܜȚv¨¨ȚŒÀœƒšŒÃ³ÀÃÀv½Œ³ËÈv¨œÛœ®—œ®ȚŒ ³®v½ÀŒÛœ³ËÚ³¨Œv®ˆƒ³­½¨ŒÈŒˆȚŒ
‚vƒ§ÜvȌÀÃƛ*ÈƺÃv­vÃÜیÈËÀ®ư³–––³À­³ÃÈ–³³È‚v¨¨½Œ³½¨Œ*§®³Üƛ hole without noticing.
Professional golf in Scotland seems the same way. If you are not on the European Tour `šœ¨ŒœÈ̌­Ã­³ÃȨœ§Œ¨âȚvÈȚœÃ
ȚŒ®ȚŒï®v®ƒœv¨–v¨¨ȳȚŒ¨³ÜŒÀ¨ŒÛŒ¨ÃœÃvÃÈÀ³®³­œƒv¨ƛ`šœ¨ÃÈ*v½½ÀŒƒœvȌȚŒƒÀŒv­ÜÈÃvÈ had happened on the eighth, we could
the top and they should be fully rewarded for that supreme talent, do they need (like football) ®³Èƒ³®ïÀ­ȚvÈv®ˆƜ—œÛŒ®ȚŒÜvâ
v¨¨ȚvÈ­³®ŒâƢv®ȚŒ܌v¨Èš®³È‚ŒÚvÀŒˆ³Àï¨ÈŒÀŒˆ­³ÀŒv½½À³½ÀœvȌ¨âƢ I played the eighth, it was unlikely I
SšŒI%¿Ëv¨œïŒˆ½À³–ŒÃܳ®v¨³‚Ûœ³ËèâšvÃv®Ë­‚ŒÀ³–½vȚÃȳ–³¨¨³ÜƜܚœƒš­vâ played the wrong ball on that hole.
ƒŒ®ÈÀŒ³®ȚŒƒ¨Ë‚½À³Ú³½ƜȌvƒšœ®—v®ˆƨ³ÀIÀ³ư­ƨS³ËÀœ®—½À³–ŒÃܳ®v¨vƒÈœÛœÈâƛ9âۜŒÜ It was more likely I had played the
œÃȚvÈȚŒÃŒ—ËâÃvÀŒvیÀ✭½³ÀÈv®Èƒ³—œ®ȚŒܚŒŒ¨Ɯ¨œ®§œ®—v­vȌËÀÃȳȚŒ½À³–ŒÃܳ®v¨ wrong ball from a buried lie on the
—v­ŒȚÀ³Ë—š‚Œœ®—ví¨œvȌˆȳƒ¨Ë‚ÃƜȌvƒšœ®—v®ˆƜ‚ŒÃȳ–v¨¨ƜȚŒ½À³ưv­ˆvâÃܚŒÀŒ܌ Ìی®ÈšƜ‚ËÈȚŒ®ȚœÃܳ˨ˆšvی
can see these guys up close. meant playing the eighth hole without
³ȚŒâ®³ÈšvیvÀœ—šÈȳŒvÀ®vˆŒƒŒ®È¨œÛœ®—–À³­ȚvÈ¿Ëv¨œïƒvȜ³®ƢSv§ŒȚŒI% noticing I had the wrong ball, which
Oƒ³È¨v®ˆÀŒ—œ³®v®ˆȚŒȳËÀœ®—½¨vâŒÀ󭽌Ȝ®—܌Œ§ưœ®Ɯ܌Œ§ư³ËÈƛSšŒȳ½—ËâÃvÀŒ again appears unlikely.
lucky to squeeze £20k out of a season. That’s not sustainable in a country where the cost `Œ܌ÀŒË®ÃËÀŒvÃȳȚŒÀ˨œ®—
³–¨œÛœ®—œÃÀŒ¨vȜی¨âšœ—šƛSšŒŒÛŒ®ÈÃvÀŒˆœ­œ®œÃšœ®—ŒÛŒÀââŒvÀv®ˆȚŒ½ÀœçŒ­³®ŒâœÃ when the wrong ball has been played
ŒÛv½³ÀvȜ®—ƛSv§Œvîv½Ãš³È³–ȚŒÀŒƒŒ®È:³ÀȚŒÀ®?½Œ®ƛI³Ã܂¨âȚŒ̃³®ˆÀv®§Œˆ at some point but the point at which it
PGA professional tournament in Scotland behind the PGA itself going back numerous years. Üvý¨v⌈ƒv®®³È‚Œƒ³®ïÀ­Œˆƛ*švˆ
$³ËÀưÀ³Ë®ˆŒÛŒ®ÈƜ–v®ÈvÃȜƒóÀœ®—v®ˆÈv¨Œ®È³®ˆœÃ½¨vâv®ˆȚŒܜ®®ŒÀ½œƒ§Ã˽v½v¨ÈÀâ ¨³ÃÈȚŒÌی®Èšv®ˆܳ®ȚŒŒœ—šÈšƜ
£1,100 after forking out £120 entry plus probably another £400 minimum on expenses to so the decision on which hole applies
get there. It’s hardly a wage for a week’s work for a winner. It also didn’t look like there was the penalty was critical to the match.
a sponsor of note and essentially the guys are playing in a large sweep. This is wrong and I wonder if the experts at bunkered
ÌÀœ³ËèâȚÀŒvȌ®œ®—³ËÀ—v­Œƛ*–ȚŒÃŒ—ËâÚvیvȳ½âŒvÀv®ˆŒvÀ®ljŮŬ§œ®½ÀœçŒ­³®Œâ can clarify the rules here?
š³Üˆ³ŒÃȚvÈŒ¿ËvȌȳÃȌ½½œ®—˽ȳȚŒ®ŒáȨŒÛŒ¨ƛSšŒ—Ëâˆȳ¨œÛŒƛSšŒâƒv®ƺÈ Yours faithfully,
possibly pursue their dreams without the backing of a major sponsor. Derek Cuthbertson, Aberdeen
`švÈœÃȚŒI%ˆ³œ®—ȳŒ®ÃËÀŒȚœÃƒvÀŒŒÀœÃï®v®ƒœv¨¨âۜv‚¨ŒƢ³ŒÃ­³®Œâï¨ÈŒÀ–À³­
­v¦³ÀOƒ³ÈȜڌی®ÈÃƜȚŒOƒ³ÈȜÚ?½Œ®ƜȚŒ?½Œ®Ƣ EDITOR’S REPLY The truthful answer is I've no
`ŒvÀŒ‚Àv®ˆŒˆȚŒ(³­Œ³–%³¨–ưȚvÈv¨³®Œ—Œ®ŒÀvȌÃȳËÀœÃ­Œ¿ËvȜ®—ȳ­œ¨¨œ³®Ã³– idea and, unfortunately, the rule book doesn’t
½³Ë®ˆÃƜ‚ËȈ³ŒÃȚŒ%³ÛŒÀ®­Œ®ÈƨI%ˆ³v®âȚœ®—ȳï¨ÈŒÀȚvÈœ®ƒ³­ŒƢ?ÀvÀŒ܌ȳȌ¨¨³ËÀ have an answer to your problem. If I interpret the
I%ÃÈvÀÃȳ½¨vâ—³¨–vÃvš³‚‚â‚ŒƒvËÌâ³Ëܳ®ƺÈŒvÀ®v¨œÛœ®—ƢƠ rules my way, it’s loss of hole from the moment
Brian Currie you played the wrong ball. But if you don’t know
that moment, you’d probably assume it was the
EDITOR’S REPLY Some excellent points well made, Brian. The PGA in GB&I, just so you know, is funded (massively, I might time you ‘realised’, which is the tee, regardless of
add) via money from the Ryder Cup. PGA pros primarily make their living via teaching and retail sales – it’s not just the whether you played it earlier in the round. It’s a
playing side of things where they earn a living. That’s just part of the cog in the wheel. Personally, I think the PGA pro has tricky one. Hopefully a rules geek can help?
been hurt hugely by the downturn in golf membership, with less passing trade through the shop, and far fewer lessons.
And think of this: clubs are often told to give free lessons and/or reduce the price of introductory lessons. Fine in the
interim but, to me, in the long-term, that’s just another way of devaluing a very important reason to join a club. I would
like to tell you more about the PGA in Scotland but they haven’t sent me a press release in about ten years. So, being DO MORE ‘SHOT
honest, I haven’t a clue what they get up to. CLOCK’ PLEASE
*ǀی¦ËÃÈÜvȃšŒˆȚŒOš³È¨³ƒ§
9vÃȌÀÃv®ˆœÈ̌­Ãv¨¨ȚŒ½¨vâŒÀÃ
are in agreement that the pace of the
'FINGERS CROSSED FOR MY WIFE' game was what they all wanted. I think
*ÃÃˌŭŲůvÀÀœÛŒˆƛ*Üv®ÈŒˆ­âܜ–ŒƜܚ³ȳ³§ I found the the golf bodies should implement this
up golf only one year ago, to be able to read magazine on our into tournaments next season and
the section on chipping and also to see the kitchen table make golf enjoyable again to watch,
sequence of Tommy Fleetwood’s swing. open at the instead of recording six hours of golf
You’ll appreciate it that if I try and tell her ÀŒ¨ŒÛv®È½v—ŒÃƜ v®ˆÀŒˆËƒœ®—œÈȳÈܳš³ËÀÖvÃÈư
how to chip she will only listen for a short óﮗŒÀÃưƒÀ³Ã̈œÈܜ¨¨‚Œ³–‚Œ®ŒïÈƛ forwarding through the slow play.
while, whereas if she can read it for herself it Sšv®§â³ËیÀâ­Ëƒšœ®ˆŒŒˆƛ George Rennie,
œÃ‚ŒÈȌÀÀŒƒŒœÛŒˆv®ˆvÃÜ­œ¨vȌˆƛ Andrew Hay Paisley GC member

12 bunkered.co.uk
 WIN
a long-sleeved
PING ‘Austin’ top

ON TOUR
Been somewhere nice? Managed to get your
3 4
copy of bunkered in the snap? If so, send it to us!

1 Alex and Kath Brown on the

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9vâvƜ9Œáœƒ³ƛƷSš³Ë—šÈ܌
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twitter.com/bunkeredonline 13
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game

BREAKING
DOWN TIGER’S
2018 TO DATE
Events played: 12
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 3
Top 10s: 4
Top 20s: 6
Cuts missed: 2
Money earned: $2,144,712
Stroke average: 70.3

14
14 bu
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bunkered.co.uk
un
unker
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 Open legend commemorated
W A headstone for legend of the Open, Jamie Anderson, has been added
to his grave 113 years after his death. Anderson won golf’s oldest major
three times in a row from 1877 but died in a poorhouse in 1905. Historian
Roger McStravick raised over £2,000 towards the headstone, while The
Royal and Ancient GC also made a significant contribution.

BACK ON
THE PROWL
Contending at The Open gave the
clearest indication yet that Tiger
Woods can add to his major haul
By Martin Inglis @MInglisbunkered

ITH eight holes to ­ŒÀœƒv®ﮜڌˆSŲƛ9v§Œ

W play, Tiger Woods

held the solo lead at
the 147th Open.
It was all too brief but in those
matter of minutes, admit it, you
were thinking, ‘He’s going to do this,
isn’t he?’
It was as though we’d been
teleported back 15 years into the
14-time major champion’s heyday,
where his fellow competitors
quivered and collapsed at his mere
presence on the leaderboard as,
v–ÈŒÀ¦ËÃÈȌ®š³¨ŒÃ³–ȚŒï®v¨À³Ë®ˆ
at Carnoustie, he had swallowed up a
–³ËÀưڳȈŒïƒœÈȳ¨Œvˆ‚â³®Œƛ
Sadly, that aura is gone – for the
time being at least – as playing
partner Francesco Molinari showed
total composure to produce a
ÃÈË®®œ®—ï®v¨À³Ë®ˆv®ˆƒv½ÈËÀŒ
his maiden major title, bettering
Woods’ score by three as the
no mistake, though, this was a
remarkable performance by Woods
and the clearest indication yet
that he is capable of adding to his
major haul and completing what
would, without question, be the
greatest sporting comeback of
v¨¨ưȜ­Œƛ
Consider where he was 15 months
ago: on the surgeon’s table after
undergoing the fourth operation
on his back in three years, with the
spinal fusion surgery deemed to be
the ‘last resort’ to save his career
and, perhaps more importantly, his
—Œ®ŒÀv¨¿Ëv¨œÈâ³–¨œ–Œƛ
Consider where he was 14 months
ago: detained for driving under the
œ®ðˌ®ƒŒƪV*ƫƒ¨³ÃŒȳšœÃ$¨³Àœˆv
š³­ŒܜȚïیˆÀ˗Ãœ®šœÃÃâÃȌ­
before checking-in for a month-long
stay in a rehab clinic to manage his
茌½­ŒˆœƒvȜ³®Ãƛ W

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 15
 Rory ousts Westy to top money list
W Rory McIlroy has overtaken Lee Westwood as the all-time top-earner
on the European Tour following his tie for second at the Open. McIlroy’s
winnings meant he surpassed Westwood’s €34.7m with a whopping
€35.1m. Not bad for ten-and-a-half years as a pro - and that’s not even
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game
including his PGA Tour earnings, either! 

second
bio

Spectators clamber to get the best view, and footage, of their idol

SAM HORSFIELD
Could you tell us a bit about
this guy?
Sure, this is Sam Horsfield.
He’s a 21-year-old
Englishman in his debut
European Tour season.

Nice. But why haven’t we

heard all that much about
him until recently?
Well, since the age of
five, Manchester-born
Horsfield has lived in Florida
with his family and, as a
result, barely played any Grandstands packed out as Woods arrives at the 18th green Woods salutes the Carnoustie crowd
amateur golf in the UK. He
was selected for the 2015
W And consider where he was ten The largest crowds at Carnoustie
Walker Cup team but had
months ago: admitting he may never play weren’t for Rory McIlroy or Jordan Spieth,
to withdraw due to a visa
competitive golf again while appearing as ܚ³švیÌی®­v¦³ÀÂŒÈ܌Œ®ȚŒ­³ÛŒÀ
issue.
a vice-captain at the Presidents Cup. the past seven years. They were for Tiger
So, he’s on the European “I don’t know what the future holds for me,” `³³ˆÃƜܚ³švîƺÈܳ®v­v¦³À–³À­³ÀŒ
Tour at 21. He must be he declared. than a decade.
highly-rated then, right? The only thing currently missing from The media consistently takes heat
Very. Seven years ago, Woods’ comeback, which started at the for ‘fawning’ over Woods, yet it is often a
Ian Poulter said he was Hero World Challenge eight months ago, baseless criticism. In the United States,
‘without doubt the finest is a victory, with four top tens – including a :ÀŒƒ³ÀˆŒˆœÈÚœ—šŒÃÈۜŒÜœ®—ï—ËÀŒÃ
young golfer I have ever ÀË®®ŒÀư˽ﮜÚvÈȚŒ_v¨Ã½vÀšv­½œ³®Ãšœ½ –³ÀȚŒï®v¨À³Ë®ˆ³–ȚŒ?½Œ®Ü®ƒŒŮŬŬŬƜ
seen’ and he enhanced Ʋœ®šœÃŭŮÃÈvÀÈÃœ®³íƒœv¨I%S³ËÀŒÛŒ®Èà when Woods was wrapping up the career
his reputation by winning ȚœÃÌvó®ƛƹSœ—ŒÀ9v®œvƺœÃ‚vƒ§œ®–˨¨ð³ÜƜ grand slam. And remember last year’s
Q-School by eight strokes, too, with the Open reinforcing that – even compelling drama at Royal Birkdale with
posting 27-under-par with ïیâŒvÀÃv–ÈŒÀšœÃ¨vÃÈ­v¦³Àȳ½Ȍ®œ®ȚŒ Spieth and Matt Kuchar battling it out? The
just five bogeys in ?½Œ®vÈ9˜ÀˆƲšŒœÃÃȜ¨¨Ɯƒ³­–³ÀÈv‚¨âƜ US network noted a 38% increase in total
six rounds. the biggest draw in golf. views this year compared with last.
Prior to the Open, Woods visited London “Oh, it was a blast,” said Woods about
Impressive. Will he be v®ˆÜv泜®Œˆ‚ââ³Ë®—vȚ¨ŒÈŒÃ³®v being in contention for the Claret Jug.
winning soon then? “I need to try and keep it in perspective
purpose-built putting green outside
You’d certainly think that.
Wembley Stadium, with the event – arranged because, the beginning of the year, if they’d
He’s already secured his
‚â:œ§Œ%³¨–Ʋvœ­ŒˆvÈœ®Ã½œÀœ®—ȚŒƒv½œÈv¨ƺà have said you’re playing in the Open, I would
card for next season and
next generation of golfers through ‘sport, have said I’d be very lucky to do that.”
came very close at the
Tshwane Open in March,
community and experiences’ by making After watching Woods at Carnoustie, you
finishing runner-up to golf accessible in an environment they could argue that it’s not him but us golf fans
George Coetzee. know and love. who are the lucky ones. ●

16 bunkered.co.uk
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game

the
inside
stretch

THE 2018 RYDER CUP

IN FRANCE
It’s all gravy, surely?
Well, not quite. Rumour
has it the French
Government aren’t being
very helpful in terms of set-
up and logistics.

Yeah, but the French love

their golf, so they’ll get the
support they need, right?
Wrong. Our source told
us the Ryder Cup is being
‘ignored’ by authorities
and that it has been pretty
much overlooked by the
local authorities and, more
importantly, the press.

The French press aren’t

excited?
They’ve had other things

IS THIS THE WORLD’S

to be concerned with, such
as winning the World Cup.
Sebastien Gros, a French
tour player, told bunkered
that he gets asked what he
does “on the side” to make

T
money, even though he
The brainchild of an
HE GOLDEN age of tech may be
plays on tour, because golf
coming to golf bags, but only
isn’t taken seriously.

Well, that’s worrying.

84-year-old, this bag if an 84-year-old engineer can
see his dream become a reality.
How do we fix this? selects clubs for you Let us introduce you to RotaCaddy, the
golf bag that automatically chooses
automatically and could
Having 6,648 fans around
the first tee at Le Golf which club you hit for your next shot.
Currently in its prototype phase, the
hit stores soon...
National near Paris making
a racket will be the best concept is designed to simplify club
way to make the French selection and speed up play. RotaCaddy
realise what’s going on in was conceived in a workshop in the
their country. At least, that’s Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire in 2009
the plan anyway. by Jim Pittman, a ‘golf engineer’, before

18 bunkered.co.uk

W In this day of seemingly endless self-promotion, you’ve got to tip your cap to
Billy Horschel. The American chose to play at a ‘lesser’ PGA Tour event the same
week of the Open and was brutally honest when asked by a hack to grade his
career to this point. “C+,” he said. “I lack that consistency compared to the top
HOW IT
WORKS
The basic concept is
that the bag connects
to your phone via
Bluetooth and, when
you arrive at your ball,
it automatically lifts the
club you need for the
shot out of the bag.
The bag uses a
special loaded rotation
device to project the
right club out of the bag
for your shot.
The bag could also
use voice commands
via the app, and also
produce motivating
messages that you have
proloaded in the app.
SMARTEST GOLF BAG?
it ran into problems, including mounting
costs. In stepped local businessman Neville
Proctor, who solved a number of problems
and helped take the idea forward.
The concept
“The concept was to present a chosen
club to the player by using a remote radio
control,” Proctor tells bunkered. “The bag
would feature a method for rotating the
clubs so the chosen club was at the front of
the bag and then to somehow lift the club
up. Jim had been frustrated by how often
Horschel: I’m a hard grader
guys. I’m a hard grader. You would not want me as your teacher.”
WHEN?
If the RotaCaddy
Ȍv­ﮈv½vÀÈ®ŒÀƜ
œÈƒ³Ë¨ˆ—³³®Ãv¨Œ
œ®ŮŬŭŵƛ
he and others had picked out the wrong club
ie. a 6-iron instead of a 9-iron, and by slow
play.”
In creating a working model, Pittman
went through a few ideas to lift the clubs
from the bag. But it was problematic.
“He used opposing pole magnets, but
couldn’t get the height, then spring loaded
mechanisms, and they nearly launched the
club into space!”
With such problems on the rise and costs
escalating, in came Proctor. Soon, they had
solved the club lifting issue and applied for

If the right partners come into play, the
RotaCaddy could be manufactured in small
quantities and retail at £1,200, with the app
available to download for free. According to
IÀ³ƒÈ³ÀƜȚŒ‚v—ܳ˨ˆ‚Œvƹ—ÀŒvÈïÈƺ–³ÀȚŒVO
market, where players primarily use carts that
include mobile screens in the dash.
The potential of bringing the product to market
is an exciting one for Proctor and his business
partner Pittman. “This is a brilliant, truly original
®ŒÜ½À³ˆËƒÈ–³ÀȚŒ—³¨ï®—–ÀvȌÀ®œÈâv®ˆ܌
–ŒŒ¨ȚvÈ–³ÀȚŒV3­vÀ§ŒÈƜȚŒvˆÛv®Èv—ŒÃ½–
sending the bag ahead and selecting your club
to be waiting for you will be fantastic,” says
Proctor. He adds that controlling the bag via an
v½½‚Àœ®—Ãƹ–vÀ­³ÀŒðŒáœ‚œ¨œÈâv®ˆv¨¨³ÜÖ³À
­³ÀŒ‚ŒÃ½³§Œ³½Èœ³®Ãƺƛ
patents – which they would eventually get -
including for the United States.
Proctor also brought some new ideas. He
wanted the bag to be controlled by an app
via a smartphone, as that would create more
ðŒáœ‚œ¨œÈâܜȚȚŒƒ³®ÈÀ³¨Ë®œÈv®ˆv¨¨³Ü–³À
more bespoke options.
We have learned that the bag is in a
‘working prototype phase’ with the people
behind it looking for the right partner to take
œÈȳȚŒ®ŒáÈÃÈv—Œƛ*–Ț³ÃŒ½vÀÈ®ŒÀó­Œ
on board, it could be ready to hit retail in
2019, with a likely RRP of £1,200.
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 19
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game

The
sweet
smell of
success
Former Open champ
Clarke launches his own
... aftershave range

D
AVID BECKHAM. Cristiano
Ronaldo. Roger Federer. Just
a trio of sports stars who
have put their name to an
aftershave.
This area, though, is
somewhere no golfer has ever
dipped their toes into… until now.
Step forward, 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke.
–ÈŒÀ³½Œ®œ®—šœÃïÀÃÈÀŒÃÈvËÀv®ÈƜvÀÀŒ®¨vÀ§ŒƺÃ
Tavern, in Hilton Head last year, the 49-year-old
švèvË®ƒšŒˆȚŒƹ$œÀÃȈœÈœ³®ƺ³–šœÃ‚ŒÃ½³§Œ
aftershave collection called Day and Night.
It features two distinctive fragrances that
ÀŒ½³ÀȌˆ¨â‚Àœ®—Ãȳ—ŒÈšŒÀȚŒŮŬŭŭ?½Œ®
ƒšv­½œ³®ƺÃƹ½vÃܳ®–³À—³¨–v®ˆšœÃ¨³ÛŒ³–ÃÈ⨌v®ˆ
ﮌ¨œÛœ®—ƺƛ
So, what do they smell like? Well, contrary to
ܚvÈâ³Ë­vâ‚ŒȚœ®§œ®—ƜœÈƺî³Èvƒ³­‚œ®vȜ³®³–
Guinness, cigars and fast cars.
vâœÃÃvœˆȳ‚Œvƒ³­½¨ŒávˈŒIvÀ–Ë­ܜȚv
ƹˆŒŒ½ƒšvÀvƒÈŒÀƺƛ?½Œ®œ®—ܜȚ蜗šÈ¨âƹܳ³ˆâƺv®ˆ
fresh notes of grapefruit, it moves towards a middle
³–‚¨vƒ§½Œ½½ŒÀv®ˆœ®ƒŒ®ÃŒ‚Œ–³ÀŒvˆœÃȜ®ƒÈœÛŒ
‚v̳–ƒŒˆvÀܳ³ˆv®ˆÛv®œ¨¨vƛ
Night, on the other hand, is supposedly an
Œ¨Œ—v®ÈvˈŒIvÀ–Ë­ܜȚƹˆŒ¨œƒvȌȳ½®³ÈŒÃ³–
Ãv––À³®v®ˆȚ⭌ƺ‚¨Œ®ˆŒˆܜȚvšŒvÀȳ–¨ŒvȚŒÀ
and nutmeg, which soon gives way to a sensual
‚v̳–³ËˆƜƒŒˆvÀܳ³ˆv®ˆ­Ëçƛ
`ŒƺÀŒ®³ÈÃËÀŒܚvÈȚvÈ­Œv®ÃƜ‚ËȜȃŒÀÈvœ®¨â
óˮˆÃ½¨ŒvÃv®Èv®ˆvÜ®—¨ŒŭŬŬ­¨‚³ÈȨŒ³–ŒœÈšŒÀ
vâ³À:œ—šÈƒv®‚Œâ³ËÀÖ³ÀljŲűƛ

20 bunkered.co.uk
bu
unkered.co.uk
 Volcanic eruption destroys resort
W Dye Designs, the company that designed La Reunion Golf Resort, which
was recently destroyed by Guatemala’s Fuego volcano, have said they’re
heartbroken at the loss. “To see it lost, and to see the amazing people who
helped us build and run the resort facing such a tragedy is devastating. The
resort employed over 200 people, many of whom have lost everything.” 

‘MAJOR’ BUSINESS PROJECTS

Being a major champion certainly opens up the world
of side projects where you can rake in the cash
ERNIE ELS WINE
WIn 1999, Els decided to pursue his passion for
ﮌܜ®ŒܜȚȚŒƒÀŒvȜ³®³–À®œŒ¨Ã`œ®ŒÃƜ
ƒš³³Ãœ®—ȚŒ–v­ŒˆO³ËȚ–Àœƒv®ܜ®ŒÀŒ—œ³®³–
OȌ¨¨Œ®‚³ÃƒšvÚœÃ(Kƛ(ŒÃvâÃƝƷ`œ®ŒœÃ¨œ§Œ—³¨–
– in both endeavours nature has the last ruling.”
SšŒðv—Úœ½‚³ÈȨŒœÃšœÃOœ—®vÈËÀŒŮŬŭůÀŒˆƜܚœƒš
ƒ³ÃÈÃljűŮ½ŒÀ‚³ÈȨŒƛ

JACK NICKLAUS ICE CREAM

WÀ®³¨ˆIv¨­ŒÀšvڜóܮœƒŒˆȌvv®ˆ¨Œ­³®vˆŒƜó2vƒ§
:œƒ§¨vËÈŒƒœˆŒˆȳ¦³œ®ȚŒ½vÀÈ✮ŮŬŭű‚â¨vË®ƒšœ®—vÀv®—Œ³–œƒŒ
ƒÀŒv­Ɯ–ŒvÈËÀœ®—Ìی®ðvÛ³ËÀÃƛƷ*Èƺî³̃ÀŒÈȚvÈ*¨³ÛŒœƒŒƒÀŒv­ƜƸ
:œƒ§¨vËÃÃvœˆƛƷ`ŒšvیƒÀŒvȌˆvÛvÀœŒÈâ³–ðvÛ³ËÀÃƲv¨¨ܜȚÀŒv¨
ingredients – for a quality, premium ice cream at a value price. Some
³–ȚŒðvÛ³ËÀÃ܌ÀŒƟŒÀ­Ɵœ®ÈŒÀŒÃȜ®—Ɯœ®ƒ¨Ëˆœ®—Ɲƒ³––ŒŒǪˆ³®ËÈÃƜ
ÃÈÀv܂ŒÀÀ⨌­³®vˆŒv®ˆÜvÀ­ýœƒŒˆ‚ËÈȌÀ½Œƒv®ƛ

HENRIK STENSON EYEWEAR

W4vË®ƒšŒˆvÈȚŒI%9ŒÀƒšv®ˆœÃŒOš³Üœ®?À¨v®ˆ³œ®
2v®ËvÀâŮŬŭųƲš³È³––ȚŒšŒŒ¨Ã³–šœÃ?½Œ®ۜƒÈ³ÀâvÈL³âv¨
SÀ³³®ƲOȌ®Ã³®ƺÃŒâŒÜŒvÀÀv®—ŒšvÂŒŒ®ÜvÀ­¨âÀŒƒŒœÛŒˆ
³®ȳËÀƜܜȚ®Ë­ŒÀ³Ëý¨vâŒÀÃv®ˆƒvˆˆœŒÃ܌vÀœ®—ȚŒ­ƛ
SšŒO܌ˆŒœÃšË—Œ¨â½vÃܳ®vȌv‚³ËÈȚŒœ­½³ÀÈv®ƒŒ³–
܌vÀœ®—ȚŒÀœ—šÈÃË®—¨vÃÌÃv®ˆvƒÈœÛŒ¨âÈv§ŒÃ½vÀÈœ®ȚŒ
ˆŒÛŒ¨³½­Œ®È³–(Œ®Àœ§OȌ®Ã³®âŒÜŒvÀ½À³ˆËƒÈÃƛ

GREG NORMAN BEEF

WNorman’s business portfolio is huge, but here’s one
ی®ÈËÀŒâ³Ë­v⮳ȧ®³Üȳ³­Ëƒšv‚³ËÈƛ%À³Üœ®—˽Ɯ
:³À­v®ܳÀ§Œˆ³®ƒvÈȨŒÃÈvȜ³®ÃƜܚŒÀŒšŒˆŒÛŒ¨³½Œˆ
v®v½½ÀŒƒœvȜ³®–³Àšœ—šư¿Ëv¨œÈâ`v—âË‚ŒŒ–ƛOœ®ƒŒŮŬŬŲƜ
:³À­v®švÈŒ¨œÛŒÀŒˆšœÃ³Ü®‚Àv®ˆ³–½Àœ­Œ`v—âË‚ŒŒ–Ɯ
%ÀŒ—:³À­v®ËÃÈÀv¨œv®IÀœ­ŒƜܚœƒššvÂŒƒ³­Œv–vÛ³ËÀœÈŒ
of chefs across Australia and the USA.

GRAEME McDOWELL BEER

W*–â³ËÀŒvˆ³ËÀ¨vÃÈœÃÃˌƜâ³Ëƺˆ§®³ÜȚvÈ
%ư9vƒ³Ü®ÃÈܳÀŒÃÈvËÀv®ÈÃœ®$¨³Àœˆvƛ`švÈ
â³Ë½³Ã܂¨âˆœˆ®ƺȧ®³ÜœÃȚvÈȚŒŮŬŭŬVO?½Œ®
ƒšv­½œ³®v¨Ã³švڜóܮ‚ŒŒÀƛ%ư9vƒƺÃƜƒÀŒvȌˆ
œ®ƒ³®¦Ë®ƒÈœ³®ܜȚ%³¨–ŒŒÀÀŒÜœ®—³­½v®âƜ
is a pale ale that reportedly has aromas of mild
honey malt, slight caramel and mild orange. Nice!
$Œ¨¨³Ü­v¦³Àƒšv­½œ³®3ŒŒ—v®Àvˆ¨Œâv¨Ã³
švÚœÃv¨ƒ³š³¨œƒ‚ŒÛŒÀv—ŒƜˆŒÃƒÀœ‚ŒˆvÃv:ŒÜ
England style lager.
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game

IN FOCUS
1
1. Dame Laura Davies has been used to creating her fair share of history
ˆ³Ü®ȚŒâŒvÀÃƝïÀÃÈÀœÈœÃšܳ­v®ȳܜ®v­v¦³ÀƜ³®¨â½¨vâŒÀȳšvی
½¨v⌈œ®ŭŮO³¨šŒœ­˽Ãv®ˆȚŒïÀÃÈܳ­v®ȳƒ³­½ŒÈŒ³®ȚŒ­Œ®ƺÃ
ËÀ³½Œv®S³ËÀȳ®v­Œ‚ËÈv–ŒÜƛ:³ÜƜڌƒv®vˆˆïÀÃÈܜ®®ŒÀ³–ȚŒVO
OŒ®œ³À`³­Œ®ƺÃ?½Œ®ȳȚvȨœÃÈƛvۜŒÃ½ËÈœ®v®Œ­½švȜƒ½ŒÀ–³À­v®ƒŒ
œ®ȚŒœ®v˗ËÀv¨ÃÈv—œ®—³–ȚŒŒÛŒ®ÈƜƒ¨vœ­œ®—ȚŒȜȨŒ‚âȌ®ÃÈÀ³§ŒÃ³ÛŒÀ
Juli Inksterƛ
2.*ÈÜvîƺȿ˜ȌȚŒšvÈưȚÀ³Üœ®—ƒŒ¨Œ‚ÀvȜ³®³–ȚŒŮŬŭŲSÀvی¨ŒÀÃ
šv­½œ³®Ãšœ½Ɯ‚ËÈRussell KnoxȚÀŒÜvïÃȽ˭½–³ÀȚŒv—ŒÃv–ÈŒÀÈv§œ®—
down Ryan Foxȳܜ®ȚŒ*ÀœÃš?½Œ®v®ˆÀ³ƒ§ŒÈœ®È³L∌À˽ƒ³®ÈŒ®Èœ³®ƛ
3.*®v‚œˆȳvÀÀŒÃÈ󭌽³³À–³À­ƜStephen GallacherŒ­½¨³âŒˆšœÃ
ó®ƜJackƜvڜÃvˆˆœŒƛSšŒŭųưâŒvÀư³¨ˆšvæËÃȨŒ–ÈÚ³³¨v®ˆƜýŒv§œ®—
to bunkeredv‚³ËÈܚ⚌­vˆŒȚŒˆŒƒœÃœ³®ƜȚŒŮŬŭŰL∌À˽½¨vâŒÀ
ÃvœˆƝƷ(Œ½¨vâó––³®Œšœ­ÃŒ¨–v®ˆƜœ­½³ÀÈv®È¨âƜšŒ§®³Üíâ—v­Œœ®ÃœˆŒ
³ËÈƛ`ŒȚ³Ë—šÈ܌ƺˆ—œÛŒœÈv—³v®ˆœÈƺÂŒŒ®Œ®¦³âv‚¨ŒƜŒÃ½Œƒœv¨¨â³®ȚŒ
ÈÀvی¨¨œ®—܈Œ³–Țœ®—ÃvÜȃv®—ŒÈv‚œÈ¨³®Œ¨âó­ŒÈœ­ŒÃƛS³‚Œv‚¨Œȳ—³
ȳv¨¨³–ȚŒÃŒ½¨vƒŒÃܜȚ­âó®švÂŒŒ®—ÀŒvÈƛƸ%v¨¨vƒšŒÀﮜڌˆSŵvÈ
ȚŒOƒ³ÈȜÚ?½Œ®ܜȚ2vƒ§³®ȚŒ‚v—ưšœÃ‚ŒÃÈÀŒÃ˨È–³À–³ËÀ­³®ÈšÃƛ

2 3
 No traditional TV coverage for US PGA
W For the first time in recent memory, one of golf’s four men’s major
championships will not be shown on a traditional TV broadcast. Eleven Sports has
scooped the rights to the US PGA Championship, with all four rounds shown live
and free of charge through a seven-day trial on Eleven Sports’ online platform -
www.elevensports.uk - and on iOS and Android mobile and tablet apps. 

4. Everybody, say hello to Melvin. He’s one of Jason

4 5 Dufner’s three pooches and the 2013 US PGA champion
recently held a little party for him after he turned two.
5. Find yourself somebody who looks at you the way Lee
Westwood looks at his fry-up. Impossible to look at this
without getting a rumble in your stomach…
6. What is it they say about Scottish golf fans?
Knowledgeable, passionate… how about sleepy?! After a
long day at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish
Open, it all got a bit too much for one spectator, who
decided to take a nap by the 18th fairway and, by the looks
³–Țœ®—ÃƜˆœˆ®ƺȌی®𜮃šܚŒ®Padraig Harrington had
to venture nearby to play a shot from the rough.

6
 Trust Titleist…
W Fair to say the Champagne corks were popular at Titleist HQ on the Sunday evening
of the Open, after Francesco Molinari won at Carnoustie to make it four Open wins in
a row for players using a Titleist ball and six major championship wins in succession
stretching back to the 2017 US Open. Titleist also continued its streak of being the No.1
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game ball at the Open since records began, with 70% of the field relying on a Titleist ball. 

Nothing compares to
the Open – and this
one was extra special
Great weather, a perfectly set up, a worthy winner – this year’s Open had it all

Dougie Donnelly
@DougieDonnelly
PHOTO Getty Images

T
HERE’S NO ARGUMENT -
the Open is the greatest
܌Œ§œ®ȚŒ—³¨ï®—
calendar. The Ryder Cup
is magical and the other
three majors - well,
one and sometimes
two of them - are pretty special, too.
But nothing compares to an Open,
especially one like the classic we
enjoyed at Carnoustie.
It was an Open with it all: a classic
links baked by the sun, no two days of
weather the same, six men sharing
the lead at one stage on the back nine,
a succession of unforgettable shots
across all four days, almost a stunning
Tiger triumph, and a deserving
champion who somehow didn’t drop a
ڳȜ®ȚŒï®v¨ůŲš³¨ŒÃƛ`švÈ­³ÀŒ
could we have asked for?
`vîƺÈœÈܳ®ˆŒÀ–˨ȳ̌ȚŒ‚ŒÃÈ
players in the world given options? I
am rapidly tiring of brutally long tracks
where you have to hit it miles in the air,
over water, to lightning fast greens,
dictating that there is only one way to
½¨vâȚŒƒ³ËÀÌƛ
The world’s top two players both
­œÃ̈ȚŒƒËÈƛ2ËÃȜ®L³ÃŒ®ŒvÀ¨âˆœˆ
ưšœÃïÀÃÈ‚œÀˆœŒ³–ȚŒˆvâvÈȚŒŭŴȚ
in round two allowed him to make the
܌Œ§Œ®ˆ³®ȚŒ®Ë­‚ŒÀƛ(ŒȚŒ®Ú³È
ŲŰưŲŵvÈȚŒ܌Œ§Œ®ˆȳ­œÃóËȳ®
ȚŒ¨vÀŒÈ2˗‚â¦ËÃÈÈܳÚ³ÈÃƛ
O³ˆœˆL³Àâ9ƒ*¨À³âƜܚ³ÃŒ¨³®—
Œv—¨Œ½ËÈȳ®ŭŰ³®OË®ˆvâȳ³§šœ­
œ®È³ȚvÈÜáưÜvâȜŒ–³ÀȚŒ¨Œvˆƛ¨¨
week, people were saying that he
wasn’t hitting his irons, particularly
his wedges, close enough, nor was he
A view of the scoreboard showing the scores and congratulating Francesco Molinari
Wasn’t it
wonderful to see
the world’s best
players given
options? What
more could we
have asked for?
½ËÈȜ®—܌¨¨Œ®³Ë—šƛfŒÈšŒﮜڌˆ
tied second and has now had a win and
ȚÀŒŒȳ½ïیÃœ®šœÃ¨vÃÈ–³ËÀ?½Œ®Ãƛ*–
he can do that while not at his best…
Ö³ÀSœ—ŒÀƜ–³ÀȌ®š³¨ŒÃ³–ȚvÈ
ï®v¨À³Ë®ˆƜŒÛŒÀâ³®Œ³–ËÃÜvÃ
probably convinced that the miracle
ƒ³­Œ‚vƒ§Üv׳œ®—ȳšv½½Œ®ƛ*È
didn’t this time but now we know, and
­³ÀŒœ­½³ÀÈv®È¨âšŒ§®³ÜÃƜȚvÈvŭűȚ
­v¦³ÀۜƒÈ³ÀâœÃ½³Ã܂¨Œv–ÈŒÀv¨¨ƛ$³À
that front nine on Sunday afternoon,
the atmosphere around Carnoustie
½³ÃœÈœÛŒ¨âƒÀvƒ§¨Œˆƛ*ÈÜvæËÃȨœ§ŒȚŒ
old days - Tiger on the charge for the
ïÀÃÈȜ­Œœ®³ÛŒÀȌ®âŒvÀÃƛ
The new ‘Champion Golfer of the
fŒvÀƺƜ$Àv®ƒŒÃƒ³9³¨œ®vÀœƜœÃ³®Œ³–ȚŒ
quiet men of the European Tour, and
he was the one playing with Tiger who
had to cope with all the distractions
vÃȚŒ—v¨¨ŒÀœŒÃvÀ³Ë®ˆȚŒ­Ã܌¨¨Œˆƛ
SšÀ³Ë—š³ËÈœÈv¨¨ƜšŒ—À³Ë®ˆ³ËÈŭů½vÀÃ
œ®vÀ³Ü‚Œ–³ÀŒÃÈÀœ§œ®—ܜȚšœÃïÀÃÈ
‚œÀˆœŒ³–ȚŒˆvâvÈŭŰvÃSœ—ŒÀ–v¨ÈŒÀŒˆƛ
$³ÀȚŒ¨vÃÈÈܳ­³®ÈšÃƜȚŒ
popular Italian has played the best
—³¨–³–v®â³®Œœ®ȚŒܳÀ¨ˆƛ(ŒšvÃ
always been the straightest of drivers
but recently his putting has been
Ì®ÃvȜ³®v¨ƛ(Œ®ŒÛŒÀ¨³³§Œˆ¨œ§Œ
missing one of those pressure
four-footers, even after that stunning
wedge to the last set up the
?½Œ®ưܜ®®œ®—½ËÈÈƛ
¨³®—ÃœˆŒ­Œœ®ȚŒƒ³­­Œ®ÈvÀâ
‚³áƜSš³­væ³À®½Ë®ƒšŒˆȚŒvœÀ
œ®ˆŒ¨œ—šÈƛËÀ³½Œv®ܜ®®ŒÀܜȚ
two more of his team tied for second
ÜvæËÃÈܚvÈȚŒL∌À˽ƒv½Èvœ®
Üv®ÈŒˆƛ
ی®ÈÃœ®IvÀœÃƒv®ÜvœÈƜȚ³Ë—šƛ
4ŒÈƺæËÃÈÃvÛ³ËÀ–³À¦ËÃÈv¨œÈȨŒ¨³®—ŒÀ
³®Œ³–ȚŒÈÀ˨â—ÀŒvÈ?½Œ®Ãƛ

26 bunkered.co.uk
 Jordan’s close shave
W Former world No.1 Jordan Spieth learned a valuable lesson during
The Open: never, ever get your hair cut overseas. The defending champ
went to a local barber in Carnoustie for a trim and got more than he
bargained for. “It was intended to be what I normally get, and instead he
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game went a little shorter,” laughed Spieth. “It was a very British haircut!” 

Why TV is an
endangered species in
the world of live sport
Viewing habits are changing - and golf’s biggest bodies are starting to notice

Michael McEwan
@MMcEwanbunkered
PHOTO Getty Images

I
F The Buggles were right, and
video really did kill the radio
star, then all the signs are
pointing towards the video star
suffering a similarly grisly fate
at the hands of the Internet –
and soon.
Live online streaming – cultivated
‚∳Èƛƒ³­‚ŒšŒ­³ÈšÃ¨œ§Œ:ŒÈðœáƜ
­vç³®Ɯfvš³³Ɯ$vƒŒ‚³³§v®ˆSܜÈȌÀ
ƲœÃÈv§œ®—³ÛŒÀvÈȚŒŒá½Œ®ÃŒ³–
traditional broadcast outlets.
O§Œ½Èœƒv¨Ƣf³Ë®ŒŒˆ³®¨â¨³³§vÈ
ȚŒI%³–­ŒÀœƒvƺÈŒƒœÃœ³®ȳ—œÛŒ
Œáƒ¨ËÜیƜ¨œÛŒ‚À³vˆƒvÃÈÀœ—šÈÖ³ÀȚœÃ
âŒvÀƺÃVOI%šv­½œ³®Ãšœ½œ®ȚŒ
V3v®ˆ*ÀŒ¨v®ˆȳ4_:OI?LSOƜv
̨–ưÃÈ⨌ˆƷ—¨³‚v¨ý³ÀÈýÀ³ÛœˆŒÀƸƛ
4_:OI?LSOˆ³ŒÃ®ƺÈšvی
vS_½ÀŒÃŒ®ƒŒƛ*®ÃȌvˆƜœÈŒáœÃÈÃ
Œ®ÈœÀŒ¨â³®¨œ®Œv®ˆܳ®³ÛŒÀȚŒI%
³–­ŒÀœƒvܜȚœÈÃv­‚œÈœ³Ëý¨v®
ȳÃÈÀŒv­ȚŒƒšv­½œ³®Ãšœ½¨œÛŒv®ˆ
–ÀŒŒ³–ƒšvÀ—ŒȚÀ³Ë—šœÈÃ܌‚ÜȌƜvÃ
܌¨¨vó®œ?Ov®ˆ®ˆÀ³œˆ­³‚œ¨Œv®ˆ
Èv‚¨ŒÈv½½Ãv®ˆ³®œÈÃ$vƒŒ‚³³§½v—Œƛ
SšŒâƜ¿ËœÈŒ¨œÈŒÀv¨¨âƜȳ³§ȚŒï®v¨
­Œ®ƺív¦³À³–ȚŒÌvó®³––ȚŒvœÀƛ
ƷœÃ—ÀvƒŒ–˨ƸƞƷ9³ÀŒ‚vƒ§ÜvÀˆ
½À³—ÀŒÃÃƸƞƷˆv–ȈŒƒœÃœ³®Ƹƛîv½Ãš³È
³–š³Ü½Œ³½¨ŒÀŒvƒÈŒˆȳȚŒ®ŒÜÃ
on (ironically enough) the bunkered
$vƒŒ‚³³§½v—Œƛ:³ÃËÀ½ÀœÃŒȚŒÀŒƛÃ
výŒƒœŒÃƜ܌Ȍ®ˆȳۜŒÜv®â‚ÀŒv§
–À³­ȚŒ®³À­ܜȚvÃÈÀ³®—ˆŒ—ÀŒŒ³–
ÃËýœƒœ³®ƛ`Œ§®³ÜܚvÈ܌¨œ§Œv®ˆ
܌¨œ§ŒܚvÈ܌§®³Üƛ
SšœÃƜȚ³Ë—šƜšvÂŒŒ®ƒ³­œ®—ƛ*–
â³Ë¨³³§‚vƒ§ȳȚŒŮŬŭų9vÃȌÀÃƜ
OƜ³®Œ³–ȚŒŒÛŒ®ÈƺÃS_½vÀÈ®ŒÀÃ
œ®ȚŒOÈvȌÃƜÃvÜœÈÃvˈœŒ®ƒŒ–³À
Millennials
just want to see
the ‘best bits’
on social media
rather than all of
the action, live,
on a big screen.
ȚŒï®v¨À³Ë®ˆ–v¨¨ȳvŭůưâŒvÀ¨³Üƛ
⃳®ÈÀvÃÈƜOI:vÈÈÀvƒÈŒˆvÀŒƒ³Àˆ
ŭųŰƜŬŬŬۜŒÜŒÀÃȳÜvȃšȚŒÃv­Œ
ŒÛŒ®ÈƺÃïÀÃÈÀ³Ë®ˆȚÀ³Ë—šœÈÃv½½ƜܜȚ
³ÛŒÀŭŮ­œ¨¨œ³®­œ®ËȌ󖃳یÀv—Œ
ۜŒÜŒˆȚvÈÜvâȚvȈvâƛ
—vœ®Ɯ®³ÃËÀ½ÀœÃŒƛƹ9œ¨¨Œ®®œv¨ÃƺÜv®È
content that matches the environment
ȚŒâšvی—À³Ü®˽œ®ƪv¨¨œIš³®ŒÃv®ˆ
œIvˆÃƫv®ˆܚœƒšœÃÈvœ¨³ÀŒˆȳÜvÀˆÃ
their characteristically short attention
ýv®Ãƛ*®³ÈšŒÀܳÀˆÃƜȚŒâ¦ËÃÈÜv®È
ȳ̌ȚŒƹ‚ŒÃÈ‚œÈÃƺ³®óƒœv¨­ŒˆœvƜ
ÀvȚŒÀȚv®v¨¨³–ȚŒvƒÈœ³®Ɯ¨œÛŒƜvÃœÈ
šv½½Œ®ÃƜ³®v‚œ—ÃÀŒŒ®S_ƛ
`švȈ³ŒÃȚœÃ­Œv®–³À—³¨–vÈȚŒ
ȳ½¨ŒÛŒ¨ƢI³ÈŒ®Èœv¨¨âƜ­³ÀŒ­³®Œâ–³À
ȚŒ‚œ——ŒÃȳÀ—v®œÃvȜ³®Ãv®ˆȳËÀÃƜ
v®ˆƜ‚âŒáȌ®Ãœ³®ƜȚŒ—v­ŒƺÃȳ½
½¨vâŒÀÃƛSšŒ­³ÀŒ½¨vȖ³À­Ã‚œˆˆœ®—
–³ÀÀœ—šÈÃƜȚŒšœ—šŒÀâ³Ëƒv®Œá½ŒƒÈ
ȚŒ½ÀœƒŒȳ‚ŒˆÀœÛŒ®˽ƛSÀvˆœÈœ³®v¨
‚À³vˆƒvÃȌÀÃvÀŒ—³œ®—ȳﮈ
ȚŒ­ÃŒ¨ÛŒÃ—³œ®—ȳv˃Ȝ³®ܜȚ®ŒÜƜ
܌‚ư‚v̈½¨vȖ³À­Ãƛ*ÈƺÃŒœÈšŒÀȚvȳÀ
ȚŒâƺ¨¨®ŒŒˆȳ–³À­v¨¨œv®ƒŒÃȳŒvÀ®v
蜃Œ³–ȚŒˆœ—œÈv¨½œŒƛƹ*–â³Ëƒv®ƺÈ‚ŒvÈ
ȚŒ­ƺv®ˆv¨¨ȚvÈƛ
$³ÀȚŒvÀ­ƒšvœÀ–v®ƜœÈƺÃv®
œ®ÈŒÀŒÃȜ®—½ŒÀœ³ˆ³–ðËáƛ?یÀȚŒ
¨vÃȈŒƒvˆŒƜ¨œÛŒý³Àȳ®ȌÀÀŒÃÈÀœv¨
S_švÂŒŒ®­vˆŒv¨¨ư‚ËÈưŒáȜ®ƒÈ‚â
Ã˂ÃÀœ½Èœ³®‚À³vˆƒvÃȌÀÃƛ*®ÈËÀ®ƜȚŒ
œ®ÈŒÀ®ŒÈšvýÀ³ÛœˆŒˆv®v¨ÈŒÀ®vȜی
­Œv®ÃȳۜŒÜȚŒƹ½vÀÈÃȚvÈ­vÈȌÀƺƜ
either through social media or on other
ÃÈÀŒv­œ®—ÜȌÃƛSšŒÀ˂­v⃳­Œ
ܚŒ®œÈƜȳ³ƜœÃšŒvۜ¨â­³®ŒÈœÃŒˆ
ȳÀŒƒ³Ë½ȚŒƒ³Ãȳ–ȚŒÀœ—šÈÃƛ*ÈƺÃ
švÀˆȳ̌š³ÜȚŒ¨œ§ŒÃ³–4_:
OI?LSOƜ–³ÀŒáv­½¨ŒƜܜ¨¨‚Œv‚¨Œȳ
Œ®¦³âȚŒ§œ®ˆ³–ÀŒÈËÀ®ȚŒâÜv®È³®
ȚŒœÀœ®ÛŒÃÈ­Œ®ÈܜȚ³ËȽvÃÜ®—³®
󭌳–ȚŒƒ³ÃÈȳȚŒۜŒÜŒÀƛ
$³À‚ŒÈȌÀ³ÀܳÀÌƜȜ­ŒÃvÀŒ
changing and the industry that
documents it all is having to do
¨œ§ŒÜœÃŒưܚŒÈšŒÀœÈ¨œ§ŒÃœÈ³À®³Èƛ

28 bunkered.co.uk
 Love story
W Davis Love III says players these days look like
‘super athletes’, a complete change from the old
days. “Everybody is taller than me now,” he says. “I
used to be the tall guy. It’s just getting more and more
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game competitive. It’s amazing. I’m astounded.” 

Are you really Kevin Craggs

prepared to improve? @kevincraggsgolf

BIO Coach to Paula Creamer,
Colin Montgomerie, Catriona
It’s hard to accept change but it is most certainly worth it Matthew and more

I
N MY EXPERIENCE, recommendations, despite how Making a decision to improve provoke thought and stimulate
I’ve met many golfers ƒšv¨¨Œ®—œ®—v®ˆˆœíƒË¨ÈȚŒâ and accept the challenge action. There are no secrets in
who like the idea of can sometimes be. Naturally, requires total commitment and —³¨–ƛSšŒÀŒvÀŒ®³¿Ëœƒ§ïáŒÃ
getting better but few due to the cycle of change, dedication. that offer ever-lasting cures.
are actually prepared there have been moments There are no shortcuts to
to follow the process where I have caught her looking End result getting better. If you are at a
–À³­ÃÈvÀÈȳﮜÚƛ up to the sky and mumbling Two players who have done this point whereby you’ve bought
My old coach, Alex Lyle, once under her breath “Is this worth successfully were Nick Faldo every magazine, followed
said: “Laddie, anything worth it?” - but thankfully those and Henrik Stenson, but not every YouTube tipster, listened
having in life doesn’t come moments are rare and pass without a struggle. “My swing intently to Sky Sports analysis
easy.” I guess when it comes quickly. change took several years with but still cannot send the ball
to making changes to your golf many questioning my choices,” into the sky with any level
swing, that couldn’t ring truer. Respect the process said Faldo. However, once of consistency, it’s time you
Since returning back from The interesting point is, I am mastered, he spent 97 weeks at decided to do something about
injury and extensive surgery, continually asked by the media, world No.1 and won six majors. it. And it’s no coincidence that
LPGA Tour star Paula Creamer “Is she close? Will she win “In 2009 I was No.4 in the nearly all of the best players
and I decided to remodel her soon?” and my answer is simple. world by 2012 I had fallen in the world work on a regular
golf swing, making it more We have allowed ourselves a outside the top 200 plagued basis with a coach.
ŒíƒœŒ®Èv®ˆŒ––ŒƒÈœÛŒȳv¨¨³Ü year to develop new habits and with a bad case of the yips with Find a proven coach who
her to once again become a skills that are aligned to regular my driver,” said Stenson. After is going to be as enthusiastic
contender at the top level with measurement, assessment thousands of hours learning in developing your skills and
an injury free movement. and evaluation, and our goal is a new swing, two years later improving your game as much
We are six months into merely to follow the process Stenson was one of the world’s as you are. It will be the best
the process and she has and let the results take care of best and an Open winner. move you will ever make - not
whole-heartily embraced all themselves. The moral of my story is to the easiest, but the best.

30 bunkered.co.uk
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game

Scott Clark
BIO œÀŒƒÈ³À³–%³¨–ƜIÀŒÃȳ®ïŒ¨ˆ%³¨–
Club. For lessons, call Scott
on 0131 667 8597.
@ScottClarkPGA

32 bunkered.co.uk
 Ban the bottle
W Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore has banned plastic water
bottles on its golf course. If golfers need a drink, they can use
one of the water stations on the golf course. It is thought the
move equates to 150,000 bottles a year. “Every little helps,” said
How to prepare for
your best summer
Do the right things on and off the course
T
HIS TIME of year is Club
Championship time for a
lot of clubs - the biggest
competition of the year
for club golfers.
First you face the gruelling
couple of qualifying rounds, then
the 18-hole knockout matchplay
format and then, all going well, the
ůŲưš³¨Œï®v¨ƛ*ÈÀŒv¨¨âœÃvÃȌ½˽
from your average medal round,
v®ˆ*v¨ÜvâÃvˆ­œÀŒv®ˆ‚Œ¨œŒÛŒ
that you deserve that recognition
³–¨Ë‚šv­½œ³®švۜ®——³®Œ
ȚÀ³Ë—šȚvÈv­³Ë®È³–—³¨–ƛ
LŒ­Œ­‚ŒÀƜ®³‚³ˆâƒv®½¨vâ
consistently great golf for that
period of time, especially when
ŒÛŒÀâˆv⨜–Œ—ŒÈÃœ®ȚŒÜvâƛ
*ˆ³®ƺÈv¨ÜvâÃȚœ®§ȚvÈȚŒ‚ŒÃÈ
½¨vâŒÀܜ¨¨ƒ³­Œ³Ëȳ®ȳ½ư‚ËÈ
ȚŒ‚ŒÃÈ—³¨–ŒÀv¨ÜvâÃܜ¨¨ƛ*Èƺî³È
a mistake that the Open champion
is crowned ‘Champion Golfer of the
fŒvÀƺƛ
%³¨–œÃ®³Èv¨ÜvâÃv‚³ËÈšœÈȜ®—
—ÀŒvÈÚ³ÈÃƜœÈƺÃv‚³ËÈ—ŒÈȜ®—ȚŒ
most out of your round, preparing
for it, doing the simple things well
during it, reducing your mistakes
v®ˆ‚³Ë®ƒœ®—‚vƒ§¿Ëœƒ§¨â–À³­
ȚŒ­ƛLŒ—vÀˆ¨ŒÃó–â³ËÀv‚œ¨œÈâƜ
you can play to your standard more
³–ÈŒ®œ–â³Ëœ®ÈÀ³ˆËƒŒv–ŒÜšv‚œÈÃ
œ®È³â³ËÀ³ÛŒÀv¨¨—v­Œƛ
Pre-round
Spend some time to get to know
â³ËÀâvÀˆv—ŒܜȚŒvƒšƒ¨Ë‚ƛ
*Èƺí˃šŒv܌Àȳ­v§Œ‚ŒÈȌÀ
ˆŒƒœÃœ³®Ã³®–vƒÈÀvȚŒÀȚv®Œ—³ƛ
Prevent emotions controlling
â³ËÀÀ³Ë®ˆ‚â­v§œ®—v—v­Œ½¨v®ƛ
Decide which holes will allow you
ȳ‚Œv——ÀŒÃÜی³Àȳ‚Œ­³ÀŒ
ƒ³®ÃŒÀÛvȜیƛSšŒ—ÀŒvÈȚœ®—
ܜȚv½¨v®œÃȚŒŭŴív¨¨ƹÃȌ½Ãƺ
you make to achieve your overall
—³v¨ƛI¨v®Ãڳ˨ˆ‚ŒðŒáœ‚¨Œ‚ËÈ
if you stick with it and you make a
­œÃÈv§Œ³®³®Œš³¨ŒƜœÈƺÃœ­½³ÀÈv®È
â³Ëˆ³®ƺȨŒÈŒ­³Èœ³®Ãƒ³­½³Ë®ˆ
ȚŒŒÀÀ³ÀvÈȚŒ®ŒáÈƛ(vۜ®—v½¨v®
v¨¨³ÜÃâ³Ëȳ½ÀŒÃÃȚŒÀŒÃŒÈ‚ËÈȳ®
a spokesperson.
³®ȚŒ®ŒáÈȌŒƛÀÀœÛŒv‚œÈŒvÀ¨œŒÀ
than you normally would at the
ƒ¨Ë‚ƛ³ó­ŒÃÈÀŒÈƒšŒÃv®ˆšœÈ
a few different shots, long game,
Ú³ÀÈ—v­ŒƜ½ËÈȜ®—ŒÈƒƛ:³ÜœÃ
not the time to work on technical
ƒšv®—ŒÃƜ‚ËÈȳ—ŒÈv–ŒŒ¨–³Àâ³ËÀ
Ãܜ®—v®ˆ­³ÛŒ­Œ®Èƛ
(vیvÀŒ¨œv‚¨ŒÚ³Èâ³ËvÀŒ
ƒ³­–³ÀÈv‚¨Œœ®½À³ˆËƒœ®—v®ˆ
½¨v✮—ܜȚƛ$œ—šÈœ®—â³ËÀ®vÈËÀv¨
technique on the course will
³®¨â¨Œvˆȳ–ÀËÃÈÀvȜ³®v®ˆ‚vˆ
ˆŒƒœÃœ³®Ãƛ
During the round
Golf is a physical sport played over
v®ŒáȌ®ˆŒˆ½ŒÀœ³ˆ³–Ȝ­ŒƛO³ƜœÈƺÃ
important to keep yourself on full
charge over the whole course and
®³È¨ŒÈâ³ËÀ‚³ˆâˆÀvœ®³–Œ®ŒÀ—â
v®ˆȜÀŒvÈv®âȜ­ŒƛLŒ­Œ­‚ŒÀȳ
‚ŒšŒv¨Èšâv®ˆŒvÈv®ˆˆÀœ®§Țœ®—Ã
ȚvÈܜ¨¨ÃËÃÈvœ®Œ®ŒÀ—⨌ی¨Ãƛ
IÀŒÛŒ®Èœ³®œÃˆŒï®œÈŒ¨âȚŒ§Œâưœ–
you feel hungry or dehydrated
³®ȚŒƒ³ËÀÌƜœÈƺÃȳ³¨vȌv®ˆ
­œÃÈv§ŒÃܜ¨¨šv½½Œ®vÃȚŒ‚³ˆâ
ÈÀœŒÃȳÀŒƒ³ÛŒÀƛ
çâ³ËĄ̀–š³Ü­v®âȜ­ŒÃ
ˆ³â³ËˆÀ³½½ÀŒÛŒ®Èv‚¨ŒÚ³Èó®
ȚŒ¨vÃÈÜáš³¨ŒÃˆËÀœ®—vÀ³Ë®ˆƢ
`šœ¨Œ܌vÀŒÈv¨§œ®—v‚³ËÈÃvۜ®—
â³ËÀŒ®ŒÀ—âƜܚ⮳ȽËÈâ³ËÀ‚v—
on a trolley and push rather than
ƒvÀÀ✮—v¨¨ȚvÈ܌œ—šÈvÀ³Ë®ˆƢ
Post-round
SšŒ§Œâȳœ­½À³Ûœ®—œÃȳÈÀâv®ˆ
not make the same mistakes
³ÛŒÀv®ˆ³ÛŒÀv—vœ®ƛO½Œ®ˆó­Œ
time after your round going over
â³ËÀv®v¨âÜÃƛ$œ®ˆ³ËÈܚvÈâ³ËÀ
strengths and weakness were and
–³ƒËó®vÀŒv󖜭½À³ÛŒ­Œ®Èƛ
*È̌­ÃÃÈÀv®—Œ½ËÈȜ®—v¨¨ȚœÃ
vƒÀ³ÃÃv‚³ËÈÈÀ✮—ȳœ­½À³ÛŒ
your golf without talking technique,
‚ËÈȚŒÃŒvÀŒív¨¨ƒšv®—ŒÃ
that you can make at any time as
they are designed to assist your
½ŒÀ–³À­v®ƒŒƛSšŒív¨¨ŒÃȳ–
ƒšv®—ŒÃƒv®­v§ŒȚŒ‚œ——ŒÃȳ–
ˆœ––ŒÀŒ®ƒŒÃƛ
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 33
 Naked Shark
W It’s that time of year again, the ESPN ‘Body Issue’. This year, Greg
Norman has taken one for the golf world and got his kit off. For
a man of 63 years, he looks pretty damn good. The content is all
Insight, news, views & gossip from around the game online... just don’t look it up at work, ya dig? 

Nicola Ellwood
BIO MSc. Master Performance Coach,
Mind-set Coach, and NLP Master
Practitioner
@EllwoodNicola
nicola@performanceandmastery.co.uk /
performanceandmastery.co.uk “I FEEL LIKE
MY MIND IS
SABOTAGING MY
GAME”
Be careful One of my golf clients said
this to me during coaching.
what you He felt his mind didn’t
support what he wanted

wish for and was trying to trip him

up. Even when having a
good game, thoughts would
A look into your creep in and he’d think
things that didn’t serve him.
unconscious mind NLP (Neuro Linguistic

I
MAGINE THE SHOT you’re
about to take. You’ve selected
your driver and look down the
–vœÀÜvâȳÜvÀˆÃȚŒðv—œ®ȚŒ
ˆœÃÈv®ƒŒƛf³Ë½¨v®â³ËÀÃܜ®—
ȳ—ŒÈȚŒ‚v¨¨vÖvÀˆ³Ü®ȚŒ
fairway as possible. You perceive
this to be tricky, the trees on
either side of the fairway very
much in play. There are also
bunkers to contend with. As
you contemplate your shot, you
think to yourself “Those trees are
tricky – careful not to hit them.
®ˆˆ³®ƺÈ—³®ŒvÀȚvÈ‚Ë®§ŒÀ³®
the left.”
When we talk to ourselves like
this, we are setting ourselves up
for a bad shot from the outset.
We are giving our unconscious
mind (the one that enables the
swing) all the wrong information.
To enable our best possible
swing, we must give our mind the
right information – information
about what we want, not what we
don’t want.
Your unconscious mind
Our mind cannot process a
negation. Negations are words
like ‘don’t’. If I tell you, “Don’t think
about the bunker.” What do you
think about? The bunker! Your
mind has to think about the
bunker to not think about it. You
may momentarily remember the
last time you hit the ball into a
bunker.
Negations are also when we
tell our mind what we don’t want.
For example, if you tell yourself
to stay away from the rough,
your mind thinks about the
rough. Here, we’re unnecessarily
implanting into our mind being in
the rough – reminding ourselves
what it’s like to be in there, how
that feels and possibly how we did
that in the past.
Instead of telling our mind what
not to do, or what we don’t want,
we must only tell our mind what
we do want to do.
Programming) teaches
us that ‘behind every
behaviour and emotion
we experience there is
a positive intention’ i.e.
our unconscious mind
creates our emotions and
behaviours and because
our mind is ours, it always
has a positive intention
for us. Even when those
emotions or thoughts are
negative - it always has
a positive intention in
doing so.
Exploring this concept with
my client to assess what
How to get your unconscious possible intention his mind
mind to help your swing might have in creating
• When preparing to take the these thoughts, we realised
shot, tell yourself exactly what that his unconscious simply
you plan to do. For example, wanted the best for him.
Ʒ*Üv®ÈȚŒ‚v¨¨ȳð∜ÀŒƒÈ¨â With this realisation he
through the centre of those became more accepting,
trees and land in that spot, feeling lighter and easier
there.” because he understood
• Visualise the line that the ball why he felt the way he did.
will take, seeing it sail between His mind wasn’t trying to
the trees and landing where sabotage him.
you’d like it to. Hear the thud. I share this knowledge
Imagine the feeling of the swing with every golf client and it
that will enable that shot. often serves to rationalise
Having this positively framed emotions and supports
approach to your swing from movement towards a more
the outset will give you the best emotionally balanced way
chance of delivering it. of being.

34 bunkered.co.uk
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CAMPIONE!

How Francesco Molinari

conquered Carnoustie to
ƒ³­½¨ŒÈŒȚŒïÀÃÈ*Èv¨œv®2³‚
in golf’s major championships
BY MICHAEL McEWAN
ç@MMcEwanbunkered

T
HEY HAVE A SAYING IN ITALY.
Ʒ4vÈÀ³½½v‚³®ŒççvﮜÌ
®Œ¨¨v­³®®ŒççvƸƛ4œÈŒÀv¨¨âƜœÈ
­Œv®Ãȳ³­Ëƒš—³³ˆ®ŒÃÃ
Œ®ˆÃ˽œ®ȚŒÈÀvÚƛ*Èî—¨œÃš
Œ¿ËœÛv¨Œ®ÈœÃ®œƒŒ—ËâÃﮜÚ
¨vÃÈƛ$Àv®ƒŒÃƒ³9³¨œ®vÀœœÃ

36 bunkered.co.uk
Molinari poses for the now traditional Claret Jug bunker shot

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 37
“l’eccezione alla regola”. The exception to the rule.
The 2018 ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ had to travel from Turin to
Carnoustie via London to do what none of his fellow countrymen had
ever done before: win one of golf’s major championships.
Appropriately, his victory in Angus made the front page of his
home country’s biggest-selling newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport,
the following morning. “Molinari Leggenda” declared the headline.
No translation required. Some things in life transcend the language
barrier.
Inside the paper, Pier Bergonzi, Italy’s foremost sportswriter,
proclaimed Molinari to be “at this moment, the No.1 athlete in Italian
sport”.
Who could argue? In a country where sportsmen and women are
held in almost immortal regard – Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del
Piero, Sergio Parisse, Marco Pantani, Enzo Ferrari, Dino Zoff… – the
name of Francesco Molinari will now be inscribed amongst them in
perpetuity, just as it will be on the Claret Jug.
“I’m in disbelief,” said the new Open champion in the immediate
aftermath of his win. He glanced at the trophy as he said it. It was
almost imperceptible but he gave a very slight, apparently incredulous
shake of the head as he said it. And no wonder.
Just a few months ago, the prospect of major victory
must have seemed to Molinari as remote as the Puglian
peninsula.
It was the middle of May and he arrived at The Players
Championship in perfectly average form. Sure, he was
making cuts and banking cheques most weeks on the PGA
Tour but he had nothing better to show for his season than
a tie for 16th.
He posted a pair of 73s to miss the cut at TPC Sawgrass
by three. It was only his second
weekend off all year but he was fed I could see it in his face. He
˽ƛ(ŒðŒÜ‚vƒ§š³­Œȳ4³®ˆ³®ȳ
spend a week preparing for the BMW was working hard. Something
PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Early in that week, he had breakfast
told me, ‘He’s going to do this.
with his long-term swing coach He’s going to win the Open’.
Denis Pugh at The Wisley club in
Woking.
“He was feeling a bit down,” Pugh told bunkered after Molinari’s Open
win. “He didn’t play well at Sawgrass. He’d hit it poorly and was feeling
pretty miserable about it all.
“I just tried to reassure him that he was on the right path. There was
nothing in his game that I, or any of his other coaches, could see that
was of particular cause for concern. It was all good. It just needed a
little polishing.”
A spit and a shine later, Molinari had won at Wentworth, holding off
Rory McIlroy down the stretch.
A corner turned. (Œﮜڌˆ̃³®ˆȚŒیÀ⮌áÈ܌Œ§œ®ȚŒ*Èv¨œv®
Open before grinding out a top 25 at a preposterous US Open. That’s
ܚŒ®Țœ®—ÃÀŒv¨¨â­³ÛŒˆ˽v—ŒvÀƛ(Œܳ®šœÃïÀÃÈI%S³ËÀŒÛŒ®ÈƲ
ȚŒK˜ƒ§Œ®4³v®Ã:vȜ³®v¨Ʋ‚⌜—šÈÚ³ÈÃƛ(ŒȚŒ®ﮜڌˆ̃³®ˆ
in the John Deere Classic a week prior to the Open.
His stroke average for his previous eight rounds going into the year’s
third major was 65.5 and 67.5 for his 20 previous rounds worldwide
dating back to that missed cut at The Players.
On as hot a streak as he was, Molinari still arrived in Angus a
relative outsider for glory. He was still priced as long as 28/1 by some
bookmakers on the eve of the championship. Had Tiger Woods, Rory
McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth
or any of the other so-called ‘bigger names’ come to Carnoustie in
such good form, it’s reasonable to assume the books would have been
shut and the engraver called in early.
A relatively benign start – a one-under 70 was his ‘worst’ 18 holes of
ƒ³­½ŒÈœÈœÛŒ—³¨–Ü®ƒŒȚŒï®v¨À³Ë®ˆ³–ȚŒVO?½Œ®Ʋܳ˨ˆ®³Èšvی
38 bunkered.co.uk
unduly concerned the bookies, far less a one-over second round that
had him level-par and six shots off the lead going into the weekend.
However, Pugh thought differently. “It was standing on the range
³®$Àœˆvâ­³À®œ®—ȚvÈ*ïÀÃÈ®³ÈœƒŒˆœÈƜƸšŒÃvœˆƛƷ*ÃvœˆȳšœÃƒvˆˆœŒƜ
Pello, that I was starting to sense he could go all the way. I didn’t say
it to Frankie. He didn’t need me telling him that. But I said it to Pello.
There was just something about him. I could see it in his face. He was
working so hard, he had a real clarity in his swing, he was making very
good decisions, clever choices. Something told me, ‘He’s going to do
this. He’s going to win The Open.’”
BEHIND EVERY GOOD MAN, there’s a great woman. Behind every good
golfer, there’s a great team. Carefully and diligently, Francesco Molinari
has built his own.
As well as Pugh, he works with Phil Kenyon on his putting, Dave
¨ÀŒˆ³®šœÃ½ŒÀ–³À­v®ƒŒƜv®ˆL³‚%³¨ˆË½³®šœÃïÈ®ŒÃÃƛS³—ŒÈšŒÀƜ
they have helped transform Molinari from being merely a fantastic
golfer into a major winner.
“We’re a team unit,” Alred, credited for turning Jonny
Wilkinson into one of the greatest rugby players of all time,
told BBC Radio 5 live. “Whenever we talk about things, it’s
‘we didn’t get close enough to make the putt’ and we all take
a responsibility for it. That, I think, has been the strength
of it.”
Pugh agrees. “Francesco put in a huge amount of work
at the end of last year and the beginning of this,” he said.
“From my point of view, I wanted to see him getting more
power off the tee. I really felt like he could push it right up
there and get through the 300-yard
mark in driving distance, which he
has. A lot of the credit for that must
go to Rob, who has got him stronger
v®ˆïÈȌÀȚv®*Țœ®§šŒƺÌیÀ‚ŒŒ®ƛ
We managed to get his ball speed
up from 166mph to around 174mph,
which is great.
“But that’s just part of the picture.
He needed to putt better, which is where Phil has come into his own,
and learn to handle the pressure – internal and external – that comes
with challenging for big titles. The credit for that has to go to Dave. It
has been a real team effort.”
Alred added that they have pushed Molinari hard to unlock the
potential within. “The training and practice he has to do compared
with a lot of other people is brutally tough,” he explained. “He has to hit
numbers or there are consequences, like having to repeat that part of
his practice, and so on. He has taken that on absolutely brilliantly.”
Getting it right on the range is all well and good. Taking it to the
course is what matters, and six shots is a lot of ground to make up over
ůŲš³¨ŒÃƛ*ÈÜv׳œ®—ȳÈv§Œ®ŒvÀðvܨŒÃ׳¨–Ɯ³®vƒ³ËÀÌ–v­³Ëèâ
not predisposed to allowing for such exhibitions, to give Molinari the
major victory that he, his team and his country all craved.
FRANCESCO IS, by almost two years, the younger brother of fellow
tour pro Edoardo. The story goes that, as a toddler, Francesco had
ˆœíƒË¨Èâ½À³®³Ë®ƒœ®—šœÃ‚œ—‚À³ÈšŒÀƺîv­ŒƛSšŒ®v­Œƹ³ˆ³ƺšvÃ
stuck ever since.
The brothers were introduced to golf at an early age by their parents
Paolo, a dentist, and Micaela, an architect. By their early teens, they
were each other’s main competition at Circolo Golf Torino.
It was around the same time that Costantino Rocca took John Daly
to a play-off for the 1995 Open at St Andrews. The images of the
 1st 66.7% 320 16
Molinari had the joint-most Reinforcing the belief Molinari averaged 320 yards Molinari’s birdie at the 16th
birdies over the course of that Carnoustie rewards off the tee across the week, in the third round was one
the week. His haul of 17 great ball-strikers, Molinari long enough to considerably of only 11 birdies made
was matched by US Open hit 48 of his 72 greens shorten the longest at the hole – statistically,
champ Brooks Koepka and in regulation (66.7%). course on the Open rota. the second toughest on
Aussie Cameron Davis. the course – all week.

Molinari holds aloft the Claret Jug after his stunning win at Carnoustie

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 39
 It was left to a departing legend and an emerging talent to spare Scotland’s
blushes at Carnoustie. Sandy Lyle, the 1985 ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ bid
a likely farewell to the championship in style, holing a raking birdie putt at the
ŭŴȚœ®ȚŒ̃³®ˆÀ³Ë®ˆƛOv­4³ƒ§ŒƜ­Œv®Üšœ¨ŒƜ‚Œƒv­ŒȚŒïÀÃÈOƒ³ÈÜ®ƒŒ
Lloyd Saltman in 2005 to win the Silver Medal as the sole amateur to make
the cut. Locke, pictured below with new champion Francesco Molinari, was
also the only Scot to advance to the weekend, with Lyle, Russell Knox, Scott
Jamieson and Grant Forrest all bowing out after 36 holes. Not a vintage Open
by any means for Scotland’s golfers.

40 bunkered.co.uk
 Italian falling to his knees and pounding the turf of the Old Course after
improbably holing from the ‘Valley of Sin’ to force extra holes endure to this
day.
Like millions around the world, Francesco and Edoardo watched it all
unfold on television in the living room of their family home. Rocca might
not have won but his efforts had the desired effect of inspiring the Molinari
siblings to go on and pursue careers as professional golfers.
$Àv®ƒŒÃƒ³ȳ³§ȚŒ¨Œv½ïÀÃÈƜÈËÀ®œ®—½À³–ŒÃܳ®v¨œ®ŮŬŬŰƛˆ³vÀˆ³
ÜvœÈŒˆv¨œÈȨŒ¨³®—ŒÀv®ˆƜœ®ŮŬŬűƜ‚Œƒv­ŒȚŒïÀÃÈËÀ³½Œv®œ®v¨­³ÃÈv
ƒŒ®ÈËÀâȳܜ®ȚŒVO­vȌËÀšv­½œ³®Ãšœ½ƛ*ÈÜvÃvÀŒÃ˨ÈȚvÈ¿Ëv¨œïŒˆ
him for the following year’s Masters and, despite his own schedule,
Francesco dropped everything to pick up his brother’s bag for that week at
Augusta National.
“It was funny, actually,” recalled Pugh. “As the reigning US Amateur
champion, Edoardo got paired with the defending Masters champion in the
opening two rounds, who, if you remember, was Tiger Woods. They were
Üv¨§œ®—˽ȚŒïÀÃÈš³¨Œœ®ȚŒïÀÃÈÀ³Ë®ˆܚŒ®Sœ—ŒÀÈËÀ®Œˆȳ$Àv®§œŒv®ˆ
said, ‘You’re a pretty good golfer yourself, aren’t you?’
“Frankie had only been a pro for little over a year but Tiger knew who he
was. I bet he never thought right then that he’d one day sign his card for the
Claret Jug.”
I˗šïÀÃÈ­ŒÈ$Àv®ƒŒÃƒ³œ®ŮŬŬŰƛ(Œšvˆ¦ËÃÈܳ®ȚŒ*Èv¨œv®OÈÀ³§Œ½¨vâ
Championship for the second time in three years and was preparing to turn
professional.
Ʒ(ŒÜvó––½¨ËÃưïی³Àó­ŒÈšœ®—ÀœˆœƒË¨³Ë蜧ŒȚvÈƜƸÃvœˆI˗šƛƷ?®Œ
³–ȚŒïÀÃÈȚœ®—ÃȚvÈÃÈÀ˃§­Œv‚³ËÈšœ­ÜvڜȌȌÀ­œ®vȜ³®ƛ(ŒœÃ
one of the most – if not the most – determined people I’ve ever met. If you
look up ‘determined’ in the dictionary, you’ll see Frankie’s face staring back
at you.”
The best example of that, added Pugh, was the way in which he muscled
šœÃÜvⳮȳȚŒËÀ³½Œv®S³ËÀ¨vȌœ®ŮŬŬŰƛ
Ʒ(Œ܌®ÈȳKËv¨œ–✮—Oƒš³³¨œ®ŮŬŬŰÚ³ÀȨâv–ÈŒÀ܌ÃÈvÀȌˆܳÀ§œ®—
ȳ—ŒÈšŒÀv®ˆÚ³Èvųŵœ®ȚŒïÀÃȳ–ȚŒÜáÀ³Ë®ˆÃƜƸšŒÃvœˆƛƷ$³À­³ÃÈ
½¨vâŒÀÃƜȚvÈƺ×v­Œ³ÛŒÀƛ:³È$Àv®§œŒƛ(ŒÚ³È®³ܳÀÌȚv®ųŬȚŒÀŒÃÈ
³–ȚŒ܌Œ§v®ˆﮜڌˆó­ŒÈšœ®—¨œ§ŒȚœÀˆƜ—ŒÈȜ®—šœÃƒvÀˆvÈȚŒïÀÃÈ
attempt. That told me everything I needed to know about him right there
and then.”
That determination, quiet and steely though it is, was used to great
Œ––ŒƒÈ³ÛŒÀȚŒï®v¨ÈܳÀ³Ë®ˆÃvÈvÀ®³ËÃȜŒƛ
(Œ½¨v⌈ȚŒ܌Œ§Œ®ˆܜȚ³ËȈÀ³½½œ®—vÚ³Èƛ(ŒšvˆȳˆŒv¨ܜȚ
Sœ—ŒÀ`³³ˆÃv®ˆšœÃÈÀvی¨¨œ®—ƒœÀƒËÃœ®ȚŒï®v¨À³Ë®ˆƛ®ˆȳȳ½œÈv¨¨³––Ɯ
šŒš³¨ŒˆvȌÃȜ®—–³ËÀư–³³ÈŒÀ–³À‚œÀˆœŒƲ½ÀŒƒœÃŒ¨âȚŒ§œ®ˆ³–³½½³ÀÈË®œÈâ
that has been his nemesis so often for so long – to set an ultimately
Ë®vÃÃvœ¨v‚¨ŒÈvÀ—ŒÈ–³ÀȚ³ÃŒÃȜ¨¨³®ȚŒƒ³ËÀÌƛœ—šÈưË®ˆŒÀƛSܳưšË®ˆÀŒˆ
v®ˆÌی®ÈâưÜáÚ³ÈÃƛSܳ‚ŒÈȌÀȚv®L³Àâ9ƒ*¨À³âƜ2ËÃȜ®L³ÃŒƜ3ŒÛœ®
3œÃ®ŒÀv®ˆev®ˆŒÀOƒšv˖–Œ¨ŒƛSšÀŒŒ‚ŒÈȌÀȚv®Sœ—ŒÀ`³³ˆÃƜ3ŒÛœ®
Chappell and Eddie Pepperell. The best of anybody who played that week.
The lowest winning score in eight Opens played at Carnoustie.
Golf of the highest standard.
Pugh described it as ‘a whole other sphere of winning’.
Ʒ(Œ½š³®Œˆ­Œ¨vȌÀȚvÈ®œ—šÈƜƸvˆˆŒˆȚŒƒ³vƒšƛƷ*ÜvÈÀœÛœ®—ˆ³Ü®ȚŒ
9Ųv®ˆšŒšvˆ¦ËÃÈﮜڌˆšœÃ­ŒˆœvˆËȜŒÃƛ*ȳ¨ˆšœ­*ƒ³Ë¨ˆ®ƺÈ‚Œ¨œŒÛŒœÈ
v®ˆšŒÃvœˆȚŒÃv­ŒÀœ—šÈ‚vƒ§ƛ(Œȳ¨ˆ­ŒƜƹ*–*—³ȳ茌½ȳ®œ—šÈv®ˆȚŒ
Claret Jug is beside me when I wake up, then I’ll know it really happened’.”
Rise and shine, Frankie. It really happened.
A little known fact about Francesco is that he carried the Olympic torch
for a short stretch through Turin when the city hosted the Winter Olympics
œ®ŮŬŬŲƛ
Now, by winning The Open, he has blazed a trail for a new generation of
Italian golfers to follow.
It has taken a long time for this proud, passionate sporting nation to get
œÈÃïÀÃÈ­v¦³À‚ËÈȚŒâšvیvÃv✮—–³ÀȚvÈƜȳ³ƝƷšœÛv½œv®³ÛvÃv®³ŒÛv
lontano.”
Sure and steady wins the race.
Francesco Molinari with Scotland’s Sam Locke at the prize-giving
®ˆv¨¨Țv®§Ãȳv®œƒŒ—Ëâܚ³ﮜڌˆïÀÃÈƛ●

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TEE IN
THE PARK
The inside story of how the Camping Village
ticked another box for the R&A once again
BY MICHAEL McEWAN
ç@MMcEwanbunkered
T
HE BIGGEST HOTEL in
Scotland during the
weekend of The 147th Open
was found not in Glasgow,
nor Edinburgh, nor even
Aberdeen. Instead, it was
in Carnoustie.
Okay, so The Open Camping Village
technically isn’t a hotel but it served much the
same purpose: a place for golf fans to rest
their weary heads at the end of a long day
following their favourite players.
First seen at Royal Troon in 2016, the
Camping Village is the brainchild of R&A chief
executive Martin Slumbers. When he took
charge in 2015, he immediately set to work
tackling what he saw as one of the biggest
obstacles inhibiting people from attending
the championship: affordability.
Keen also to engage with a younger
demographic, Slumbers and his team came
up with the idea of a creating an Open
campsite, where those with tickets for the
championship would be able to stay for next
to nothing – and, in some cases, literally
nothing.
Adult ticket holders can stay there for £40
per night, whilst Youth Ticket holders and
juniors with valid ‘U16’s Kids go Free ticket’ are
eligible to camp for free subject, of course, to
availability.
In return, they are provided with a spacious
tent, bedding, a lantern, and access to toilets
and showers as standard.
With capacity for almost 400 tents
and open from the Sunday prior to the
championship right through, it was
44 bunkered.co.uk
sold out on competition days all week,
accommodating more than 4,000 people
in total. Impressively, overseas visitors
accounted for approximately 20% of all
guests.
Tom Critchley, son of Sky Sports’
commentator Bruce. Tom, heads up a
14-strong team that runs the site. “It’s
amazing to see how popular it has become in
just a few years,” he told bunkered. “The most
frequent question we’ve been asked this
week is: ‘When can we sign up for next year?’”
In addition to the basics, guests can enjoy
live music, pub quizzes, a putting green, a
long putt challenge, ‘Golf Darts’ and more.
Food and drink is provided by local breweries
and caterers, whilst there’s a charging rack
in the Guest Services tent, where people can
give their mobile phones, as well as a salon if,
like Jordan Spieth, they decide they need a
mid-championship trim.
Watford lads Joe Fox, Ryan Chiverton,
Steve Kingsley and Kieran Cahill were
amongst those to stay there over the
weekend.
“I won tickets for the Saturday in a charity
auction last year and completely forgot about
them until a few weeks before,” explained
Ryan. “I went onto booking.com to see if I
ƒ³Ë¨ˆﮈó­ŒÜšŒÀŒ–³ÀËÃȳÃÈvâ‚ËÈȚŒ
cheapest hotel they had left was something
like two-grand.
“I looked into it a bit more and then found
this place. I’m glad I did because, for the four
of us, this is perfect and, split four ways us,
it’s great value. We’ve loved it. It wasn’t what
we were expecting at all.”
 GOT IT RIGHT
• Vernon Kay got a gig with US
network Golf Channel and, before
you roll your eyes, he was bloody
brilliant. His hilarious look at the
town of Carnoustie was worth
his fee alone (you can check it
out on their Facebook page).
The Golf Channel led the way in
terms of bringing a new slant to
the Open and brought in Conor
Moore, the impressionist who
made his name on Twitter. Their
coverage was brilliant and sadly
only available in small quantities
via social.

• I like how the R&A effectively

takes a backseat during the
Open. In direct comparison to
the USGA, the R&A do all the right
things. Every year, it seems the
USGA’s Mike Davis becomes part
of the story at the US Open, and
I like how the R&A takes more of
a backseat during Open week. It’s
a sign that the good preparation
done in the lead up to the event
is worth it.

ƥƒƒ³Àˆœ®—ȳï—ËÀŒÃƜó­Œ
20,000 spectators under the age
of 25 came through the gates at
Carnoustie (that’s 11% of the total
ï—ËÀŒƫƛ*–â³Ë܌ÀŒË®ˆŒÀŭŲv®ˆ
accompanied by an adult, you
got in for free. Brilliant.

GOT IT WRONG
• Thanks to the BBC’s almost
complete ignorance of golf these
days, it should be no surprise
that their take on the Open was
out-of-date and, at best, cringe-
worthy. BBC radio described
ůŲưâŒvÀư³¨ˆ¨Œá:³ÀŒ®vÃv®
“impressive youngster” whilst
John Inverdale was his usual
condescending, annoying self.
Just not good enough.

ƥ:³³––Œ®ƒŒȳȚŒLǪ‚ËÈ
perhaps the closing ceremony
could be a bit more of a jovial
affair? I’m sure they’re nice
chaps and need to do a speech,
but it’s a bit dull.

• The R&A’s policy of no

re-admissions didn’t go down
well with some people and there
are arguments to be made
either way. If it’s a security issue,
then surely there’s another way
around it. Also, considering what
was happening on the weekend
inside the gates, why on earth
would anyone want to leave?

By Bryce Ritchie

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 45
48
48 bunkered.co.uk
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 HO E
OUT
Meet the
ultimate
gear geek
Everybody loves a Scotty
Cameron putter or a Vokey
wedge. Just probably not as
much as Tom Costello...
BY MICHAEL McEWAN
PHOTOS PSP Media Group Ltd
I
T IS SOMEWHAT
stating the obvious
to point out that
Tiger Woods’ Masters
victory in 1997 was a
watershed moment
for the game.
In galloping to a 12-shot win
vÈ˗ËÃÈv:vȜ³®v¨œ®šœÃïÀÃÈ
­v¦³ÀvÃv½À³Ɯ`³³ˆÃƒšv®—Œˆ
—³¨–vÈvÃÈÀ³§Œƛ?یÀ®œ—šÈƜȚŒ
ý³ÀÈƲ–³À󨳮—ƒ³®ï®Œˆȳ
ȚŒ‚vƒ§‚Œ®ƒšŒÃ³–ܜˆŒÃ½ÀŒvˆ
½³½Ë¨vÀœÈâƲÃˈˆŒ®¨â‚Œƒv­Œ
­vœ®ÃÈÀŒv­ƛSš³ÃŒܚ³švˆ
®ŒÛŒÀƒvÃÈó­ËƒšvÃv‚ÀœŒ–
܈ŒÜvâרv®ƒŒvÈȚŒý³ÀÈ
½ÀŒÛœ³Ëèâ܌ÀŒ®³Ü®³È
¦ËÃÈŒ®ÈšÀv¨¨Œˆ–³¨¨³ÜŒÀÂËÈ
Œ®ÈšËÜvÃȜƒ½vÀȜƒœ½v®ÈÃƛ
SŒŒڌŒÈÃÃÈvÀȌˆȳ﨨
˽ƛ:ŒÜƒ³ËÀÌÃ܌ÀŒ‚Ëœ¨Èƛ
twitter.com/bunkeredonline
O½³®Ã³À׳ÈȚŒœÀƒšŒ¿ËŒ‚³³§Ã
³ËÈƛS_ƒ³­½v®œŒÃˆŒÛ³ÈŒˆ
­³ÀŒvœÀưȜ­ŒȳȚŒI%S³ËÀƛ
¨­³ÃȌیÀâȚœ®—ƒšv®—Œˆƛ
S³­³ÃȌ¨¨³ÜvÃŭŮܚŒ®
`³³ˆÃ蜽½Œˆœ®È³ȚŒïÀÃȳ–
šœÃ–³ËÀ%ÀŒŒ®2vƒ§ŒÈÃƛ4œ§Œ
­œ¨¨œ³®ÃvÀ³Ë®ˆȚŒܳÀ¨ˆƜ
šŒÀŒƒv¨¨ÃœÈۜۜˆ¨âƛ(³ÜŒÛŒÀƜ
œÈÜvîƺȦËÃÈȚŒ­v®®ŒÀ³À
ܗ®œïƒv®ƒŒ³–Sœ—ŒÀƺÃܜ®ȚvÈ
­vˆŒv®œ­½ÀŒÃܳ®³®šœ­ƞœÈ
ÜvÃȚŒŒ¿Ëœ½­Œ®ÈšŒË̈ȳ
ˆ³œÈƛO½Œƒœïƒv¨¨âƜšœÃ½ËÈȌÀƛ
Ʒ*¦ËÃȨ³ÛŒˆšœÃOƒ³ÈÈâ
v­ŒÀ³®:ŒÜ½³ÀÈܜȚȚŒ
SŒÀ⨨œË­œ®ÃŒÀÈƜƸ휨ŒÃS³­ƛ
Lœ—šÈȚŒ®Ɯv½vÃܳ®–³À
Oƒ³ÈÈâ½ËÈȌÀÃƲv®ˆ¨vȌÀƜ_³§Œâ
܌ˆ—ŒÃƲÜv³À®ƛ*®ȚŒÈܳ
ˆŒƒvˆŒÃȚvÈšvی–³¨¨³ÜŒˆƜ
S³­švÃv­vÃ̈všË—Œưv®ˆ
49
Tom admiring his massive collection of Scotty Cameron putters and Vokey wedges
hugely impressive - collection of more than
40 putters and well over 140 wedges, many of
them tour-owned. And that’s to say nothing
of the dozens of limited edition putter
headcovers he has assembled.
“It all goes back to Tiger,” he explains. “I
suppose it’s just that thing of wanting the
equipment that your favourite players play.
For some people, it’s getting replica shirts
of your favourite football team. For others,
it might be the boots that Ronaldo or Messi
wear. For me, it has always been Scotty
Cameron putters and Vokey wedges.
“When I was a kid starting out in golf, the
majority of the players I looked up to were
Titleist players, so I wanted the whole look:
the tour bag, the putter, the wedges. In time, I
guess that became my ‘thing’.”
S³­ÀŒƒv¨¨Ã—ŒÈȜ®—šœÃïÀÃÈOƒ³ÈÈâˆËÀœ®—
a family trip to Florida. “It must have been
around 1998 or 1999, around the time the Pro
Platinum range came out,” he recalls. “We
went into a golf shop in the States and they
had them on display. I had negotiated a deal
with my dad that he would buy me one – I
can’t remember the exact terms of the deal –
and so he bought me it there and then.”
50 bunkered.co.uk
The rise of the internet and auction sites
like eBay helped fuel Tom’s passion around
the turn of the century. “I started to see
Scottys with these different headcovers
on them and I thought, ‘That’s pretty cool’,”
he says. “I started off buying a couple of
headcovers. That became ten. Next thing I
knew, I had loads of them and, well, you’ve got
ȳ﨨ȚŒ­ܜȚó­ŒÈšœ®—Ɯ*Ã˽½³ÃŒƠƸ
As his putter collection began to take
shape, Tom found himself becoming a regular
ËÌÀ³–ƜïÀÃÈƜȚŒfvš³³ƠOƒ³ÈÈâv­ŒÀ³®
fan club followed by, in 2006, the Cameron
Collector Forum.
The Cameron Collector site is, by its own
description, “a place to learn and share
knowledge for hard-core Cameron collectors,
enthusiasts, and even golfers planning to buy
ȚŒœÀïÀÃÈv­ŒÀ³®½ËÈȌÀƸƛ
It has hundreds of registered users,
I had loads of
headcovers and, well,
you’ve got to fill them
with something!
ranging in age from 17 to 75, and is the
ultimate online resource for Cameron fans.
“I know it sounds obvious but there’s a
real sense of community about the forum,”
explains Tom. “For instance, in 2008, my
wife and I went on holiday to San Francisco.
Before we left, I put a post on the forum
asking for recommendations on what to do,
where to go, what to see and so on. Various
people replied but this one guy, Eddie Gomez,
who is a very well known collector, emailed
me. He said: 'When do you land?' I got back
to him. He replied: 'Are you hiring a car?' I
said: 'No, we’re staying in the city so there’s
probably no need.' He came back to me and
said: 'Okay, I’ll pick you up. And whatever day
you want to play golf, let me know. I’ll pick you
up, drop you back off at your hotel afterwards
and we can go pretty much wherever you
want. Pebble Beach, Pasatiempo, wherever,
whenever. Let me know'.
“So, we get to San Francisco after 16 hours
of travelling and my wife asks, 'So, who is
this guy that’s picking us up?' I explained that
he was a fellow Cameron collector and that,
beyond that, I didn’t know anything about him.
“Anyway, we went through into the arrivals
calling all

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 BOB THE BUILDER Meet Bob Vokey / Page 74 >>
hall and he was standing there in the lobby
waiting for us. He showed us out to his car
where he had brought along some pieces
from his collection to show me. It was
a surreal experience but I was standing
ȚŒÀŒƜ¦ËÃȳ––v¨³®—šv˨𜗚ÈȳȚŒ`ŒÃÈ
Coast of America, with my wife, and there’s
this guy, who until ten minutes ago I had
only ever known from the opposite of a
computer screen and a forum account –
and now he’s handing me one of Tiger’s old
back-up putters, which he has managed
to track down and buy! It was crazy but
brilliant.”
Tom’s collection of putters is truly
remarkable, particularly those that have
been used on tour by some of the game’s
top players. Through eBay, he has been
able to snap up putters once wielded by the
likes of Ross Fisher, David Drysdale, Kyle
Thompson and Mark Foster – but there’s
one he is especially proud of.
“I’ve got one of Rory’s Camerons from
when he was an amateur and just before
he turned pro,” he says. “A guy from
Northern Ireland owned it and posted on
the forum about it, saying it had belonged
to this up-and-coming local lad who had
½¨v⌈`v¨§ŒÀ˽v®ˆÜv׳œ®—ȳ‚Œ
turning pro. The initials stamped on it were
‘RM’.
“Because Oliver Fisher was local to me, I
used to keep tabs on his progress and you
would always invariably see this McIlroy
lad’s name on the same leaderboards. So,
I emailed the guy and asked if it had been
L³ÀâƺÃƜܚœƒššŒƒ³®ïÀ­Œˆƛ
“At the time, I was still at uni and, being
a poor student, I couldn’t afford to buy it –
but a guy I knew did. For ages afterwards,
*ܳ˨ˆšvÃ茚œ­ƜÃv✮—ƝƷ`šŒ®vÀŒâ³Ë
going to sell this to me?” Finally, out of the
blue, he dropped me an email to ask if I
still wanted it. He had a few other bits, too,
like a bag, a headcover and so on. It was an
easy decision. I managed to get it from him
for about £1,100. It was a bargain.”
By this point, Tom was complementing
his Cameron collection with bagfuls of
Vokey wedges. “It’s not just that they’re part
of the bigger ‘Titleist picture’,” he explains.
“It’s the handiwork that goes into them. The
ones I like aren’t the standard wedges that
you’d see on a shelf in a pro shop. They’re
made for the tour and, because of that,
they’re totally unique. Plus, you can get
some real bargains. I’ve picked up quite
a lot of wedges for peanuts. I’ve spent
as little as $11 on some of them. I think
some people are put off bidding for them
because they’ve been ground down or
because they don’t look ‘pristine and new’.
ËÈâ³Ëƒv®ﮈó­ŒÀŒv¨—Œ­ÃƛƸ
52 bunkered.co.uk
Tom’s favourites
GEORGIA ON HIS MIND: This limited edition
Masters putter was picked up by Tom when he
went to Augusta in 2014 and he keeps it in its own
presentation box. “Some people buy caps or polos
- I had to have a Masters putter!“ he says.
ANNIVERSARY WEDGE: Tom says his wife, Helen,
is understanding when it comes to his collections.
Customised wedges like this one probably help to
keep her onside. “As you can tell, we got married
on June 29, 2012, and I had to commemorate it.“
ONE OF A KIND: Ʒ*¨³ÛŒﮈœ®—ÀŒv¨¨âË®œ¿ËŒ
clubs,” explains Tom. “So when I saw this Newport
Fastback Select and I spotted the ‘For Tour Use
Only’ and ‘Xperimental Prototype’ stampings, I knew
I’d found something special.”
ORLA’S FINEST: “My daughter, Orla, has just turned
three and she is absolutely obsessed with the
minions from Despicable Me, so I had this wedge
stamped with her name and some of her favourite
¿Ë³ÈŒÃ–À³­ȚŒ鶴ÃƜƸŒá½¨vœ®ÃS³­ƛ
As with his putters, Tom’s collection of
wedges features lots that have been used
on tour, including, once again, one that was
once in the bag of a certain ‘R. McIlroy’.
“One of Rory’s wedges came onto eBay
and I just had to have it,” he laughs. “It was a
seven-day auction - no ‘Buy it Now’ option
– and I sat there watching it, checking
it, watching it some more. I was leading
ȚŒ‚œˆˆœ®—–³Àv—ŒÃv®ˆï®v¨¨âŒ®ˆŒˆ˽
getting it for about £140, which I was over
the moon with.”
Of course, one of the less savoury
consequences of the success of
auction sites such as eBay has been
the emergence of a digital black market
dominated by plausible, sophisticated-
looking fake goods. It is reckoned that
close to a quarter of all golf clubs sold on
eBay are counterfeits, making the site a
­œ®ŒïŒ¨ˆȳ®vۜ—vȌ–³ÀȚ³ÃŒܜȚ³ËÈv
keen eye for detail. Fortunately, there are
no such issues for Tom.
“You get quite good at identifying fakes,”
he says. “I’m wouldn’t say I can always
identify things 100% but I can usually spot
something that’s not quite right.
“For example, there was a fake stand
bag on eBay recently. It was an orange
‘Jackpot Johnny’ bag. Most people would
have looked at it and gone, “That looks real
enough to me” and to the untrained eye, it
looked perfectly authentic – but Titleist has
never made an orange ‘Jackpot Johnny’
bag. That’s something you’d only know
as a collector. You do get quite good at
identifying the tells.”
Tom’s obsession with all things Cameron
and Vokey begs some questions. Firstly,
presumably he is able to use them to
decent effect?
He laughs: “Yeah, my short game has
always been my strength. I’m off seven at
the moment and, going right back to my
junior days, I’ve always been pretty good on
and around the green.”
Secondly, what does his wife, make of
his collection? “She’s brilliant,” he insists.
“There have been a few times where new
stuff has arrived and she’s been a bit
like, ‘Okay, what are you doing with all of
these clubs?’ But on the whole, she’s very
understanding.”
Just as well, really, as he has no plans to
stop any time soon. “I think both collections
will grow,” he says. “The next goal is to get a
man cave where I can put them on display.
That would be pretty cool.”
As would meeting Scotty, presumably.
“That would be brilliant,” he adds. “I’ve met
³‚ƛ*ƺیvƒÈËv¨¨âšvˆvïÈȜ®—–À³­šœ­Ɯ
which was an unbelievable experience. But
I haven’t met Scotty. Not yet, anyway!” ●
 the heart of
scottish golf
AYRSHIRE
Welcome to golf’s
breeding ground
With various initiatives and incentives for golfers of all ages,
܌ۜÜȌˆO³ËȚâÀڜÀŒȳﮈ³ËÈܚvÈǀ׳œ®—³®v®ˆܚâ
BY MARTIN INGLIS
PHOTOS PSP Media
T’S 6PM ON A FRIDAY EVENING. The
I
A77 is gridlocked in places ahead
of President Trump’s impending
arrival in Scotland and, while the
bulk of the world’s media are about
ȳ‚Œƒ³­ŒïávȌˆ³®šœÃSÀË­½
Turnberry resort, our focus is on a
South Ayrshire golf course that’s a little less
well known: Maybole.
Located 15 miles north from the luxury
36-hole Turnberry, this course – operated by
South Ayrshire Council under its Golf South
Ayrshire brand – lies at the completely opposite
Œ®ˆ³–ȚŒOƒ³ÈȜÚ—³¨ï®—ýŒƒÈÀË­ƛ
At this nine-holer, the car park is shared with
that of the local swimming pool, the dress code
is lax and green fees don’t spiral into three
ï—ËÀŒÃƛ*®–vƒÈƜ–³ÀȚŒ½vÃÈÜá܌Œ§ÃƜ—³¨–švÃ
been offered here for free in a bid to increase
œÈÃËÃv—ŒƛV®ÃËÀ½ÀœÃœ®—¨âƜœÈǀÃܳÀ§ŒˆƜܜȚ
À³Ë®ˆÃ˽ŭųűǦƛ
Togetherness
Community group, Maybole Over 50s (MOFs),
švیšŒ¨½Œˆƒ³®ÈÀœ‚ËȌȳȚvÈÚvÀ½ÀœÃŒƛSšŒ
—À³Ë½Ɯܚ³ÃŒvœ­œÃȳȨ³®Œ¨œ®ŒÃÃv®ˆ
social isolation, recently added golf to its long
list of activities – including the likes of knitting,
yoga, computing and art – after asking Golf
South Ayrshire whether it would be possible to
—ŒÈ󭌖ÀŒŒ¨ŒÃó®Ã–³ÀȚŒ—À³Ë½ƛ
“Anything to keep us active, healthy and out
of the old folk’s home for longer,” quips 72-year-
old Peter Mason who, along with fellow ‘MOF’
OȌ¨¨v³âˆƜšŒ¨½ŒˆȳvÀÀv®—ŒȚŒÌÃܳ®Ãƛ
Six weeks on, the group – whose ages range
–À³­űŬȳŴŬƲvÀŒŒ®¦³âœ®—ȚŒœÀï®v¨܌Œ§
of coaching with PGA professional Richard
%³Àˆ³®ƛIÀœ³ÀȳLœƒšvÀˆƺèŒÃó®ÃƜv¨¨³–ȚŒ
participants had either never touched a golf
54 bunkered.co.uk
club in their lives or hadn’t in decades, but the
introduction has been so successful the group
has vowed to continue meeting on Friday
ŒÛŒ®œ®—è³®—v–ÈŒÀLœƒšvÀˆƺèŒÃó®ÃvÀŒ³ÛŒÀƛ
Some barely knew one another, either,
despite residing in the small town for most of
ȚŒœÀˆvâÃƛËÈȚŒâ܌ÀŒ‚À³Ë—šÈȳ—ŒÈšŒÀ‚â
their interest in taking up golf and, for Maureen
McElroy – who attended the lessons with her
husband Peter – it has brought them closer to
ȚŒœÀȚÀŒŒ—Àv®ˆƒšœ¨ˆÀŒ®ƛ
"To have a conversation with a 13-year-old is
almost impossible, yet out here he’s opening up
³®v¨¨óÀÈó–Țœ®—ÃƜƿڌŒá½¨vœ®ÃƛƿSšŒȌ®ư
year-old, meanwhile, is developing all sorts of
skills he didn’t know he had – including beating
his brother – and watching the patience of
ȚŒÌی®ưâŒvÀư³¨ˆƟœÈƺÃv­v眮—ƛ*ˆ³®ƺȧ®³Ü
another game that is so cross generational
v®ˆƜ³®ȳ½³–ȚvÈƜ܌–ŒŒ¨ó­ËƒšïÈȌÀƛƿ
Councillor Brian McGinley, Economic
Development, Tourism and Leisure Portfolio
(³¨ˆŒÀ–³ÀO³ËȚâÀڜÀŒ³Ë®ƒœ¨ƜvˆˆÃƝƷ`ŒǀÀŒ
using our facilities to give as many people as
½³Ã܂¨ŒvƒƒŒÃÃȳ¨ŒœÃËÀŒƛŒœ®—vƒÈœÛŒœÃv
great way to improve health and wellbeing
and it’s encouraging that people in Maybole
and beyond have got involved to realise the
‚Œ®ŒïÈÃƛƸ
Recycling
*Èƺî³̃ÀŒÈ—³¨–½vÀȜƒœ½vȜ³®œ®Oƒ³È¨v®ˆšvÃ
ˆŒƒ¨œ®Œˆœ®ÀŒƒŒ®ÈâŒvÀÃƛÀŒƒËÀÀœ®—ȚŒ­Œ
as to why is that the sport is ‘too expensive’
but, at the same time, it has arguably never
‚ŒŒ®­³ÀŒv––³Àˆv‚¨Œƛ*®ȚŒƒv̳–ȚŒ9?$ÃƜ
ȚŒ¨vÈȌÀœÃƒŒÀÈvœ®¨âȚŒƒvÌƛ`œÈšÜá–ÀŒŒ
lessons, a free-to-play golf course and free
ƒ¨Ë‚ÃƜȚŒÀŒvÀŒ‚vÀŒ¨âv®âƒ³ÃÈÃœ®Û³¨ÛŒˆƛ
The clubs have been provided by Golf South
Clockwise from main image: The Maybole Over 50s (MOFs) get ready for the last of
their six free lessons with PGA pro Richard Gordon; Nine-year-old Rachel Halliday
Üv¨§Ã˽ȚŒïÀÃÈ–vœÀÜvâvÈSÀ³³®$˨¨vÀȳ®œ®šŒÀïÀÃÈÀ³Ë®ˆ³®v—³¨–ƒ³ËÀÌ
with grandfather Lex and cousin David; The MOFs out on the course at Maybole;
Peter Mason and Stella Boyd, who organised the free golf lessons for MOFs; A look
at the gear being used by MOFs donated by fellow South Ayrshire golfers.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 55
 the heart of
scottish golf
AYRSHIRE
Ayrshire as part of its golf
club amnesty scheme. In this,
golfers donate their unwanted
equipment to drop-off points
vÈ%³¨–O³ËȚâÀڜÀŒƺÃïی
sites – Belleisle Park, Dalmilling,
%œÀÛv®Ɯ9v₳¨Œv®ˆSÀ³³®4œ®§Ã
Ʋv®ˆƜœ®ÀŒÈËÀ®ƜÀŒƒŒœÛŒvŭŬǦ
discount off their next purchase
at Belleisle Park, Dalmilling or
SÀ³³®4œ®§Ã½À³Ú³½Ãƛ
S܌¨ÛŒÌÈÚvی®³Ü‚ŒŒ®
­vˆŒvÛvœ¨v‚¨Œ–³À9?$Ãv®ˆƜ
despite most of the clubs being
³ÛŒÀȌ®ưâŒvÀÃư³¨ˆƜȚvȈ³ŒÃ®ƺÈ
bother them.
“At the end of the day, we’re
®ŒÛŒÀ—³œ®—ȳ‚ŒȚŒ®ŒáÈSœ—ŒÀ
Woods and we don’t want to
‚ŒȚŒ®ŒáÈSœ—ŒÀ`³³ˆÃƜƸvˆˆÃ
Peter. “We just want to stay
vƒÈœÛŒv®ˆŒ®¦³â³ËĄ̀یÃƲó
it doesn’t matter in the slightest.
Ʒ$³Àƒ¨Ë‚ÃȚvÈšvی‚ŒŒ®
lying around in people’s garages
–³ÀŮŬư½¨ËÃâŒvÀÃƜȚŒâƺÀŒ
½ŒÀ–ŒƒÈ¨âﮌ–³ÀËÃȳËÌƛƸ
Get Into Golf
Affordability and accessibility
are central to Golf South
Ayrshire’s business operation.
An adult season ticket costs
ljŰŮŵv®ˆȚœÃ—œÛŒÃš³¨ˆŒÀÃ
—ÀŒvÈÛvÀœŒÈâܜȚvƒƒŒÃÃȳv¨¨
eight of its courses across its
ïیÜȌÃƝSÀ³³®4³ƒš—ÀŒŒ®Ɯ
SÀ³³®$˨¨vÀȳ®ƜSÀ³³®vÀ¨ŒâƜ
We’re never going to be the next
Tiger Woods and we don’t want
to be the next Tiger Woods.
Œ¨¨ŒœÃ¨ŒƜOŒvˆƜ9v₳¨ŒƜ
%œÀÛv®v®ˆv¨­œ¨¨œ®—ƛ
It’s clearly appealing, with
Ìvó®Ȝƒ§ŒÈ®Ë­‚ŒÀÚvۜ®—
œ®ƒÀŒv̈‚âųǦ–À³­ŮŬŭųȳ
ŮŬŭŴȳůƜŲűŭƲv®vیÀv—Œ³–ŰűŲ
across its eight courses.
SšvÈƺó®ÃœˆŒÀv‚¨âšœ—šŒÀ
Țv®ȚŒvیÀv—Œ®Ë­‚ŒÀ³–
registered golfers per course
in Scotland with the Golf
Participation Report for Europe
2017, released in September
¨vÃÈâŒvÀ‚â3I9%Ɯڳܜ®—ȚvÈ
ȚŒÀŒ܌ÀŒŭŵŮƜűůůÀŒ—œÃȌÀŒˆ
—³¨–ŒÀÃœ®Oƒ³È¨v®ˆœ®ŮŬŭŲ
vƒÀ³ÃÃűųŴƒ³ËÀÌÃƲv®vیÀv—Œ
56 bunkered.co.uk
³–ůůů—³¨–ŒÀýŒÀƒ³ËÀÌƛ
?––ŒÀœ®—v½vȚÜvâȳ
become a season ticket holder
ܜȚ%³¨–O³ËȚâÀڜÀŒœÃۜÈv¨
and its Get Into Golf scheme
ˆ³ŒÃ¦ËÃÈȚvÈƛSvÀ—ŒÈŒˆ
at beginners or those who
švی‚ŒŒ®ÀŒ­³ÛŒˆ–À³­ȚŒ
—v­Œ–³À­v®ââŒvÀÃƜ–³ÀljŭŭŮ
participants – who must not
švیšŒ¨ˆvÌvó®Ȝƒ§ŒÈܜȚœ®
the past three seasons – get
unlimited golf on four courses
ƪOŒvˆƜ$˨¨vÀȳ®Ɯv¨­œ¨¨œ®—
v®ˆ9v₳¨Œƫ–À³­½Àœ¨ȳ
?ƒÈ³‚ŒÀƜïیœ®ˆœÛœˆËv¨¨ŒÃó®Ã
throughout the season and
discounted club hire.
At Belleisle, sales manager
Ian Burgess, 47, has turned
˽–³ÀȚŒ̃³®ˆ³–šœÃïی
lessons after barely picking
up a golf club for a decade.
SšŒÀŒvó®–³ÀšœÃšœvÈËÃœÃv Junior season ticket holder Glenn Wilson
situation many middle-aged
golfers across the country can
ÀŒ¨vȌȳƝȚŒâšvی®ƺÈšvˆȜ­Œ teeth and, on this particular ƒ³­½¨ŒÈŒ®³ÛœƒŒ—³¨–ŒÀœ®È³
due to working full-time, getting $ÀœˆvâƜ®œ®ŒưâŒvÀư³¨ˆLvƒšŒ¨ a junior golfer ready for a
­vÀÀœŒˆv®ˆšvۜ®—ƒšœ¨ˆÀŒ®ƛ Halliday is about to play membership at a golf club in
But with less time pressure šŒÀïÀÃÈưŒÛŒÀÀ³Ë®ˆ³–—³¨– a six-week block of lessons
now his children are getting v¨³®—ÃœˆŒšŒÀ—Àv®ˆ–vȚŒÀ4Œá ƒ³ÃȜ®—¦ËÃÈljŮűƛ
older, he saw the Get Into Golf v®ˆƒ³ËÜ®vۜˆƜŭŮƛ *Èœ®Û³¨ÛŒÃȚÀŒŒ§Œâ¨ŒÛŒ¨Ãƛ
scheme as the ideal opportunity “Golf was something I got so OSLSœÃv¨¨v‚³ËÈ–Ë®v®ˆv®
ȳÀŒ§œ®ˆ¨ŒšœÃ¨³ÛŒ³–ȚŒ—v­Œƛ much enjoyment out of when I elementary introduction to
Ʒ*ÈƺÂŒŒ®–v®ÈvÃȜƒƜƸšŒ was a teenager so I’m hoping my —³¨–Ɯ4L:œÃv­³ÛŒȳÜvÀˆÃ
‚Œv­ÃƛƷ*Èƺ×ÀŒvÈÛv¨ËŒv®ˆŒÛŒ® ˆv˗šÈŒÀƒv®švیó­ŒÜ­œ¨vÀ technical instruction through
œ®­âïÀÃȨŒÃó®Ɯ–À³­ȚŒÃÈvÀÈ Œá½ŒÀœŒ®ƒŒÃƜƸÃvâÃLvƒšŒ¨ƺà games-based learning with
of the half hour to the end of it, ˆvˆƜOȌی®Ɯܚ³œÃƒšœŒ–‚Ë——â ȚŒŒ­½švÜó®–Ë®v®ˆI4f
ˆÀœÛŒÀ–³ÀȚŒˆvâv®ˆš³¨ˆÃ®³ teaches the child to apply their
concerns about introducing his learning to the golf course.
daughter to the golf course for
ȚŒïÀÃÈȜ­Œƛ Relationships
“I’m not going out there with `šœ¨ŒSÀ³³®4œ®§Ãv®ˆŒ¨¨ŒœÃ¨Œ
v®âÀŒv¨v½½ÀŒšŒ®Ãœ³®ƜƸšŒvˆˆÃƛ are the main commercial
PETER MASON
Ʒ$˨¨vÀȳ®œÃ—ÀŒvÈœ®ȚvÈœÈƺà hubs of Golf South Ayrshire’s
œÈÜvšÈv®ˆˆvâƛ*ƺیv¨ÀŒvˆâ more open and accessible for operation – the latter of which
been out on the golf course in younger people who are maybe is home to a fresh, modern-
ȚŒÈܳ܌Œ§ÃÜ®ƒŒ­âïÀÃÈ going to play a little slower looking clubhouse that opened
lesson and there’s no question than others. I think people two years ago – Dalmilling is
that after this expires, I’ll be understand that so I doubt we’ll markedly different.
‚Ë✮—vÌvó®Ȝƒ§ŒÈƛƸ ‚Œƒšv̈v¨³®—ƛƸ 4³ƒvȌˆvƒÀ³ÃÃȳܮœ®
`šœ¨ŒLvƒšŒ¨œÃÀŒƒŒœÛœ®— âÀܜȚ®vۜ—vȜ³®ȚÀ³Ë—šv
Junior Golf her golf lessons at Gailes housing estate to get there, the
With the eight courses ranging 4œ®§ÃƜOȌی®œÃ–˨¨âvÜvÀŒ pro shop is small, amenities are
–À³­ŰƜŴŲųâvÀˆÃȳŲƜŴŮŮâvÀˆÃ of the strides being made by basic and its hub for post-round
in length and being a mixture of Golf South Ayrshire in its bid refreshments doubles up as the
styles with four links and four to attract more juniors to the local pub. But that doesn’t mean
parkland, there’s a layout to suit game. Its Junior Golf Passport its regular users are any less
ŒÛŒÀ₳ˆâƛ is a structured learning passionate about the game.
SšŒÚ³ÀȌÃȳ–ȚŒÃŒƜSÀ³³® programme for children aged Sv§ŒŭűưâŒvÀư³¨ˆ%¨Œ®®
$˨¨vÀȳ®ƜœÃܚŒÀŒ­v®â¦Ë®œ³À ÜáȳŭŮâŒvÀÃv®ˆƜŒ®ˆ³À̈ Wilson for example. He took
golfers in the region cut their by the PGA, it progresses a up golf just two years ago but
 1 2

1 Ian Burgess receiving the second

³–šœÃïی%ŒÈ*®È³%³¨–¨ŒÃó®ÃܜȚ
½À³LœƒšvÀˆ%³Àˆ³®ƛSšŒ½³½Ë¨vÀœÈâ
3
³–%ŒÈ*®È³%³¨–švÃÃËÀ—Œˆœ®ŮŬŭŴƜ
ܜȚȚŒ®Ë­‚ŒÀ³–½Œ³½¨Œ—ŒÈȜ®—
œ®Û³¨ÛŒˆ˽űŵǦƛ

2 v¨­œ¨¨œ®—%³¨–³ËÀÌƜܚœƒš
švÂŒŒ®ȚÀŒvȌ®ŒˆܜȚƒ¨³ÃËÀŒœ®
ÀŒƒŒ®ÈȜ­ŒÃƜÀŒ­vœ®Ãv®œ­½³ÀÈv®È
½vÀȳ–ȚŒ¨³ƒv¨—³¨–ƒ³­­Ë®œÈâƛ

4 3 :œ®ŒưâŒvÀư³¨ˆLvƒšŒ¨(v¨¨œˆvâšœÈÃ
šŒÀیÀâïÀÃÈȌŒÚ³È³®vƹ‚œ—ƺ—³¨–
ƒ³ËÀÌvÈSÀ³³®$˨¨vÀȳ®Ë®ˆŒÀȚŒ
Üvȃš–˨ŒâŒ³–šŒÀˆvˆOȌی®ƛ

4 IÀ³LœƒšvÀˆ%³Àˆ³®ÀŒƒŒœÛœ®—v
۳˃šŒÀ–À³­ȚŒ9v₳¨Œ?یÀűŬÃ
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ÈÀŒ­Œ®ˆ³ËÖ³ÀËÃv®ˆšvÃȚŒ
—ÀŒvȌÃÈÀŒÃ½ŒƒÈ–À³­ËÃvÃv
—À³Ë½ƜƸÃvâÃIŒÈŒÀ9vó®ƛ

5 SšŒ­³ˆŒÃȨ³³§œ®—ƒ¨Ë‚š³ËÌ
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6
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5
6 ¨³³§vÈ󭌳–ȚŒƒ¨Ë‚Ã
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O³ËȚâÀڜÀŒƺ׳¨–ƒ¨Ë‚v­®ŒÃÈâ
ڌ­Œƛ*ÈǀÂŒŒ®všË—ŒÃ˃ƒŒÃÃó
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v¨ÀŒvˆâƜšœÃšv®ˆœƒv½œÃˆ³Ü® —ÀŒŒ®§ŒŒ½œ®—Ɯ*ƺˆ‚Œšv½½âƛƸ Țœ®§܌švیvÀŒÃ½³®Ãœ‚œ¨œÈâȳ ÃvâÃLœƒšvÀˆƛƷ*ÈƺÃv®vÀŒv³–

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(ŒšvÀ‚³ËÀÃvýœÀvȜ³®Ã³–
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get an apprenticeship doing
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v–ÀŒŒ¨ŒÃó®³®ȚŒSÀvƒ§­v®
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—œÛŒ®šœÃ§ŒŒ®®ŒÃÖ³ÀȚŒ—v­Œ
ƲšŒ½¨vâÃÜáˆvâÃv܌Œ§Ʋv®ˆ
interest in forging a career in a
—³¨–ƒv½vƒœÈâƜȚŒœ­½³ÀÈv®ƒŒ
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Challenges
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ȚvÈƺÃvšË—ŒܳÀÀâƲ½vÀȜƒË¨vÀ¨â
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­Œv®Üšœ¨ŒƜœÃ‚ÀŒv§œ®—ˆ³Ü®
ȚŒƹ­Ë®œƒœ½v¨ƺ‚vÀÀœŒÀƛ
Ʒ*ÈǀÃvš³ÀÀœ‚¨ŒܳÀˆƜƸšŒ
ƒ³®Èœ®ËŒÃƛƷ`ŒƺÀŒóvƒƒŒÃ܂¨Œ
šŒÀŒƛ%³ȳv¨³È³–½ÀœÛvȌ—³¨–
ƒ¨Ë‚Ãv®ˆȚŒïÀÃÈȚœ®—â³Ë̌
œÃvܗ®ȚvÈÀŒvˆÃƜƹIÀœÛvȌ%³¨–
¨Ë‚ƺƜƹIÀœÛvȌvÀIvÀ§ƺƛSšvÈƺÃ
یÀâ³––ư½ËÈȜ®—ƛ*Țœ®§4ŒŒ
`ŒÃÈܳ³ˆÃvœˆv–ŒÜâŒvÀÃv—³
ȚvÈȚœÃœÃȚŒ‚ÀŒŒˆœ®——À³Ë®ˆ
–³Àv¨¨—³¨–ƛ(ŒƺÃŒávƒÈ¨âÀœ—šÈƛƸ

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 57
58 bunkered.co.uk
 Á L V A R O
‘What would I take with
me to a desert island?
Alcohol, I guess!’
The fun-loving Spanish big-hitter on tantrums, family,
slow play and superpowers
INTERVIEW BRYCE RITCHIE | PORTRAITS MIKE PETCH
What has been your proudest
moment in the game so far?
I think I’m probably going through
my proudest moment right now. I
had really been struggling with my
game and I have worked harder than
ever after my worst results ever.
®ˆȚvÈƺÃvیÀ∜íƒË¨ÈȚœ®—ȳ
handle. When you are ambitious
and you want to move forwards but,
instead, you move backwards, it’s a
ˆœíƒË¨ÈȚœ®—ȳË®ˆŒÀÃÈv®ˆƛËÈ*
think after coming back back to my
fundamentals and trying to make
the game more simple, I’m now
hitting the ball better. I now need to
play good golf for an extended time.
I have to recognise, too, that once
I’m hitting it better, now I’m able to
identify when I’m thinking wrongly
before I hit the shot. Sometimes it’s
ˆœíƒË¨Èȳ̌ȚŒˆœ––ŒÀŒ®ƒŒƛ:³Ü
I’m able to do that, so I’m happier. I’m
proud of that.
Who has been your favourite
playing partner over the years?
I have practised a lot with (José
Q U I R Ó S Q & A
Mariá) Olazábal – but now that he’s And, unfortunately, I have to say
MINI BIO on the seniors tour, we got divorced! professional golf becomes too
} Born in Cadiz Because of that, I have to appreciate boring on TV and event sometimes
in 1983 every single minute that I have to to play.
spend with him, not just as a golfer
} First started but as a person. Who is the most famous person on
playing golf at the your mobile phone?
age of 9 and was When was the last time you threw a The most famous person? Ha, that’s
taught by Pedro tantrum on the course? a good one. I don’t have too many
Tineo, a member of It was actually a few days ago. I famous friends, actually, but it’s
the teaching staff at had, shall we say, a little bit of a probably a footballer. I have a Pepe
La Cañada Golf Club disagreement with a referee. Reina on my phone, former Liverpool
goalie, he’s a good friend. And I
} Made his debut When was the last time you hit a have Fernando Llorente, the former
for Spain in 1999 at 1-iron? Juventus player who now plays for
the age of 16 and, by Phew… I can tell you the last time I Tottenham.
18, he was off +1 hit a 2-iron? The last time I had one
} He won a in my bag was in 2011. After that, I If you could have any superpower,
scholarship to a started to realise it wasn’t worth it what would it be and why?
special performance anymore and used a 5-wood. I would be invisible (smiles).
school in Madrid
alongside middle Have you ever had a telling off from You’re stranded on a desert island
distance runner a referee? – what three things would you want
Juan Carlos Higuero, No, not really. The issue I mentioned to have with you?
cellist Andrès Diaz before wasn’t actually about me it This could be a really big problem.
and triathlete Iván was about the pace of play during SšvÈƺÃvˆœíƒË¨È³®ŒƜŒšƢ¨ƒ³š³¨Ɯ*
Raña the event. I’m a big fan of playing guess. I suppose it would help you
golf at a decent speed, you know? forget that you’re on your own. Yes,
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 59
 óv¨ƒ³š³¨ƜˆŒï®œÈŒ¨âƛ
What did you want to grow up to be
when you were little?
*ˆœˆ®ƺÈšvیv®âœˆ³¨ÃܚŒ®*ÜvÃ
—À³Üœ®—˽Ɯ®³Èšœ®—¨œ§ŒȚvÈÀŒv¨¨âƛ
ËÈ*švیȳÀŒƒ³—®œÃŒȚvÈ?¨vçw‚v¨
Üv󮌳–ȚŒ—ËâÃȚvÈ*ÀŒv¨¨â¨œ§Œˆ
œ®—³¨–ƛ(ŒÜv󮌳–ȚŒ—ËâÃ*—ÀŒÜ
˽Üvȃšœ®—ƛ*ƺ­v¨Ã³‚œ—–³³È‚v¨¨–v®Ɯ
ȳ³Ɯv®ˆ*—ÀŒÜ˽ܜȚȚŒ—³¨ˆŒ®
âŒvÀó–ȨÈœƒ³9vˆÀœˆƜv®ˆ*v¨Ã³
¨œ§ŒˆȌ®®œÃܚŒ®*ÜvÃv§œˆƛËÈ*
ˆœˆ®ƺÈÀŒv¨¨âÜv®Èȳ‚Œ󭌳®ŒƜ*
¦ËÃȨ³³§Œˆ˽ȳý³ÀÈýŒ³½¨Œƛ
If you could rid the world of one
thing, what would it be?
`Œ¨¨Ɯ*ܜ¨¨Ãvâv¨¨ȚŒšË®—À⽌³½¨Œ
vÀ³Ë®ˆȚŒܳÀ¨ˆƛ*ܳ˨ˆ¨œ§Œȳïá
ȚvÈƛ
What was your best subject at
school?
(œÃȳÀâƛ$Ë®®âŒ®³Ë—šƜ*Üvó®Œ
³–Ț³ÃŒ§œˆÃvÈȚŒÚ³³¨ȚvÈ
ˆœˆ®ƺÈÀŒv¨¨âýŒv§Țvȭ˃šƜ*³®¨â
¨œÃȌ®ŒˆȳܚvÈ*ÜvÃȳ¨ˆƛ*¨œ§Œȳ
Țœ®§ȚvÈv¨¨³ÜŒˆ­Œ®³Èȳšvیȳ
ÃÈˈâ³ËÈ܈ŒȚŒÜáš³ËÀÃ*ýŒ®È
œ®Ú³³¨Ơ
â³Ë§®³ÜܚvÈ*­Œv®Ƣ9â–vƒŒœÃ ȚŒÀŒœÃvÀŒvó®ȚvÈȚŒâšv½½Œ®ƛ
} Turned pro at 21 ½ŒÀ–ŒƒÈƜœÈƺ׳³ˆƠ*¦ËÃÈ®ŒŒˆó­Œ
off +3.4 ­v§Œư˽Ɵ Who would play you in a movie of
} He supports your life?
Atltico Madrid fan f³Ëﮈvܜ®®œ®—4³ÈȌÀâȜƒ§ŒÈœ® f³Ë§®³ÜƜȚœÃœÃ­v₌—³œ®—ȳ‚Œ
and loves James the street. What do you do? Èv§Œ®vÃv¦³§ŒƜ‚ËÈv¨³È³–½Œ³½¨Œ
Bond f³Ë§®³ÜƜ*v¨ÜvâÃÃvâȚŒÈÀËȚƛ*È ÃvâȚvÈ*¨³³§¨œ§Œ2œ­vÀÀŒâƜȚŒ
ܳ˨ˆˆŒ½Œ®ˆ³®­âÜÈËvȜ³®ƛ*ƺ­ vƒÈ³ÀƜâ³Ë§®³ÜȚŒ—Ëâ–À³­SšŒ
óÀÀâȳÃvâȚvÈƜ‚ËÈœÈܳ˨ˆƛ*Țœ®§ 9vçƢ9v₌œÈƺÃÈÀˌƜ*ˆ³®ƺÈÀŒv¨¨â
QUOTE v¨³È³–Țœ®—ÃȚvÈšv½½Œ®œ®ȚŒ
ܳÀ¨ˆƜȚŒâˆ³®ƺÈšv½½Œ®–³À®³Èšœ®—Ɯ
§®³Üƛ*ܳ˨ˆ¨³ÛŒȳÃvâȚvÈ*ƺ­
­³ÀŒ¨œ§ŒO˽ŒÀ­v®ƛz
‘When I was
younger I
used to watch I was one of those kids at school
Olazábal and that didn’t really speak much. I only
Seve win listened to what I was told. I like to
tournaments,
think that allowed me not to study!
which inspired
me to want to
be as good as
them.’

What was the last album you

bought/downloaded?
IÀ³‚v‚¨âƟ¨ŒÈ­ŒȚœ®§ƛLŒƒŒ®È¨âƢ
SšœÃœÃȳ˗šƛۜƒœœƛ(Œ½vÃ̈vÜvâ
ÀŒƒŒ®È¨âv®ˆ*ÜvÃÀŒvˆœ®—v‚³ËÈ
šœÃ¨œ–Œv®ˆ*¨œ§ŒšœÃó®—ÃƜ*ÜvÃ
¨œÃȌ®œ®—ȳšœÃ­Ë܃ƛ

Who would you dress up as to go to

a fancy dress party?
vÈ­v®ƛ

When was the last time you cried?

*½À³­œÃŒâ³ËƜœÈÜvó®v½¨v®Œ
ÀŒƒŒ®È¨âƛ*ÜvÃÜvȃšœ®—v`œ¨¨O­œÈš
鶴ƒv¨¨Œˆ³¨¨vȌÀv¨ŒvËÈâv®ˆœÈ `GET MORE!
­vˆŒ­ŒƒÀâ‚vˆ¨âƛ:³ÜȚvÈ*švی Watch Álvaro Quirós
§œˆÃƜ*ÃÈvÀȌˆȳ–ŒŒ¨¨œ§Œv½À³Ëˆ in action at the
–vȚŒÀƛ recent Callaway
Kings of Distance
If you could write any headline event at bunkered.
about yourself, what would it be? co.uk/kod where
ƪ¨³®—½vËÌƫ*ܳ˨ˆ¨³ÛŒȳÃvâȚvÈ he runs through
ƹ¨ÛvÀ³K˜À³ÃﮈÚv½½œ®ŒÃÃv—vœ®ƺƛ exclusive putting and
short game clinics.
If you could change one thing about Or subscribe to our
your appearance, what would it be? YouTube channel
*ܳ˨ˆ¨œ§Œȳšvی¨ŒÃÚvœÀƛ9v₌ for awesome video
®³È³®­âšŒvˆƜ³–ƒ³ËÀÌƜ‚ËÈ content and more!

60 bunkered.co.uk
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 golf at macdonald hotels & resorts

PERFECT
EVERY TIME Make 2018 the year you sample the
Macdonald Hotels experience

WITH nine golf courses in five stunning

countryside locations coupled with luxury
on-site accommodation, if you haven’t yet
experienced a short break at Macdonald
Hotels & Resorts, the question has to be:
why not?
From Spey Valley in the Cairngorms,
down through the Scottish Borders and
Northumberland to Cheshire and
Shropshire, a Macdonald Hotels stay is
the perfect place to get away from it all.
There’s never been a better time to
sample the Macdonald Hotels
experience, too, with fantastic short break
deals available throughout 2018…
www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 63
golf at macdonald hotels & resorts
SPEY VALLEY
Tel: 0344 879 9048
Hill Valley
Tel: 0344 879 9048
E D
NJOY THE relaxed country
club ambience of Macdonald
Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa,
which is located amid acres
of peaceful gardens, yet close to
motorway networks.
The two challenging 18-hole
courses – the Emerald and
Sapphire – were designed by the
experienced duo of Peter Alliss
and Dave Thomas. The Emerald,
a par-73 measuring 6,714 yards,
sweeps around undulating fairways
through natural water hazards and
64 bunkered.co.uk
tricky bunkers, while the par-66
Sapphire is shorter and provides a
less demanding test. Luxury four-star
accommodation can be enjoyed in
the various styles of rooms, including
the feature rooms with course views
and a furnished patio. The historic
market towns of Chester, Market
Drayton and Shrewsbury are well
worth visiting, or you can relax with
a trip to the Vital Health & Wellbeing
Club to soothe the body and mind,
or relax with a swim in the heated
indoor pool.
To book call the Macdonald Golf Sales Team Direct on
H
AVING RECENTLY benefited
from a £7million investment,
the Macdonald Aviemore
Resort sits proudly in the
heart of the Cairngorms National Park.
Everything a family needs and more
can be found within the resort, from
the latest movies in the cinema, to the
top brand fashion in the luxury retail
outlet, to an activity centre with large
leisure pool, soft play, multi-activity
rooms for babies up to teens, and
much more.
The Spey Valley Championship
Course is a stunning example of
course architect Dave Thomas at his
very best, and successfully hosted the
recent SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge
on the Challenge Tour, won in fine
style by Scotland’s David Law.
The par-72 layout boasts one of the
longest holes in Scotland – the fifth
at 641 yards – while the sixth spans
a lake that has been adopted as a
nesting site by a bird colony. The most
spectacular of all is the 18th, with its
two bunkers designed to mirror the
undulating corries of the mountains
beyond.
The resort also includes three
four-star hotels – Highland Hotel,
Aviemore Hotel and Morlich Hotel –
and 18 woodland lodges, as well as
restaurants, bars, cafes and shops.
For a golf hotel in the Highlands, look
no further than Macdonald Aviemore
Resort.
Cardrona
Tel: 0344 879 9048
UBBED the ‘friendliest area to play golf’ in Scotland, the
Scottish Borders has much to offer, the four-star Macdonald
Cardrona Hotel being right at the top. With luxurious
contemporary accommodation in natural surroundings
– on the banks of the River Tweed – it’s a relaxing haven only 40
minutes from Edinburgh. The par-72 Championship Course is a fine
Dave Thomas test that has matured quickly in rank and reputation
since opening in 2001, hosting Challenge Tour events in 2007 and
2008. Play it from the tips at 7,010 yards or make it slightly easier
on yourself from the front markers at 6,139 yards – either way, you’ll
have a blast. The Borders offers a great choice of activities for all
ages. Nearby Peebles is great for exploring, while it’s also perfectly
located for thrill seekers looking to mountain bike through Glentress.
W
ORLD CLASS Cheshire
venue Macdonald Portal
Hotel, Golf & Spa boasts
three excellent golf courses
in a truly outstanding location, making it
one of the go-to resorts in England.
The Championship Course, opened in
1990, is the star of Portal’s golfing complex.
Designed by the great Donald Steel,
the 7,037-yard layout meanders through
rolling parkland with stunning views of the
surrounding Cheshire countryside.
It is characterised by its unique and
distinctive holes, with expansive water
hazards and cascading waterfalls among
the tests. The long third hole, tipping the
scales at 607 yards with a green guarded
by a beautiful lake, is a particular highlight.
The Premier Course features several
Linden Hall
Tel: 0344 879 9048
B
UILT in 1812, the impressive
Macdonald Linden Hall Golf
and Country Club is nestled in
450 acres of private grounds
in the heart of the Northumberland.
The par-72 Championship Course is
one of the most picturesque in the area
and is a Jonathan Gaunt parkland
design with wide, undulating USGA
spec greens and four memorable, yet
challenging, par-3s. The signature hole
is the 13th, a true risk-and-reward par-5.
0344 879 9048 or visit www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk
key holes, including the par-3 seventh cut
out of a sandstone quarry, while the nine-
hole Arderne is perfect for either a gentle
SUMMER SOCIETY
warm up or fun competition.
On-site, rooms at the hotel are as SIZZLER GOLF
elegant and luxurious as you’d expect;
stylish design, plush fabrics and rich
soft furnishings combine to make a stay
DAYS FROM £19PP
something special, with the feature rooms
on the top floor taking luxury to the next BOOK BEFORE AUGUST 31 TO GET
level.
Elsewhere, there’s the opportunity Up to 1:12 goes free + free buggies.
to enjoy a leisurely dip in the 18-metre
heated pool or work out in the state-of-the- T&Cs apply
art Technogym. Following that, relax in the
thermal suite and indulge in the infrared
sauna, rock sauna, aroma steam room or
ice room.
RESIDENTIAL
PORTAL GOLF BREAK
Tel: 0344 879 9048
PACKAGES START
FROM £85PP
BOOK BEFORE
AUGUST 31 AND RECEIVE
Up to 1:8 goes free + £10 bar credit
per person and 20% off additional
drinks. T&Cs apply
Add into that the panoramic views of
the Cheviots, Coquet Island and the
Northumberland coastline and the
opportunity to spy red squirrels, birds
of prey and deer and Linden Hall is a
real treat.
The hotel is classically furnished with
rooms blending traditional comforts
like sizeable beds with a modern
digital television. Each room has its
own special character and all have
spacious en-suite bathrooms.
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 65
 golf at macdonald hotels & resorts

GOLF
MAKE THE BREAKS
WEEKEND IN UK,
COUNT SPAIN &
PORTUGAL
WITH GOLF COURSES
1. MACDONALD
AVIEMORE RESORT,
AVIEMORE
4. MACDONALD
CARDRONA HOTEL,
GOLF & SPA,
PEEBLES
5. MACDONALD

From only £149 per person LINDEN HALL GOLF

& COUNTRY CLUB,
NORTHUMBERLAND
6. MACDONALD
PORTAL HOTEL,
GOLF & SPA, NEAR
When your friends ask if you managed to get a • Flexible arrival dates either CHESTER
mid-week or weekends so you
round in over the weekend, wouldn’t you love can bag the cheapest flights 7. MACDONALD HILL
VALLEY HOTEL,
to say you nipped to Spain and played three • Guaranteed tee times at GOLF & SPA,
times? premium golf courses all SHROPSHIRE
within 20 minutes of your
Macdonald Resorts have made this dream scenario even accommodation
easier with their new 2 and 3-night golf breaks from only • Spacious apartments at the
£149 per person. Offering exceptional value, they’re perfect beachfront Macdonald Doña
for golfers looking for quick golfing getaway in the sun whilst Lola Resort in Calahonda, only
playing some exceptional golf courses. 30 minutes from Malaga Airport

Society Golf PLAY THE BEST IN SCOTLAND

Fantastic championship golf days Macdonald Rusacks Hotel

starting from just £30 per person ST ANDREWS
T S
HINKING of
AMPLE a break in a couple of the most
taking your
popular golf destinations in the world with
golf society
Macdonald Hotels. At the Macdonald
to somewhere
Rusacks, which backs onto the Old Course at St
different in
Andrews, you can enjoy packages that include
2018? Head to
either one night and two rounds of golf at
a Macdonald
courses in the area, two nights and three rounds
Hotel where
or three nights and four rounds.
championship golf starts from £30pp.
The courses have the facilities, services and
great food to make each society day go with a For more information, NEXT TO WORLD
FAMOUS COURSES
swing for groups of all sizes – from a fourball call 0344 879 9210
with private dining to a major event for more 2. MACDONALD
than 200. RUSACKS HOTEL, ST
Macdonald Hotels has ready-made ANDREWS
packages designed to suit every group’s needs 3. MACDONALD MARINE
and budget, with one in 12 players going free. BOOK HOTEL & SPA, NORTH
A package at either Portal, Hill Valley, Spey NOW FRO BERWICK
M
Valley, Cardrona and Linden Hall starts from
£30pp and includes tea or coffee and rolls on
arrival, 18 holes of championship golf, longest
£124
PER PERSO
8. MACDONALD
MONCHIQUE RESORT
& SPA, ALGARVE,
PORTUGAL
drive and nearest the pin, a two-course meal N
and 10% off retail prices in the pro shop. 9. MACDONALD DOÑA
Corporate days can also be held, starting from LOLA, MALAGA, SPAIN
just £54pp.

To book call the Macdonald Golf Sales Team Direct on

66 bunkered.co.uk 0344 879 9048 or visit www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk
 YOUR
GAME
IMPROVE
YOUR GOLF
AND BOOK A
LESSON TODAY
Phone a member of our tuition
panel today and get your golf
game in its best-ever shape

connect with us

TUITION 2018
A PANEL OF EXPERTS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR GAME

ANDREW JOWETT KEVIN CRAGGS STEVE JOHNSTON ANDY CARLTON

01764 694 343 07545 327 666 01721 720197 0141 884 4114
@andyj1504 @kevincraggsgolf @sjohnstonpga @PaisleyPro

DAVID PATRICK SCOTT CLARK MURRAY URQUHART DAVID ORR

07773 427 233 0131 667 8597 01667 453 208 01355 500285
@shortgamedoctor @ScottClarkPGA murrayurquhartgolf.com @DavidOrrGolfer
 EXCLUSIVE

THE
OTHER
KOEPKA
Whilst big bro Brooks is living it up as a two-time US Open
champ, Chase Koepka is quietly making his own way in the game
By Michael McEwan
@MMcEwanbunkered
PHOTOS Getty Images / Supplied

I
T IS REASONABLE to assume that most interviews
with Chase Koepka start with an apology. This one
is no different. “I’m sorry to have to mention your brother,
but - “. Chase smiles and gives a barely discernible shrug
³–šœÃڳ˨ˆŒÀÃƛ*ÈƺÃv¨¨ȚvÈƺˆŒˆȳƒ³®ïÀ­ȚŒ
suspicion. He’s danced this particular dance before. But give
him credit. Fred Astaire couldn’t dance it with better grace.
“That’s alright,” he says. “I get it.”
At 24, Chase is, by four years, the younger brother of back-to-
back US Open champion Brooks Koepka. He has a noticeably
different physique to his sibling. He’s a good few inches shorter
and not as barrel-chested. However, the family resemblance is
there, both across the eyes and in their shared talent for golf.
Chase turned professional in the summer of 2006, after
graduating from the University of South Florida.
By then, Brooks was already four years into his own career,
having taken a circuitous route to the top. You’re probably
familiar with it by now. If not, the short version is that, rather than

68 bunkered.co.uk
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 69
 Brooks successfully defended the US Open in June
Chase and Brooks teamed-up at the 2017 Zurich Classic in New Orleans Chase says he and his brother have completely different games
climb through the tours in the US, he packed me and he’s set a very high bar. I’m trying to
his bags and headed to Europe to ply his match it a little bit at a time.
trade on the Challenge Tour. “But yeah, the expectations are high. He’s
It was a move that raised eyebrows. done so well so quickly, which is something
Americans tend not to leave the USA in that not a lot of people have done historically.
search of fame and fortune. However, it paid He’s been top ten in the world for over a year
off handsomely. Four wins later, Brooks was now and so you do get some people who say,
on the European Tour. Within 12 months, ‘Why aren’t you up there, too?’”
he’d earned his PGA Tour card from just a 4œÛœ®—˽ȳ³ÈšŒÀ½Œ³½¨ŒƺÌὌƒÈvȜ³®Ã
handful of starts on golf’s most lucrative is the price to pay for having a famous,
circuit. Today? He’s a three-time PGA Tour
winner, a three-time European Tour winner,
a Ryder Cup winner, a Presidents Cup winner BROOKS
and, most important of all, a two-time major
winner courtesy of successive US Open
vs
victories at Erin Hills in 2017 and Shinnecock CHASE
Hills this year. Age 28 24
He took the path less travelled and reaped Height 6ft 0in 5ft 9in
ȚŒ‚Œ®ŒïÈÃƛ4œÈȨŒܳ®ˆŒÀšv̜Ö³¨¨³Üœ®— Weight 13st 3lbs 11st 0lbs
the same trail, even if doing so has given University Florida State South Florida
rise to comparisons, and questions and Turned pro 2012 2016
apologetic openings to interviews. Wins 10 0 DESPITE FOLLOWING the example set by his
“It’s both a blessing and a curse,” he says in Driving avg 305.5 yds 276.8 yds
response to the challenges posed by being Driving accuracy 56.31% 63.64%
his brother’s brother. “He’s helped me so Gir 67.86% 66.15%
much in terms of developing into the player Putts per round 28.64 30.14
that I’ve become. He constantly pushes
70 bunkered.co.uk
successful relative. That’s something Chase
is acutely aware of.
“ People seem to think I should be doing
stuff quickly because that’s how Brooks did
it,” he says. “But you’ve got to remember it
took Brooks time to win out here. He got
going and hasn’t stopped but it wasn’t like it
was instant success. I’m just trying to stay
patient and focus on what I need to do.
ƷSÀËȚ–˨¨âƜ*–ŒŒ¨¨œ§Œ*ƺ­ˆ³œ®—¦ËÃÈﮌƛ
My game has progressed year after year.
Within 18 months of turning pro, I’d got onto
the European Tour. I mean, that’s pretty
awesome. I’ve just got to not get caught up in
what other people who don’t really know me
think about me and, instead, concentrate on
doing what I want to do and progressing the
way I feel I should be progressing.”
brother, you could have forgiven Chase for
being a little apprehensive at the prospect of
moving to Europe in pursuit of his dreams.
After all, he had only ever been outside of the
US once before.
the

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 He was nine-years-old and it was a family
holiday to the UK. “My mum, my brother and
I played some courses in the UK,” he recalls.
“It was a lot of fun.” They also attended the
2003 Open at Royal St George’s. “It was a very
cool experience to be out there. I went to the
Masters in ’01, which was great but to go to
the Open, to see how links golf is played, it
was awesome.”
–ÈŒÀvè³ÜÃÈvÀÈƜšvÌï®v¨¨â–³Ë®ˆšœÃ
feet on the Challenge Tour around the middle
³–¨vÃÈâŒvÀƜ‚˳⌈‚âȚŒƒ³®ïˆŒ®ƒŒ³–
ﮜڜ®—ï–Èšv¨³®—ÃœˆŒšœÃ‚À³ÈšŒÀœ®ȚŒ
Zurich Classic team event on the PGA Tour.
“Zurich showed me how good I really am,” he
says. “I felt like I played good without playing
special and it was the same for Brooks – but
ȚvÈÜvÃÃȜ¨¨—³³ˆŒ®³Ë—šȳﮜÚï–Èšœ®v
PGA Tour event. That was cool.”
He returned to Europe with renewed
ۜ—³ËÀƜ˨Ȝ­vȌ¨âﮜڜ®—®œ®Èš³®ȚŒ
Challenge Tour rankings to graduate to the
full European Tour.
Europe’s second tier circuit, he says, was
an excellent proving ground for him just as it
was for his brother.
“I don’t think people realise just how high
the standard is on the Challenge Tour,” he
adds. “There are plenty of guys out there who
could compete quite easily on the European
S³ËÀƛSšŒÀŒvÀŒˆŒï®œÈŒ¨â󭌗ËâÃƮœ®ȚŒ
USA] who don’t want to do that traditional
route that most other American players have
done, which is going down to Latin America
or going up to Canada and playing there. The
Challenge Tour opens up more doors in that
there are more world ranking points, the prize
funds are a little bit better and there are more
events. That, in particular, makes it more
appealing. I think Canada only has something
like 12 or 13 events. With the Challenge Tour,
you know you’ve got 25 out of 30 weeks in a
row where you know you can be playing golf,
which is great.
“It gets you prepared for the ‘big time’ tours
in a way that the other tours don’t.”
That’s not to say that it’s not without its
own unique challenges. He laughs: “I’ve had
things put in front of me in restaurants and
I’ve been like, ‘What is this? What’s going on?’”
ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES of Brooks’
success has been his power. He is one of the
longest hitters on the PGA Tour, averaging
over 310 yards off the tee last season. Chase
must be the same, right? Wrong.
“My game is the complete opposite to
Brooks,” he laughs. “There are really no
similarities, other than the fact we’re both
good putters and good around the greens.”
My game is the
complete opposite
to Brooks. There
are really no
similarities.
Chase describes his own game as ‘boring’.
Ʒ*ƺ­­³ÀŒšœÈưœ®ưȚŒư–vœÀÜvâƜﮈưȚŒư—ÀŒŒ®ƜƸ
he says. “It’s not necessarily fun to watch.
People tend not to follow the guy who hits it
275. But that’s okay. I’m happy with the way
I play. I tend not to make a lot of mistakes or
put myself in too many stressful situations.”
If you think he spends time asking Brooks
for advice on how to hit the ball further, you’d
be wrong again. “People always talk about
how far he hits it but he’s one of the best
putters around, too,” he says. “When we’re at
home and practising, that’s what I’m picking
his brains about. You know, reading greens
and things like that.”
Chase also spends a lot of time in the gym
back home in Florida, where he regularly
sees his brother, Dustin Johnson and Justin
Thomas being put through their paces by the
infamous ‘Coach Joey D’.
Joey Diovisalvi is one of the biggest names
œ®—³¨–ïÈ®ŒÃÃƛ(ŒšŒ¨½ŒˆÀŒÛ³¨ËȜ³®œÃŒȚŒ
methods of improving the golf swing by
teaching players how to workout and train
ýŒƒœïƒv¨¨â–³À—³¨–ƛ
“Joey D is an absolute animal,” laughs
Chase. “He works out with the guys he’s
ÈÀvœ®œ®—ƜóšŒƺÃܳÀ§œ®—³ËÈïی³ÀÜáȜ­ŒÃ
a day. You’ll see him at 7am and he’s already
done a six or seven-mile run, a 20-mile bike
ride, things like that. He’s got this awesome
energy. He pushes every single person to be
better. He expects so much of you and if you
don’t give him what he wants, he pounds on
you. He gets on my brother and Dustin all the
time, and I absolutely love it.”
Away from the tour, Chase insists he
and his brother are like any other siblings.
“When it’s just us, there’s no golf,” he says.
“Obviously, when there are other people in
the conversation, they try to include it a little
bit but we try to ignore golf as much as we
can. My brother’s one of these guys who,
when he’s playing golf, he’s playing golf; when
he’s outside of golf, there’s no golf.
“So, we’ll be watching other sports, talking
about what’s going on in the sports world.
Basketball, baseball, football. We’re pretty big
into all of those.”
Whilst Brooks is currently basking in
the glow of his most recent US Open win,
Chase has a big few months coming up if
he wants to retain his European Tour card.
At the time of writing, he’s just inside the
top 200 on the Race To Dubai, with only the
top 110 at the end of the regular season in
October rolling over their privileges into next
year. If he’s worried that he won’t, he’s not
showing it.
“I’m just trying to take it one week at a
time,” he says. “If I focus too much on trying
to get onto the PGA Tour, or into the top 50
or 60 of the world rankings, or into all the
majors and all the big events, then I’m not
really focussing on what’s in front of me.
What’s in front of me, is the tournament
that’s happening right here, right now, this
week. I’ve got a good team around me and I’m
moving in the right direction.
“I’m not looking at Brooks winning majors
and thinking, ‘I need to do that this year or
next year or else I’m going to fall behind him’.
I’m just trying to get better and better each
week and I feel like I’ve been doing that. I got
off to a bit of a slow start this year but my
game’s there. Now, it’s just about piecing
together the scores and letting the results
take care of themselves.” ●
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 73
Bob’s wedge designs are meticulously crafted to provide exacting precision and control

74 bunkered.co.uk
BOB THE
BUILDER
Meet Bob Vokey, the master craftsman behind
Titleist’s high-performance Vokey Design wedges
By David Cunninghame
@DC_bunkered
PHOTOS Supplied
B
ORN IN CANADA in
1939, Bob Vokey’s
wedge designs
have been the
overwhelming
favourite among Tour players
since 2004, with close to 40
percent of all sand, lob, and
approach wedges in play each
week. While the PGA Tour is the
ultimate proving ground, Bob
always has the amateur golfer
in mind when he goes to his
design table. His philosophy has
resonated in the marketplace
where Vokey Design wedges are
best-sellers with golfers of all
skill levels. We spoke to Bob to
get some of his insights into his
latest designs and what gets him
into his design lab day-to-day.
What drives you to continually
innovate and push your wedge
designs forward?
Golfers. Whether it’s PGA Tour
players or amateurs that I’m
ïÈȜ®—vÈȚŒSœÈ¨ŒœÃÈIŒÀ–³À­v®ƒŒ
*®ÃȜÈËȌƜȚŒâvÀŒv¨¨¨³³§œ®—–³À
v‚ŒÈȌÀÚ³ÀÈ—v­ŒƛSšŒÀŒœÃ
®³Èšœ®—­³ÀŒÃvȜÖ✮—Țv®
ܚŒ®v–v®vÈvI%S³ËÀŒÛŒ®È
̌ÃȚŒ‚vƒ§³–­âšvÈƜȚvÈÃvâÃ
ƹ_³§Œƺ³®œÈƜv®ˆȚŒâƒv¨¨³ËÈƝƷ9Àƛ
_³§ŒâƜâ³ËÀ܌ˆ—ŒÃšvیšŒ¨½Œˆ
­âÚ³ÀÈ—v­Œó­ËƒšƛƸSšvÈœÃ
ܚvÈ­³ÈœÛvȌ파یÀâˆvâƜv®ˆ
*ƺ­ÃȜ¨¨ÌvÀƒšœ®—–³ÀȚvȽŒÀ–ŒƒÈ
܌ˆ—Œƛ
What is so special about your
new SM7 wedges?
O9ųœÃvƒ³­‚œ®vȜ³®³–v¨³È³–
Œ¨Œ­Œ®ÈÃv¨¨ƒ³­œ®—ȳ—ŒÈšŒÀƛ
$œÀÃÈƜ܌švیܚvÈ܌ƒv¨¨Ʒ³‚ƺÃ
—ÀŒvȌÃÈšœÈÃƸƛSšŒ—Àœ®ˆÃÀŒv¨¨â
šŒ¨½ËÃïÈ—³¨–ŒÀÃœ®È³ȚŒÀœ—šÈ
܌ˆ—ŒÃ–³ÀȚŒœÀ—v­ŒƛSšŒ®Ɯ܌
švیȚŒ½À³—ÀŒÃÜیƒŒ®ÈÀŒ³–
—ÀvۜÈâƛ`Œšvیv¨œ—®ŒˆȚŒ%
ܜȚȚŒœ­½vƒÈ½³ÃœÈœ³®Ɯv®ˆȚŒ
‚v¨¨𜗚Èv®ˆ–ŒŒ¨vÀŒó—³³ˆ
vÃvÀŒÃ˨Èƛ$œ®v¨¨âƜ܌ƺÀŒv¨ÜvâÃ
ܳÀ§œ®—³®œ­½À³Ûœ®—ýœ®ƛSšŒ
®ŒÜýœ®­œ¨¨Œˆ—À³³ÛŒÃvÀŒó
½ÀŒƒœÃŒƜ½À³Ûœˆœ®—ȚŒ­³ÃÈýœ®
ȚvÈ܌ƒv®—Œ®ŒÀvȌƛ
Why did you decide to create the
new D Grind?
*ƺˆ¨œ§ŒȳÈv§ŒƒÀŒˆœÈ–³Àv¨¨³–ȚŒ
—Àœ®ˆÃœ®³ËÀ¨œ®ŒË½Ɯ‚ËÈȚŒâv¨¨
švیƒ³­Œ–À³­ܳÀ§œ®—ܜȚȚŒ
‚ŒÃȽ¨vâŒÀÃœ®ȚŒܳÀ¨ˆƛ
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 75
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01506 446699 deerpark@muir-group.co.uk

@deerpark_club DeerParkGCC

www.deer-park.co.uk
Deer Park Golf and Country Club, Golf Course Road, Livingston EH54 8AB

³‚vÈȚŒ—Àœ®ˆœ®—ܚŒŒ¨½ËÈȜ®—ȚŒﮜڜ®—ȳ˃šŒÃȳ³®Œ³–šœÃˆŒÃœ—®Ã
The D Grind is no different.
Aaron Dill and I have been
working with some players
that like the versatility of the
M Grind, but really need more
bounce. That is where the D
Grind comes from. It was the
most popular lob wedge on tour
that wasn’t already in the grind
line-up, so it made sense to
include the D Grind in the SM7
lineup.
How much does what you hear
and see from the tour impact
your designs?
The tour is so important to
our designs. We spend a lot
of time testing prototypes
out on tour, and Aaron and I
are always providing custom
grinds for players based on their
swing or certain conditions. All
of this information is critical
to continuing to improve our
wedges.
Why should amateurs put the
SM7 wedges in their bags?
Bob chin-wagging with Jimmy Walker
... and doing some on-course work with Adam Scott
­vȌËÀÃڳ˨ˆ—³—ŒÈïÈ–³À Bringing a bag of wedges Is there a limit to how far
ȚŒœÀ܌ˆ—ŒÃƛ*ƺ­ƒ³®ïˆŒ®È out to tour Monday through wedge technology can go?
ȚvÈœ–ȚŒâﮈvƒ¨Ë‚ïÈȌÀȚvÈ Wednesday, and then in Well, the USGA and R&A do a
they trust, that has a bag full of the shop Thursday through nice job regulating equipment.
SM7 wedges, Saturday We always conform to the rules.
܌ƺ¨¨ﮈȚŒ prepping for the But there is still a lot we can do
right set of
wedges for
TOUR next week. I’m
fortunate now
to help golfers hit better wedge
shots. We are always working
their swing type VALIDATION that I have a on new ideas and there are still
and course Towards the end of last year great team that a lot of golfers out there that
conditions. I we saw a number of pros, I get to work švی®ƺÈ‚ŒŒ®ïÈ–³À܌ˆ—ŒÃƛ
may be a bit including Jordan Spieth and with. Aaron We’ll keep working at it and I
biased, but I Jimmy Walker, put the SM7s in Dill has been think there is still more to learn.
think wedges the bag shortly after their debut working with
are the low on tour. In fact, SM7 became the me for over ten What does the future hold for
hanging fruit in most played wedge on the PGA years, and he Vokey wedges?
a player’s bag, Tour just two weeks following has the players’ We’re having a lot of fun.
a quick way to their introduction, with 123 in trust. Whether it’s travelling to meet
improve. play at last year’s RSM Classic. When I was with golfers and educated
ïÀÃÈÃÈvÀȜ®— professionals about wedge
How has out, there was ïÈȜ®—Ɯ³ÀܳÀ§œ®—³®ȚŒ®ŒáÈ
your way of working on your no CAD design. It was all done generation of Vokey Design
designs changed over the on the grinding wheel with my wedges, we’re going to keep
decades? hands. I still think no computer getting better at what we do. I
I have a lot more help now. can do what I was able to do have a great team working with
`šŒ®*ïÀÃÈÃÈvÀȌˆ­v§œ®— with a wheel and a player, but it me, and it’s a lot of fun to share
wedges for Titleist, I had one has been fun to learn about the some of my knowledge with the
grinder back in the shop, and improvements we can make team and see them learn and
I was on my own each week. with new technologies. grow. ●
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 77
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ˆÀvÜ®v–ÈŒÀȚŒƒ¨³Ãœ®—ˆvȌƛSšŒŒˆœÈ³ÀƺÈŒƒœÃœ³®œÃï®v¨ƛIÀœçŒœÃ®³®ưÀŒ–Ë®ˆv‚¨Œv®ˆȚŒÀŒœÃ®³ƒvÚv¨ÈŒÀ®vȜیƛ³­½ŒÈœÈœ³®œÃ³®¨â³½Œ®ȳV3ÀŒÃœˆŒ®ÈÃƛIÀœçŒƒv®®³È‚Œ
󨈳ÀŒáƒšv®—Œˆ–³Àï®v®ƒœv¨—vœ®ƛ⌮ȌÀœ®—ȚœÃƒ³­½ŒÈœÈœ³®Ɯâ³Ëv—ÀŒŒȳÚvÀŒâ³ËÀˆvÈvܜȚ³ËÀÃ˽½³ÀȜ®—½vÀÈ®ŒÀÃƛOŒŒ³ËÀ$vƒŒ‚³³§½v—Œ–³Àܜ®®ŒÀÃfacebook.com/
bunkeredonline
 Get better online - with video - at bunkered.co.uk/lessons

LESSONS
HOW TO PLAY BETTER GOLF

CONTENTS
80 / Kevin Craggs
The renowned tour coach
gives the lowdown on his
approach to improving your
putting technique
LIKE THIS?
watch Steve 86 / Short Game
on YouTube David Orr gives some putting
and short game tips in his
Watch videos on our latest Short Game series
channel – and Steve’s –
–³Àâ³ËÀȘȜ³®ïá 88 / Steve Johnston
YouTube.com/bunkered Our Tuition Panel member
—œÛŒÃšœÃïی‚ŒÃÈȜ½Ãȳ
start holing more putts

HO E
OUT
LESSONS PUTTING MASTERCLASS
It’s time to
get real with
your putting
Take your approach to this integral part of the
game to a whole new level
BY KEVIN CRAGGS
@kevincraggsgolf
PHOTOGRAPHY KENNY SMITH
SINCE I’VE SPENT MORE TIME in the States,
I’ve had my eyes opened even more to just
how hard the best players in the world work
on their short games. I knew it already, of
course – but seeing it every single day just
rubber-stamped it for me.
One day I watched Lydia Ko spend six hours
putting from six feet. Another time I spent
four days with Paula Creamer and we spent
22 hours working on nothing but her putting.
I personally think there’s a different level of
dedication in the States.
When I’m on the range in Florida, there are
a lot of household names on that practice
putting green, and for extended periods of
time, too. And they all seem to spend much
more time on the putting green. Now, I know
putting is important, it accounts for around
43% of your score, but ask yourself how often
you practise with your putter in your hand and
not your irons or driver.
One of my players is Paula Creamer and I
know she’s friendly with Tiger Woods. I asked
her about the truth behind Tiger’s practice
regime – which is said to be legendary - and
she said that, normally, you would see him
ÃÈvÀÈv®ˆﮜÚȚŒˆvâ³®ȚŒ½ËÈȜ®——ÀŒŒ®ƛ
Every single day, and the days are long.
The difference between those who drop
their handicap, win the medal, or win a major
championship, comes down to who putts the
best. That never changes.
 KEVIN CRAGGS
Coach to Paula Creamer, Colin Montgomerie,
Catriona Matthew and more 07545 3217666
ç @kevincraggsgolf

HO E
OUT
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 81
 LESSONS PUTTING MASTERCLASS | KEVIN CRAGGS

95%
Jason Day has missed just four
Ȝ­ŒÃ–À³­œ®ÃœˆŒïی–ŒŒÈ
in his last 53 rounds - that’s
a 95% success rate. This drill helps ensure
your pace is constant
back and through
the stroke. Try and
concentrate on getting
a smooth action.
YOUR STROKE

GET A
SMOOTH
PUTTING
ACTION
What makes you a good putter? Do
you have the ability to physically read
the putt? Are are you able to start the
ball on that read and are you able to
send it at the right speed? For me, it’s
all about Read-Aim-Speed. There’s
really nothing more and nothing less.
Fixing the parts that make up that trio
of fundamentals will serve you well,
especially inside twelve feet.
The best putters have always
controlled their speed. That whole
idea of ‘slow back and quick through’
doesn’t exist anymore, in my opinion.
People have very different styles in
terms of address position and the
way they hold the putter. There are no
À˨ŒÃƛ–ÈŒÀv¨¨ƜœÈƺÃvðvÈ–vƒŒ‚ŒÈ܌Œ®
ŭșv®ˆŰșƛËÈܚvÈ*ˆ³̌œÃȚvÈȚŒ
speed of the stroke tends to be more
consistent. You need a smooth action.
f³Ëœ­v—œ®Œ­³Ûœ®—œ®vÈÀv탦v­Ɯ
you apply pressure to the accelerator
in a smooth fashion. You don’t press
ÀŒv¨¨âšvÀˆƛ*Èƺí³ÀŒ—ÀvˆËv¨½ÀŒÃÃȳ
get your speed. Putting is the same.

DO THIS Put two tee pegs on either

side of the ball, a grip length back
and grip length forward (this would
be for around a ten-foot putt). Focus
on swinging to the tee peg, nice
and smooth through at the same
pace. Doing this ensures your stroke
œÃŒÛŒ®Ɯ‚vƒ§v®ˆȚÀ³Ë—šƛ*Èv¨Ã³
ensures that the pace is constant.
For longer putts, the tee pegs come
out but the distance is the same, it’s
not short on the way back and long.

82 bunkered.co.uk
For players like Jordan
Spieth, Lydia Ko and
Justin Thomas, the
speed of their stroke
tends to be very
consistent. There
is evidence that
Rory McIlroy can be
inconsistent at times.
But it’s not that his
set-up changes, or his
backswing goes too
slow or too far, it’s the
smoothness of the
action that changes.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 83
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 LESSONS PUTTING MASTERCLASS | KEVIN CRAGGS
Get your forearms more inward when
you address the ball. This helps
you get better connection
with the body and stabilises
your putterface.

The best putters in history all show one thing in DO THIS Don’t fall for trying to grip a
TECHNIQUE common: their elbows are very much in to the body. putter like you grip an iron or driver.

GET YOUR
They’re not long-armed. The elbows are in, despite the When you grip a club, you swing it much
set-ups perhaps being different. quicker, further back and forward. A

FOREARMS
When you hang your arms down and pull your arms
into your body, there’s a natural rotation of the
INWARD
forearms that turns our wrists and palms inwards. It’s
at that point that you have to try and apply that grip
with inwards forearms, which gives connection to the
body, and stablises the face, avoiding it from going left
or right, therefore starting the ball online and holing
more putts.
putter isn’t going much further back that
nine or ten inches. Having the ideal grip
isn’t actually that important. I’ll take
function over style. Get your forearms
more inward because that helps to
stabilise the putterface and gives you
much more consistency as it stablises
the putterface.

NOT
THIS DO THIS A good
ADDRESS starting point is to

KEEP IT FLAT check that your topline

on the putter is
balanced and level with
I got a bit of an education on the putting green recently from former the ground. I’ll be
two-time US Open champ Retief Goosen. He spends a lot of time honest and I say I
working on the putting green, and he is known as a good putter, plus hadn’t put too much
he’s also keen to talk about the art of putting, which I enjoyed listening focus into that in
ȳƛ(ŒœˆŒ®ÈœïŒˆȚvÈó­ŒÈœ­ŒÃ½¨vâŒÀý˨¨³À½ËÚ½ËÈÈÂŒƒvËÌȚŒâ recent times. I then
don’t line the topline up. You’re always learning as a coach and I asked DO made that change to
him what he meant. He explained that you think sometimes that the THIS Paula’s putter and have
½ËÈȌÀœÃðvÈƛ*–ȚŒȳŒÜÈÃ˽ƜȚŒ®½ËÈȌÀܜ¨¨vœ­¨Œ–Èv®ˆâ³Ëƺ¨¨­œÃà seen the consequences
left. If the toe is down, the putter aims right and you miss right. So, for of that, with her putting
amateur golfers, it’s important you get your putter set-up for you. stats improving.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 85
 LESSONS SHORT GAME | DAVID ORR

Keep a NOT
firm left THIS
side with
wedges
Use an alignment
stick to improve
FOR WEDGE shots, I like to
feel a connection between
the shaft of the club and my
left side. A common mistake
is when you release the club
incorrectly, and that affects
your path and your strike. PROBLEMS When you don’t do this
Using an alignment stick and you release the club too early,
down the shaft of your wedge it bottoms out behind the ball and
gives you the correct feelings you’ll likely hit it fat, or it rises up
for this kind of shot. There too much and you catch it thin.
shouldn’t be any interference
from your left side – it should
be a straight left arm through
the ball.
The alignment stick simply
gives you instant feedback on
how it should feel.
I see loads of guys with
alignment sticks but few
people use them for this kind of
drill. This drill helps you preset
your straight left arm. It should
feel as though the club shaft is DO
an extension of your left arm. THIS
Try hitting shots. Get a
strong straight left side to hit
against and keep your hand
position ahead of the clubhead.
You don’t want the clubhead to
overtake, because when there’s
too much of an angle in there, GET THE FEELING When people
things just break down. unhinge their wrists too early and the
This is great for around the shaft pulls back into them and the
green. To improve your strike, club hits the ground too early. Try and
you need to improve your get the feeling of keeping the shaft
œ­½vƒÈvÀŒvv®ˆȚœÃœÃȚŒïÀÃÈ away from the body, as if creating a
drill you should go to. straight line through the left side.
PHOTOGRAPHY Kenny Smith

86 bunkered.co.uk

My GO Zones
 GREEN ZONE .................... 0 to 12ft
Practise more from this distance
 RED (DEAD) ZONE ..... 13ft to 25ft
Not that important – this is two-putt
distance
 GREEN ZONE ............. 26ft to 40ft
This is an important three-putt
avoidance area - it’s all about pace
Get in the
right ‘zone’
Practise from a distance
that relates to scoring
Head Professional, Eastwood Golf Club
WITH LAG putting, always trying and ask
yourself the question: when is a good
putt a good putt? Two putts might be
great in terms of your momentum. So
many amateurs will not hit putts before
they go out – but they’ll hit loads from
30ft. I don’t do that before I go out to
play, I tend to hit a lot from 3ft-4ft but
very little from 17ft because that’s what I
call the ‘dead zone’ of two putts.
The key areas you need to worry about
in putting is 0 to 12ft. Anything from
13ft to 25ft is almost a waste of time
as it’s another two putt so it has no real
correlation to scores. From 26ft to 40ft,
you’re thinking about pace.
I don’t let any of the players I work with
at Scottish Golf practice much from 18ft.
DAVID ORR
01355 500285
ç @DavidOrrGolfer
70%
6ft and in
According to stats, roughly 70%
of players on the PGA Tour hole
out from six feet. So go easy on
your stats and practise from the
zones (below) that matter.
HO E
OUT
Just have a two-putt (unless they have
massive technical problems and they
three-putt from 20ft regularly).
If you’re bagging another two putt
from that distance, well done. You might
tick away the odd putt, but there is no
massive gain to be made – but there are
gains to be made from 0 to 12ft.
It’s about pace control, speed control,
watching your playing partner and simply
paying attention. Watch how the greens
are rolling. Be aware of what others are
doing. Perception skills are important
and you need good touch and feel.
The guys that win golf tournaments
don’t three putt and they always hole out
well. Remember, it’s usually about pace
control from 26ft to 40ft.
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 87
LESSONS HOLE OUT | STEVE JOHNSTON

5 PUTTING TIPS
MY SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP YOU GET THE BALL IN THE HOLE

BY THINK OF ALL THE SHOTS you could save during

a round if you could just hole some more putts.
One good trait that all good putters have is that
STEVE JOHNSTON their putts always look as though they’ve got
a chance of dropping. If you’re not near the
hole or have the right pace or line, you’ve got
@sjohnstonpga no chance. Try and have that positive mindset
when checking out these tips, because being
PHOTOGRAPHY KENNY SMITH ƒ³®ïˆŒ®È³®ȚŒ—ÀŒŒ®ÃœÃv­vv¦³À½¨ËÃƛ
 SHOT ON LOCATION AT PEEBLES GOLF CLUB / PEEBLESGOLFCLUB.COM

You need leverage with a driver but not

with a putter - you don’t need power.

DO THIS This is a tip I’ve been using for years to correct how people grip the putter.

1 The dot on the base of the palm of your hand should be covered by the top of the putter. When that
doesn’t happen, you create leverage between the shaft and forearm. That’s great for when you need
power, like with a driver, but you don’t need to create power when putting. So, instead, hide that
dot by placing the grip in the lifelines of your hand, which massively reduces manipulation of the
GRIP IT clubface. There’s less leverage in your stroke now because you’ve removed that source of power.

GRIP IN THE PALM, WHY IT WORKS It feels as though your hands are locked in. When you look down, you’ll feel as
though your shaft is much more upright, making it easier to concentrate on taking the putter

NOT FINGERS back and through. When you get into that position, you might feel as though the club is a little
bit more off the ground, perhaps a little more toe down, as your shaft angle is a bit more up.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 89
 LESSONS HOLE OUT | STEVE JOHNSTON
Once you’ve got the right lines all you
need to really do is rock your shoulders.

DO THIS Once you’ve adopted your new grip, you’ll also create a new upright

2 shaft angle, something all good (and consistent) putters display. It’s much
more of a vertical plane than an angled plane. You should see a straight
line going right down from the right elbow, down the forearm, down the
shaft of the putter and into the sweetspot of your putterface.
BETTER SET-UP
WHY IT WORKS Once you are in this position – which you will fall into very naturally

ADOPT THE if you adopt the new grip – all you need to do now is use your shoulders.
Just think about trying to keep your head and knees still and let your shoulders do

RIGHT LINES the job. There’s no leverage in there, no manipulation whatsoever – all you’ve done is
set yourself up nicely to allow you to just rock your shoulders through the stroke.

90 bunkered.co.uk
 Always make sure that your shoulders
are square to your intended target.

DO THIS Your shoulders are going to dictate your swing path, so don’t worry too much about

3 getting your feet on-line with your target. Your path will be dictated by where your shoulders
aim. If your shoulders are aiming to the right, you’re going to swing a bit in-to-out, but if
they aim left there’s a chance you’ll swing a little out-to-in. So, because of that, one of the
best tips for putting is to always make sure your shoulders are on the line of your target.
YOUR AIM
WHY IT WORKS The bottom half when putting isn’t really that important. You’re not

AIM WITH YOUR moving much, just the top half of your body. So once you’ve got these fundamentals
in place and your shoulders in line, if your bottom half is aiming just a touch left,

SHOULDERS ȚvÈƺÃﮌƛè³®—vÃâ³ËÀڳ˨ˆŒÀÃvÀŒ‚vƒ§v®ˆȚÀ³Ë—šv®ˆ³®ư¨œ®ŒȳܚŒÀŒâ³Ë
want the ball to go, that will make sure your clubface is on-line through impact.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 91
 LESSONS HOLE OUT | STEVE JOHNSTON
Don’t try to ‘lock in’ your whole body -
just keep your knees and head still.

DO THIS Now that you’ve made a few changes, try your best to relax into position. I always tell

4 people to try and feel as though they’re ‘sitting’ into the position with still knees and a still head.
*v¨ÜvâÃﮈȚvȽŒ³½¨ŒƜܚŒ®ȚŒâܳÀ§³®ȚŒœÀ½ËÈȜ®—ƜÈÀâv®ˆ–ŒŒ¨vÃȚ³Ë—šȚŒâ®ŒŒˆȳ
lock their whole body. You don’t need to lock your shoulders, arms, thighs, head, and desperately
try to stay in that position. All you need to be aware of in terms of movement is creating as little
RELAX head and leg movement as possible. Everything else is entirely natural.

KEEP YOUR KNEES WHY IT WORKS On long putts, I see a lot of guys bring their right knee forward, trying to turn
their whole body through. But that’s not the case. If you’ve got the clubhead more upright and

AND HEAD STILL the knees nice and still, the shoulders will do the job for you. Just try and keep your bottom half
relaxed and your head relaxed and you’ll be much better off.

92 bunkered.co.uk
 LIKE THIS?
WATCH STEVE ON YOUTUBE
`vȃšۜˆŒ³Ã³®³ËÀƒšv®®Œ¨Ʋv®ˆOȌیƺÃƲ–³Àâ³ËÀȘȜ³®ïá
YouTube.com/bunkered

Smooth your stroke by focusing

on a spot in front of the ball.

DO THIS If you’re aware of what your putter does when you take it back, you need to take your focus

5 away from that – because you’re focusing on the wrong aspect of the technique. That’s not going
ȳšŒ¨½â³ËÀ½ËÈȜ®—vÈv¨¨ƜŒÛŒ®Ț³Ë—šâ³Ë­œ—šÈȚœ®§â³ËƺÀŒÈÀ✮—ȳïávƹÜÀ³®—ƺƛO³œ–â³Ë§®³Ü
how your putter moves away from the ball, take your focus elsewhere. Trying focusing on a spot an
inch or two in front of the golf ball. Get yourself lined up, but then focus on that spot.
BETTER FOCUS
WHY IT WORKS You know where the ball is and where the clubface is so when you take the putter

TRY THIS NEW back, focus on that spot in front of the ball. You still know where the ball is, but the main aim from
there is to push the putter through that spot. This will make you much more committed to the shot

TECHNIQUE as there’s far less chance of you decelerating into the ball. The best putters get the ball rolling
ȳÜvÀˆÃȚŒœÀÈvÀ—ŒÈƒ³®ïˆŒ®È¨âƛ

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 93
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 newGEAR
est
latest

New Titleist
W AVX PAGE 102 The latest innovations and technologies

INSIGHT
All reviews by David
Cunninghame, a self-
confessed golf geek
who plays off four.

BUILT FOR POWER GEAR

T
HE ALL-NEW i500 irons
are something completely
new from PING.
Categorised as a player’s
distance iron, its sleek
hollow body design has been crafted
to meet the growing demand for an
iron that delivers incredible distance
and forgiveness, but in a compact
shape that will suit the eye of the
better player.
The construction is similar to that
of metalwood and takes its inspiration
from PING’s popular G400 Crossover
and G700 irons. What sets the i500
apart from these two is its shape and
GUIDE
look. It delivers the same staggering
power of these clubs, plus a similar
level of forgiveness, but with a blade
length that is only slightly longer than
the iBlade muscle back.
`ŒïÀÃÈý³ÈȌˆȚŒÃŒœÀ³®Ã‚Œœ®—
put into play during the US Open
by several of PING’s ambassadors,
including Tony Finau and Tyrrell Hatton,
with most of them opting to put one or
two of them in the bag to replace their GEAR GUIDE
long irons. In this issue we look
The power these small irons deliver at the latest putters,
makes them one of the few products hybrids on the market
to have left me truly stunned this year. today, as well as some
SËÀ®ȚŒ½v—Œȳﮈ³ËÈ­³ÀŒƛ new base layers.

Gear in this issue

Ping i500 & i210 irons P96 // Ping Glide Forged wedge P99 // Bushnell Hybrid rangefinder P101 // Titleist AVX balls
P102 // Golfstream Vision electric trolley P104 // Skechers shoes reader testing P106 // Shop Window P108 // Vintage
Gear P113 // Cleveland CBX wedge special feature P114

TWITTER.COM/BUNKEREDONLINE 95
newGEAR
latest

The latest innovations and technologies

BETTER PLAYER

PING i500 & i210 irons

£149/£126 Power or precision? Which of these irons is the one for you?
SPEC PING i500 AvailableůưŵƜI`ƜV`Stock steel and graphite shaftsSÀˌSŒ­½ŒÀâ®v­œƒ%³¨ˆŭŬűƪLůŬŬƜOůŬŬƫƜVOS
9v­œâvLŒƒ³œ¨OO9ƪųŲŬƜųŴŬLƜųŴŬOƫPriceljŭŰŵƪÃȌŒ¨ƫƜljŭűŵƪ—Àv½šœÈŒƫƜ PING i210 AvailableůưŵƜI`ƜV`Stock steel
and graphite shaftsSÀˌSŒ­½ŒÀâ®v­œƒ%³¨ˆŭŮŬƪOůŬŬƜeŭŬŬƫƜ4SƪO³–ÈLƜLƜOƫPriceljŭŮŲƪÃȌŒ¨ƫƜljŭůŲƪ—Àv½šœÈŒƫ

CONTINUING ITS SOLID REPUTATION the same offset at the iBlade and a of control and the aesthetics. The i200
as a leader in high-performance iron similar blade length to the i210. It has made up roughly one-third of PING’s stafff
neered to provide the
designs engineered a modern and striking appearance. men’s iron usage stats and roughly 85%
exceptional distance, forgiveness and For such a small and compact head to of the LPGA’s tour usage stats over the
day’s golfer demands, PING
precision today’ deliver such incredib
incredible power is simply last few years, so it’s fair to say it was a
oduced its new i500 and
recently introduced staggering. pretty popular club.
i210 irons. In essence the i500i50 is a mini G700 or SšŒœŮŭŬ®³Ü–ŒvÈËÀŒÃůŬǦ­³ÀŒ
G400 crossover. It lev leverages the same activated elastomer within the head,,
i500 technologies and n des
design principles of which is also 50% softer than before, e, to
The i500’s body dy is constructed from 17-4 these clubs, b
bu
butt packages them in a help deliver a buttery soft sound and nd feell
stainless steelel and features an incredibly small head tha will suit the eye
that at impact. The activated elastomer er alsoo
Œáœ‚¨Œ–³À—ŒˆůŬŬ
ÃÈÀ³®—v®ˆðŒáœ‚¨Œ–³À—ŒˆůŬŬ of jujust about any golfer, comes into contact with the clubface face
maraging steel el face insert. inclu
including the better 25% more than its predecessor.
nced, multi
It is this advanced, player
player. In terms of performance you can
talwood like
material, metalwood ?––
?––ȚŒ–vƒŒƜœÈ–ŒŒ¨Ã ÀÈȳ­
Œá½ŒƒÈ—ÀŒvȃ³®ÈÀ³¨œ®ȚŒÚ³ÀÈȳ­œˆ ­œˆ
construction that is the real Œá½¨³
Œá½¨³ÃœÛŒv®ˆ½³ÜŒÀ–˨ƛ ÀvˆœÃÈv
Èv®ƒŒ
œÀ³®Ãv®ˆv¨Ã³v¨œÈȨŒ‚œÈ³–ŒáÈÀvˆœÃÈv®ƒŒ
engine of these se The ssound is quite with the longer irons.
irons. loud but still pleasing Another key focus with the e i210 is tthe
he
Maraging eno
enough, especially ˆ—ŒÃ³–ÈȚŒ
ÀŒï®ŒˆÚv½Œv®ˆƒÀœÃ½ŒÀŒˆ—ŒÃ³–ȚŒ
erial we
steel is a material when you see the ball take irons. The face and grooves are prec cision
precision
have already seen used in off like a rocket.
roc milled, as is the cavity, givingng it a high
gh-
high-
PING’s G400 fairways, hybrids, If you enjoy hitti
hitting one less club end appearance.
crossover and d th
the G700 irons.
i It iis three
th th l i partners then the i500
than your playing Tighter groove spacing in the pitchi h ng
pitching
times stronger than the face of the i210 is absolutely going to be the one for you. wedge and U-wedge provides vides greaterr
irons. It will give back to some of you ½ÀŒƒœÃœ³®v®ˆšŒ¨½Ã½ÀŒÛŒ®ÈðœŒÀó®
ی®ÈðœŒÀó®
The precision milled, forged face is distance you forgot you possessed, atters most. A
shots where control matters
plasma welded onto the steel body and without forcing you into the larger ­ŒŮƛŬﮜÚÀŒ½Œ¨ÃÃ
®ŒÜ(âˆÀ³IŒvÀ¨šÀ³­ŒŮƛŬﮜÚÀŒ½Œ¨Ã
also features variable face thickness to and more cumbersome head shape water to greatly improveove consistency
improve forgiveness, by giving consistent usually associated with this level of from the rough and wet conditions.
ball speeds across the face. performance. îŒÜﮜÚœÃv¨Ã³
SšœÃ®ŒÜﮜÚœÃv¨Ã³
The i500’s unique design enables an atured in the i500
featured
ŒáÈÀŒ­Œv­³Ë®È³––vƒŒðŒáœ®—ܚŒ® i210 ons.
irons.
PING SAYS
compared to conventionally designed LŒ½¨vƒœ®—ȚŒ½³½Ë¨vÀ If it is precision and
½¨vâŒÀÃƺœÀ³®Ãv®ˆv‚³ËÈïیȜ­ŒÃ­³ÀŒ i200 iron, the i210 has “In the i500 and i210, we’re offering feel you are looking
when compared to the i210 model. been designed with two distinctly different technology for then the i210 will
SšŒœ®ƒÀŒˆœ‚¨âšœ—š?LȚœÃƒÀŒvȌà focus on precision, platforms to give golfers additional be the iron for you. If, f
is coupled with the clubhead’s high feel, turf interaction ƒš³œƒŒÃv®ˆïÈȜ®—³½Èœ³®ÃƛSšŒ however you want to be
launching properties to deliver an and ultimate distance i500 delivers unbelievable distance knocked off your feet
œ®ƒÀŒˆœ‚¨â½³ÜŒÀ–˨‚v¨¨𜗚Èv®ˆó­Œ control. ܜȚv­v眮—¨âšœ—š‚v¨¨𜗚ÈÃƛ*® by incredible distance
truly ridiculous carry distances. The shape and our testing, some golfers gained as gains, the i500 is the
I*:%v¨Ã³ÃvâÃȚœÃœÀ³®ˆŒïŒÃ¨³—œƒƛ overriding concept ­ËƒšvÃŭűâvÀˆÃܜȚȚŒœűŬŬƛ*®ȚŒ one you should be
Despite its relatively strong loft specs, has remained largely i210 iron, we focused on designing a checking out.
ȚŒÜv✮ܚœƒšȚŒ–vƒŒðŒáŒÃŒ®v‚¨ŒÃ unchanged, but PING club that ensures a soft, buttery feel For more of my views
a high launch with lower spin. has really focussed on with the distance precision to attack on both of these irons,
What makes the i500 unique to PING improving the overall ðv—ÃȜƒ§ÃƛƸ check out my full video
is its clean and compact appearance. feel of the i210, as well John K. Solheim, review on the bunkered
The muscle blade look features about as improving the level PING President. YouTube channel.

96 bunkered.co.uk
 Titleist TS metalwoods
T
W Since the US Open, Titleist has been conducting the ‘Tour validation”
WSince
process of its new TS drivers and fairways.
fairw Little is yet known about the
tech in the clubs
clu
ubs but we
w have already seen the vast majority of Titleist's
brand ambassadors
amb
mbass ad rs choosing to put them in the bag,
assado

MULTI-MATERIAL
The i500’s multi-
material design and
C300 maraging steel
face are the key
technolgies that help
to deliver the incredible
speed and power these
irons offer.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 97
 Ben Hogan golf equipment returns
W The Ben Hogan Golf Company has introduced a complete line of new iron sets,
wedges and accessories for golfers in the UK and across Europe. Highlighting the
2018 line are the new, re-engineered Ben Hogan Edge forged game-enhancement
irons, designed to provide the rare combination of ‘feel with forgiveness.’

FORGED FEEL

PING Glide Forged wedge

£200 Ultimate customisation and personalisation with softer feel
SPEC PING Glide Forged Available 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60° Stock steel and graphite shafts True Temper
Dynamic Gold S300, ALTA CB (Soft R, R, S), AWT 2.0 Wedge Price £200 (steel), £210 (graphite)

FORGED FROM 8620 carbon steel with
Ü眮—v®ˆÚv½œ®—œ®ðˌ®ƒŒˆ‚âI*:%
ȳËÀ½À³Ãv®ˆvˆÛœÃ³ÀÃƜȚŒ%¨œˆŒ$³À—Œˆ
܌ˆ—ŒœÃȚŒƒ³­½v®âƺîŒÜŒÃÈ܌ˆ—Œ
engineered and crafted for golfers
Üv®Èœ®—ȳœ­½À³ÛŒȚŒœÀÚ³Èư­v§œ®—‚â
Œ­½¨³âœ®—v茌§Ɯšœ—šưýœ®®œ®—‚¨vˆŒư
ÃÈ⨌ˆŒÃœ—®ܜȚvó–ÈƜ½¨ŒvÜ®—–ŒŒ¨ƛ
We haven’t seen a forged wedge from
PING since the Anser came onto the
scene about seven years ago so it was
exciting to see exactly what this sleek
design had to offer.
Tour inspired
Working closely with PING professionals
and advisors, including Louis Oosthuizen,
Stan Utley and Todd Anderson, PING’s
engineers designed the Glide Forged
wedge to provide the feel and versatility
required to play an array of approach and
ﮌÃÌÚ³ÈÃvÀ³Ë®ˆȚŒ—ÀŒŒ®ƛ
Thoughts
The patented, precision-milled, wheel-
ƒËÈ—À³³ÛŒÃƜïÀÃÈœ®ÈÀ³ˆËƒŒˆœ®ȚŒ%¨œˆŒŒ
2.0 wedges, create more friction for
improved spin and trajectory control.
You can expect to see a low launching,
šœ—šýœ®®œ®—𜗚ÈȚvÈܜ¨¨—œÛŒâ³Ë
complete control with your wedge game.
The sole’s rounded lead edge and
increased heel-toe camber allows you to
be more creative around the green and
really open that face up. The compact
head delivers that soft ‘forged’ feel and
also features a distinct milling pattern to
help add to the visual appeal.

What was the inspiration ܳÀ§ÀŒv¨¨âÃÈvÀȌˆܜȚ³ËÀïÀÃÈ clubhead as small as this one,

Q&A behind the i500 irons?

We have had so many golfers
test our products and love the
distance and trajectory our
G400 and G700 irons offer.
The only problem was the
bigger clubhead, wider soles
and increased offset would
put them off. Our challenge,
therefore, was to deliver that
same incredible distance and
trajectory, but in a blade like
package.
How long have they been in the
pipeline?
MARTY We have been working on this
JERTSON type of technology for quite a
PING’s Director of Product while, even before the G700
Development talks us through irons came to market. Some
creating the i500 irons. of the initial research around
how this technology would
Crossover design. We really
want to give the club golfers the
ability to hit their mid to long
irons up in the air and as far as a
tour player. We knew it would be
fun to try and pack that much
We are excited to let golfers
experience the power these
irons have to offer.
distance into an iron with a
more compact shape.
Was it a challenge putting this
kind of technology into such a
small head?
That was the biggest challenge
of the whole i500 project.
Anytime that you are trying to
get a lot of movement out of a
œÈœÃŒá½³®Œ®Èœv¨¨â­³ÀŒˆœíƒË¨È
to achieve. The way we’ve
managed to accomplish what
we wanted from this project is
something we are all very proud
of at PING and we are excited
to let golfers experience the
power these irons have to offer.
It isn’t all about power though.
We are also very proud of the
way this set delivers consistent
gappings through the bag and
the fact they will allow golfers to
hold the greens easily thanks to
the towering, soft landing ball
𜗚Èƛ

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 99
The brand new Lagg Distillery is opening
on the Isle of Arran in 2019

SJXLIƤVWXGEWOWEVIEZEMPEFPIJSV
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7SGMIX]ERHFITEVXSJERI[GLETXIVMR7MRKPI1EPXLMWXSV]JVSQ
XLMWE[EVH[MRRMRK[LMWO]TVSHYGIVSRXLIFIEYXMJYP-WPISJ%VVER

*SVQSVIMRJSVQEXMSRZMWMXwww.laggwhisky.com
SVGSRXEGXinfo@laggwhisky.com SV
GEPP +44 1786 431900

WThe blue BOOST colourway is the third instalment of new colourways for
adidas Golf, following the launch of black BOOST in March and silver BOOST
in May. The new limited-edition colourway will be available in the popular
RANGEFINDER
Bushnell Hybrid
£399 Combining the best laser & GPS technologies
ËÚ®Œ¨¨švÂŒŒ®ȚŒƧŭ¨vÌÀÀv®—Œï®ˆŒÀ
in professional golf for a little over a
ˆŒƒvˆŒ®³ÜȚv®§ÃȳœÈÃȌƒš®³¨³—œƒv¨¨â
vˆÛv®ƒŒˆ½À³ˆËƒÈÃƛSšŒ(â‚ÀœˆœÃȚŒ
¨vȌÃÈœ®®³ÛvȜی½À³ˆËƒÈ–À³­ȚŒ‚Àv®ˆ
v®ˆƒ³­‚œ®ŒÃȚŒ­³ÃÈvˆÛv®ƒŒˆ¨vÌÀ
v®ˆ%IOȌƒš®³¨³—œŒÃœ®³®ŒˆŒÛœƒŒƛ
The Tech
Precise distances to the pin, front and
back of the green are provided through the
Hybrid’s laser function, whilst a GPS display
on the side of the product delivers front,
middle and back yardages to help you when
faced with blind shots or when you need
quicker, more general information.
As with Bushnell’s other market-
leading laser products, the Hybrid boasts
PinSeeker with JOLT Technology, providing
short, vibrating bursts to isolate the target
adidas limited editon blue BOOST
TOUR360 Knit and Crossknit 2.0 models.
v®ˆ¨³ƒ§³®È³ȚŒðv—ƛ
Thoughts
What we have with this product is the
v®Ã܌ÀȳȚŒˆœíƒË¨È¿ËŒÃȜ³®³–Ɯ¨vÌÀ
or GPS? It is one that many of you will
have weighed up in the past, extolling the
‚Œ®ŒïÈÃv®ˆ½œÈ–v¨¨Ã³–ŒvƒšÈ⽌³–ˆŒÛœƒŒƛ
Combining the two technologies into one
device is a master stroke from Bushnell and
helps make the hybrid one of the best DMDs
on the market today.
The device is incredibly easy to use and
the vibrating bursts provided by JOLT
Technology ensure you have the exact
ˆœÃÈv®ƒŒȳȚŒðv—ƛSšŒšâ‚Àœˆ½À³ÛœˆŒÃ
â³ËܜȚÃ˽ÀŒ­Œƒ³®ïˆŒ®ƒŒœ®ȚŒ
club you’ve pulled out of the bag thanks
to the combination of these two great
technologies.
TWITTER.COM/BUNKEREDONLINE

BUSHNELL PHANTOM GPS
£99
If you are looking for a brilliant
GPS device on a budget then the
Phantom might very well be the
one for you. This simple-to-use
DMD comes preloaded with
more than 36,000 courses and
provides simple measurements
to the front, middle and back
of the green. As well as front,
middle and back distances,
the Phantom displays up to
four hazard/layup distances
per hole. Through syncing with
the Bushnell App, you can also
take advantage of auto course
and auto hole recognition, a
shot distance calculator and a
longer battery life. A new “Bite
Technology” incorporates a high-
powered magnet that ensures the
Phantom can easily attach to a
belt, electric trolley or any metal
surface.
101
newGEAR The latest innovations and technologies

NEW TITLEIST

Titleist AVX
£52 per dozenSšŒïÀÃÈ
®ŒÜ½ÀŒ­œË­SœÈ¨ŒœÃÈ—³¨–
‚v¨¨–³ÀŭűâŒvÀÃ
SPEC Titleist AVX Colours `šœÈŒƜ(œ—šư?½ÈœƒfŒ¨¨³Ü

WE SAY
If you are looking for
added distance with
your irons, the AVX
is a great
option.

A LOWER SPINNING, lower launching and —ÀŒŒ®Ãƛ%ÀŒŒ®ÃœˆŒýœ®v®ˆƒ³®ÈÀ³¨œÃ Spin & Distance

softer feeling alternative to the Pro V1
and Pro V1x. That is what we have with
the brand new AVX from Titleist.
*ÈœÃȚŒïÀÃÈ®ŒÜ½ÀŒ­œË­—³¨–‚v¨¨
ÀŒ¨Œv̈‚âȚŒ®Ë­‚ŒÀ³®Œ‚v¨¨‚Àv®ˆ
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102 bunkered.co.uk
 Scotty Cameron Concept X putters £545
W The Concept X is a premium offering of two experimental prototypes produced in
highly limited quantities. The CX-01 and CX-02 are designed to deliver the ultimate
putting experience, blending the visual characteristics of a Newport 2 with the
playability of a mallet through boundary-pushing technologies. 

œ®ÛŒ®Èœ³®³–v®ŒÜšœ—šðŒáƒvÜ®—
¨vâŒÀȚvÈŒ®šv®ƒŒÃýŒŒˆv®ˆÀŒˆËƒŒÃ
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ƒ³­½ÀŒÃܳ®ƒ³ÀŒȌƒš®³¨³—âƪȚŒ
real engine of the golf ball) to again
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twitter.com/bunkeredonline 103
newGEAR
latest

The latest innovations and technologies

NEW SCREEN

Golfstream Vision
£449 A new way of looking at your electric trolley
THE NEW VISION Is Easy-to-use is also incredibly easy to Golfstream trolleys, the
Golfstream’s most feature The Vision boasts a transport. Vision holds your golf bag
packed electric trolley to revolutionary one-click open The button on ïÀ­¨âœ®½¨vƒŒ
date. It has been designed and close mechanism. This the handle enables by using the side
to address one of the key brilliant feature makes it the Vision to be
GOLFSTREAM SAYS arms, rather
issues that can arise when incredibly easy to fold up programmed for than balancing
using an electric trolley, and down and takes only a left and right- It doesn’t take a lot it on the central
reading the screen in direct few seconds. It also helps handed use and of sunlight to make spine, avoiding
sunlight. to make the Vision very provides access to reading the traditional unnecessary
The aptly named Vision compact, so you should not a distance control ‚¨vƒ§ÃÀŒŒ®ÃˆœíƒË¨È ‘bag wobble’ over
comes with a revolutionary švیv®âÈÀ³Ë‚¨Œﮈœ®— function, with due to intense bumpy ground.
Caddy White display screen enough space in the boot of speed increments ÀŒðŒƒÈœ³®Ɯ‚ËÈȚŒ
that can be read in even your car for the trolley. of 0.5, enabling Caddy White screen Affordable Quality
the brightest, most direct Add to that, a magnetic the speed to be removes this issue no At £449 for the
sunlight. If you think of an latch that holds the trolley perfectly matched matter where golf is 18-hole lithium
e-Reader you will get the together in the folded to your walking played in the world. version, you are
idea behind this innovative position, coupled with its pace. Derek Richford, getting plenty of
solution. lightweight design, the Vision As with all Golfstream MD bang for your buck

104 bunkered.co.uk
 TaylorMade P790 Black £1,049
W The P790 irons have received a makeover. The P790 Black delivers forged
feel with breakthrough distance and forgiveness in a new, all-black finish.
The premium high-gloss black PVD finish is combined with new all-black True
Temper Dynamic Gold 105 shafts to create a sleek, unified look. 

EASY TO READ
Taking its
inspiration from
e-Readers, the
with the Vision. Apart from revolutionary
the innovative screen and Caddy White
numerous practical features, display screen can
the Vision also features be read in even the
high-grip slick PU tyres that brightest, most
%³¨–ÃÈÀŒv­ÃvâÃvÀŒïیȜ­ŒÃ direct sunlight.
more durable than normal
tyres for a super-smooth ride
for your clubs and valuables.
As an added bonus, the trolley
has been designed to take
all other popular brands of
batteries so you can save
yourself a few quid if all you
need is the trolley itself.

MODERN LOOKS
The Vision’s
sleek chassis
looks fantastic
and is available
œ®ïیˆœÃȜ®ƒÈ
colourways.

ONE CLICK
Golfstream’s
patented one-
click, easy-fold
mechanism
makes the Vision
incredibly easy
to set up and
fold away, while
its small folded
size is one of the
smallest on the
market.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 105
newGEAR
latest

The latest innovations and technologies

COLLABORATION
TaylorMade’s head
NEW
of product creation,
Brian Bazzell,
KIT
said, “GAPR was a
real collaboration
between our
metalwoods and
irons team. As you
will see in their
construction,
they leverage
technologies from
our most recent
metalwoods and
iron designs.”

106 bunkered.co.uk
 Odyssey Red Ball £169
WThis innovative new design is all about getting you properly positioned
over the ball before you make a putting stroke. With the aid of a distinct
‘Red Ball’ inside the scope of the mallet head it is now incredibly easy to
align the face to the intended start line on every putt. 

TECH PACKED

TaylorMade GAPR
£259 Plug your long game gaps with this new utility line
SPEC TaylorMade GAPR Stock shaft3O(â‚ÀœˆŴŬƨáƜŴŬƨÃƜųŬƨÀƜŲŬƨvLoft GAPR LOƧŮŭųǰƜƧů
ŭŵǰƜƧŰŮŮǰGAPR MID ƧůŭŴǰƜƧŰŮŭǰƜƧűŮŰǰ GAPR HIƧůŭŵǰƜƧŰŮŮǰƜƧűŮűǰƜƧŲŮŴǰ

TAYLORMADE’S NEW GAPR range is a
highly innovative trio of products with
unique identities and performance
ƒšvÀvƒÈŒÀœÃȜƒÃƜˆŒÃœ—®ŒˆȳšŒ¨½â³Ë﨨
your long game gaps.
The reason for the new range? Simple:
to combat one of the biggest problems
–vƒŒˆ‚â­³ÃÈ—³¨–ŒÀÃƜȚŒˆœíƒË¨Èưȳư
manage yardage between the longest
playable iron and the shortest metalwood
œ®â³ËÀ‚v—ƛ
SpeedFoam
In each of the 3 different models,
engineers have incorporated
TaylorMade’s innovative SpeedFoam
Ȍƒš®³¨³—âƜܚœƒšÜvÃïÀÃÈœ®ÈÀ³ˆËƒŒˆœ®
ȚŒœ®ƒÀŒˆœ‚¨âÃ˃ƒŒÃÖ˨IųŵŬœÀ³®Ã¨vÃÈ
vËÈË­®ƛ
O½ŒŒˆ$³v­ÌÀیÃȚŒˆËv¨½ËÀ½³ÃŒ
of generating ball speed while also
dampening vibrations to create optimal
óˮˆv®ˆ–ŒŒ¨ƛO½ŒŒˆ$³v­½À³ÛœˆŒÃ
œ®ƒÀŒv̈–vƒŒÃ˽½³ÀÈܚœ¨Œ­vœ®Èvœ®œ®—
ȚŒó–ÈƜ󨜈óˮˆv®ˆ–ŒŒ¨ȚvÈ—³¨–ŒÀÃ
½ÀŒ–ŒÀƛ
GAPR LO
On paper, this is the model that is
Èvœ¨³ÀŒˆȳÜvÀˆÃ­â—v­Œƛœ­ŒˆvÈ
the lower handicapper and faster swing
ýŒŒˆ—³¨–ŒÀÃƜȚŒ4?–ŒvÈËÀŒÃv¨³Ü
and forward CG to deliver low spinning,
penetrating power from the tee and off
ȚŒˆŒƒ§ƛ
Down behind the ball this driving iron
¨³³§Ã–v®ÈvÃȜƒƛ*ÈšvÃȚŒ½ŒÀ–ŒƒÈ‚¨Œ®ˆ
of sleek, iron like aesthetics, which will
ØÈȚŒ‚ŒÈȌÀ½¨vâŒÀƜv®ˆv®vœÀ³–ۜÃËv¨
–³À—œÛŒ®ŒÃÃȳ—œÛŒâ³ËȚŒƒ³®ïˆŒ®ƒŒ
â³Ë®ŒŒˆܜȚ¨³ÜŒÀ¨³–ÈŒˆœÀ³®Ãƛ
Its sleeker design makes it the most
versatile of the three options and the
Œv܌ÃÈȳ𜗚Èv®ˆܳÀ§ȚŒ—³¨–‚v¨¨
ܜȚƛ
SšŒ4?–ŒŒ¨Ã½³ÜŒÀ–˨³––ȚŒ–vƒŒƜ‚ËÈ
ó–ÈŒ®³Ë—šȳˆŒ¨œÛŒÀ‚³ÈšȚŒ–ŒŒ¨v®ˆ
óˮˆ‚ŒÈȌÀ½¨vâŒÀÃܜ¨¨‚Œ¨³³§œ®—–³Àƛ
The feel, workability and forgiveness
were all fantastic aspects of this
ƒ¨Ë‚Ɯ‚ËÈœÈÜvÃȚŒœ®ƒÀŒˆœ‚¨ŒýŒŒˆœÈ
delivered that made me want to hit it
v—vœ®v®ˆv—vœ®ƛ*Ȝî³ܳ®ˆŒÀ܌ÃvÜ
ó­v®â½À³Ã³½Èȳ½ËÈȚŒ%IL4?œ®
ȚŒ‚v—vÈSšŒ?½Œ®ƛ
VÜ®—ȚŒŭųșƜŮưœÀ³®³½Èœ³®*ÜvÃ
ƒ³®ÃœÃȌ®È¨âƒvÀÀ✮—ȚŒ‚v¨¨vÀ³Ë®ˆȚŒ
ŮůŬ­vÀ§ƛ³®ÃœˆŒÀœ®—*šœÈ­âŰưœÀ³®Ůŭű
³®ȚŒðâƜv®ˆvیÀv—Œv‚³ËÈŮűŬƲŮŲŬ
âvÀˆÃƒvÀÀâܜȚ­âůưܳ³ˆƜȚŒ4?﨨Ã
ȚvÈ—v½½ŒÀ–ŒƒÈ¨âƛ
SšŒvˆ¦ËÃÈv‚œ¨œÈâvýŒƒÈšŒ¨½ÃȳÌÈ
ȚŒ%ILÀv®—Œv½vÀÈ–À³­ȚŒ‚Àv®ˆƺÃ
³ÈšŒÀËȜ¨œÈâœÀ³®ƜȚŒIųŵŬV*ƛvƒš
­³ˆŒ¨–ŒvÈËÀŒÃv4³–ÈO¨ŒŒÛŒȚvȃv®‚Œ
vˆ¦ËÃȌˆ˽v®ˆˆ³Ü®‚âŭƛűșƜó*ƒ³Ë¨ˆ
easily dial in that yardage to wherever I
Üv®ÈŒˆœÈȳ‚Œƛ
GAPR MID
OœÈȜ®—ÿËvÀŒ¨âœ®ȚŒ­œˆˆ¨Œ³–ȚŒ
three models, the MID delivered a
蜗šÈ¨âšœ—šŒÀ¨vË®ƒšv®ˆvˆˆŒˆýœ®
ܚŒ®ƒ³­½vÀŒˆȳȚŒ4?ƛ*È­vœ®Èvœ®Ã
v®v½½Œv¨œ®—ƜËȜ¨œÈâœÀ³®Úv½ŒƜ‚ËÈȚœÃ
slightly larger head offers a noticeable
œ®ƒÀŒvÌœ®–³À—œÛŒ®ŒÃÃƛ
It still retains a great level of feel, as
well as ample levels of versatility and
SpeedFoam is injected into the clubhead in liquid form before expanding within the club
ܳÀ§v‚œ¨œÈâ–³ÀȚŒ‚ŒÈȌÀ½¨vâŒÀƛSšŒ
蜗šÈ¨âšœ—šŒÀ‚v¨¨𜗚Èܜ¨¨šŒ¨½v¨³È
³–â³Ë­vᜭœÃŒâ³ËÀƒvÀÀ∜ÃÈv®ƒŒÃ
ܜȚœ®ȚŒ%ILÀv®—Œv®ˆȚŒvˆˆŒˆ
forgiveness is something well worth
ƒ³®ÃœˆŒÀœ®—ܚŒ®ƒ³­½vÀœ®—ȳȚŒ4?ƛ
GAPR HI
V®¨œ§ŒȚŒ³ÈšŒÀÈܳËȜ¨œÈâœÀ³®ˆŒÃœ—®ÃƜ
ȚŒ(*–ŒvÈËÀŒÃvLŒÃƒËŒÚv½œ®—ƜܜȚ
a dropped crown that provides lower CG
v®ˆœ­½À³ÛŒˆv¨œ—®­Œ®Èƛ
SšœÃ­³ˆŒ¨œÃšœ—š¨vË®ƒšœ®—Ɯ½³ÜŒÀ–˨Ɯ
v®ˆv‚³ÛŒv¨¨Œ¨ÃŒƜœ®ƒÀŒˆœ‚¨âŒvÃâȳšœÈƛ
*–â³ËvÀŒv–v®³–ܳ³ˆÚv½Œˆšâ‚ÀœˆÃ
ȚŒ®ȚœÃܜ¨¨‚ŒȚŒ­³ˆŒ¨–³Àâ³Ëƛ*È
œÃvÚv½ŒȚvÈܜ¨¨šŒ¨½œ®Ã½œÀŒâ³Ë
ܜȚƒ³®ïˆŒ®ƒŒƛ`šŒÀŒœÈˆœ––ŒÀÖÀ³­
Sv⨳À9vˆŒƺÃËÀÀŒ®È9ův®ˆ9ŰLŒÃƒËŒ
œÃœ®ȚŒ–ŒŒ¨v®ˆ𜗚Èƛ
SšŒš³¨¨³ÜšŒvˆœÃ﨨ŒˆܜȚ
SpeedFoam to deliver a softer feel
ܚŒ®ƒ³­½vÀŒˆȳȚŒ9ův®ˆ9ŰƜ
ܚœ¨ŒȚŒË®œ¿ËŒˆŒÃœ—®ˆŒ¨œÛŒÀÃv­³ÀŒ
½Œ®ŒÈÀvȜ®—𜗚Èœ®ƒ³­½vÀœÃ³®ƛ
LŒ—vÀˆ¨ŒÃó–ܚœƒš­³ˆŒ¨â³ËŒ®ˆ˽
ƒš³³Ãœ®—Ɯœ–â³ËvÀŒ¨³³§œ®—ȳ½¨Ë—ȚvÈ
all important distance gap at the long end
³–â³ËÀ‚v—ƜȚŒ®v®â³®Œ³–ȚŒÃŒȚÀŒŒ
³½Èœ³®Ã–À³­Sv⨳À9vˆŒ­vâ¦ËÃÈ‚ŒȚŒ
ó¨ËȜ³®â³Ëƺی‚ŒŒ®ÌvÀƒšœ®—–³Àƛ

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 107
newGEAR
latest

The latest innovations and technologies

1 TAYLORMADE SPIDER MINI £269

Designed to deliver the performance characteristics of the original Spider Tour
putters in a more streamlined, minimalistic design. Overall, the construction of the
Spider Mini has a 15% reduction in head size compared to Spider Tour while still 1
delivering the stability and high MOI properties as its bigger sibling. The smaller head
size enables the release of the putter head easier through the hitting area of the
stroke - more similar to that of a blade putter.

2 VICE PRO PLUS £29.88 (PER DOZEN)

You can expect excellent greenside control and spin from this 4-piece golf ball
courtesy of the cast urethane cover and Vice’s S2TG technology. The Pro Plus also
features an aerodynamic 336 dimple design that has been optimised to tighten your
ˆœÃ½ŒÀܳ®v®ˆ³––ŒÀvÃÈv‚¨Œ‚v¨¨𜗚Èœ®ȚŒܜ®ˆƛ`šŒ®½ËÀƒšvÜ®—³®Œˆ³çŒ®
of these premium balls, each ball costs £2.49, the price then falls to £2.09 when
½ËÀƒšvÜ®—ȚÀŒŒˆ³çŒ®v®ˆˆ³Ü®ȳljŭƛųŵܚŒ®½ËÀƒšvÜ®—ïیˆ³çŒ®³À­³ÀŒƛ

3 MOTOCADDY M1 DHC £549.99

The new M1 DHC features special ‘all terrain’ DHC wheels and includes the same
distinctive features as the M1, but it can also maintain a constant speed while moving
down a gradient thanks to a special single motor that offers downhill braking,
coupled with an electronic parking brake. The trolley’s power output is adjusted
automatically to control the rate of descent without you having to make any changes
to the pre-hill speed setting.

4 PING GLIDE 2.0 STEALTH £130

Introduced at the beginning of 2017, Ping’s incredibly popular Glide 2.0 wedges now
ƒ³­Œœ®v®ŒÜȳËÀưœ®Ã½œÀŒˆƹOȌv¨ÈšƺﮜÚƜܚœƒš✌¨ˆÃ¨ŒÃרvÀŒv®ˆ­v§ŒÃȚŒ
šŒvˆv½½ŒvÀív¨¨ŒÀƛSšœÃÃËvی‚¨vƒ§ﮜÚœÃv½½¨œŒˆËÜ®—vKIKƪKˌ®ƒšI³¨œÃš
Kˌ®ƒšƫ½À³ƒŒÃÖ³ÀvˆˆŒˆˆËÀv‚œ¨œÈâv®ˆšvÂŒŒ®ˆŒÃœ—®ŒˆȳïÈȚŒ—v­Œv®ˆȚŒ
eye of players for whom performance and appearance go hand in hand. The soft and
responsive feel comes courtesy of the wedges’ 8620 carbon steel construction, while
precision-milled grooves offer high levels of spin for great control around the greens. 2

108 bunkered.co.uk
 Ping Prodi G junior clubs
W As part of its new “Get Golf Growing” programme, Ping has
introduced the brand-new Prodi G junior club line, engineered
with the same technologies of its adult line. The programme offers
custom-fit and custom-built junior clubs that include a one-time,
no-cost adjustment to sets of five clubs or more.

5 GLENMUIR MEN’S ZIP
NECK LIGHTWEIGHT
PERFORMANCE GOLF
MIDLAYER £54.95
Fashioned from 90%
performance polyester and
10% elastane, this lightweight
midlayer is a fantastic year-
round option for out on the
course. The highly breathable
garment is ideal for those cool
summer evenings and also the
perfect option for when the
temperature begins to fall. The
styling is understated and sleek.
6 GALVIN GREEN
MARLON £85
The stylish design is matched
with extra attention to detail,
including chest and sleeve
logos to help golfers standout
on the fairways. VENTIL8
PLUS technology provides
an extremely high level
of breathability, moisture
transportation and UV factor
20+ protection. The shape of
the shoulders and sleeves are
designed to minimise restriction
when swinging.
7 GOLFBUDDY VTX GPS
£249.99
Packed with innovative features,
the VTX delivers exactly
what you want: accurate and
convenient handheld distances.
It incorporates a full-colour
touchscreen and ultra-slim,
lightweight design, making
it simple to use and barely
noticeable to carry. Distances
are given to the front, centre and
back of the green, whilst hazards
and full hole view are also clearly
displayed.
8 CALLAWAY MACK DADDY 4
RAW £139
The Mack Daddy 4 sets a new standard
for Callaway wedge performance by
combining innovative technologies with
½ÀŒ­œË­ƒ³­½³®Œ®ÈÃƛ*ÈƺÃȚŒﮌÃÈ
collaboration yet between industry
legend Roger Cleveland and Callaway
LǪƜv®ˆÜvÃœ®ðˌ®ƒŒˆšŒvۜ¨â‚âS³ËÀ
½À³œ®½ËÈƛSšœÃ®ŒÜ½ÀŒ­œË­LvÜﮜÚ
is preferred by many of the world’s best
players. For my full review of the Mack
Daddy 4 wedges follow this link to our
YouTube channel. https://tinyurl.com/
yc6z4c9m

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 109
newGEAR
latest
The latest innovations and technologies
GLENMUIR
Up for the Cup!
Iconic Scottish apparel brand Glenmuir has released its 2018 Ryder Cup range
ahead of September’s showdown between Europe & USA at Le Golf National
EXCITED. That’s one word that
can be used to describe the
feeling among staff at Glenmuir’s
HQ ahead of the 2018 Ryder Cup.
For a 16th successive match,
ˆvȜ®—‚vƒ§ȳSŒv­ËÀ³½ŒƺÃïÀÃÈ
win on US soil in 1987, the Scottish
‚Àv®ˆܜ¨¨‚Œv®?태v¨L∌À˽
licensee – the longest-standing
relationship the event has with
any apparel company.
The range of high-quality
garments for the 2018 event
is now available online and will
be throughout the week at Le
%³¨–:vȜ³®v¨œ®ȚŒ?태v¨
Merchandise tent – but what can
fans expect?
For starters, there’s plenty of
choice, with 12 polo shirt styles,
slipovers, v-neck sweaters,
zip neck sweaters, as well as a
mid-layer and windshirt. That’s
not even mentioning the various
colourways, too. As well as the
usual light yellows, blues and
Tahitis (a slighter lighter blue),
a Daiquiri (bright pink) has been
added for 2018, which Glenmuir
say has been modelled on the red
–À³­ȚŒ$ÀŒ®ƒšðv—Ɯ³––ŒÀœ®—
something ‘slightly different’.
Ahead of Paris, Glenmuir has
‚œ—‚³³ÈÃȳ﨨–³¨¨³Üœ®—ȚŒ¨vÃÈ
home Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in
2014, where the company enjoyed
its best-ever Ryder Cup week.
“At Gleneagles, it was
mayhem… but in a good way,
obviously,” Glenmuir managing
director Mikhel Ruia tells
bunkered. “There was a situation
on the Friday night where we
sold out and I remember that my
brother and I waited until around
midnight for our lorries and vans
to arrive on-site so we could
re-stock the shop.
“The tent was decimated. We’d
sold 60% of our products by the
110 bunkered.co.uk
INSIDE
GLENMUIR
} Where is
Glenmuir’s HQ?
Glenmuir is based in
Lanark, Scotland, and
has been since local
businessman Andrew
MacDougall founded
the company in 1891.
} Has the brand ever
considered leaving
Lanark?
No. Glenmuir is part of the
town and its folk are very
much part of Glenmuir.
Generations of the same
family have worked there,
with that knowledge and
expertise of paramount
importance. Across the
workforce, employees
are said to stay at
Glenmuir for an average
of 20-25 years of their
working lives, which
Mikhel Ruia describes
as ‘very special’.
} How many staff
does Glenmuir employ?
Approximately 100,
making it one of Lanark’s
biggest employers.
} How many countries
is Glenmuir clothing
distributed to?
30. This includes being
retailed in some of the
world’s most luxury golf
resorts, including Royal
Melbourne in Australia,
The K Club in Ireland,
The River Club in South
Africa, Reykjavik Golf
Club in Iceland and Sandy
Lane in Barbados.
Friday. We still had the whole of
Saturday and Sunday to go and
were out of all of our good sizes.
So we were lucky in that we were
just a couple of hours down the
road.”
As a result, preparations for
an overseas home Ryder Cup are
going slightly differently.
“Of course, for Paris it’s a totally
different animal,” Ruia continued.
“We have the data for what we’ve
sold at each Ryder Cup since
1987 so we know our trends and
what sells best. So we’ve made
a forecast based on that and for
Paris, we’ll overestimate so we
aren’t faced with a situation like
we had at Gleneagles.”
For a Scottish-based company
at a Ryder Cup in Scotland in 2014,
it would perhaps seem unlikely
and a bit outlandish that Glenmuir
could replicate the success of
Gleneagles in Paris.
However, of the 30 countries
that Glenmuir distributes to
worldwide, France is the third
largest in terms of its market
share. Not only that, it is also
kitting out staff, including
greenkeepers, at Le Golf National
ahead of the match.
“Our tent is expected to be a
lot bigger than the one we had at
Gleneagles, so we’re very excited
about that,” added Ruia, who will
have four staff working in the
tent throughout the week. “Plus,
we’re very well established in
France with a good foothold in
ȚŒ­vÀ§ŒÈƜó܌ƺÀŒƒ³®ïˆŒ®È³–
achieving the same level of sales –
if not better – in Paris.”
While Glenmuir already has a
strong reputation in France, the
Ryder Cup being hosted there
will offer more opportunities for
ȚŒ‚Àv®ˆȳŒ®šv®ƒŒœÈýÀ³ï¨Œ
throughout the rest of mainland
Europe and the world.
Although, after a record-
‚ÀŒv§œ®—âŒvÀ–³À½À³ïÈÃœ®ŮŬŭų
– a non-Ryder Cup year – it could
‚ŒÃvœˆȚvÈȚŒ%¨Œ®­ËœÀðv—
œÃv¨ÀŒvˆâð✮—šœ—šƜŒÃ½Œƒœv¨¨â
given the recent development
that the brand has now
established itself in South Korea,
which Ruia believes is linked to
Glenmuir’s Scottish heritage.
“It was originally a pop-up
store, but because it was so
successful, it’s now been made
permanent,” added Ruia of the
store in Gangnam, Seoul. “The
Korean people love good quality
craftsmanship and products. We
deliver that. They love Scotland.
We’re a Scottish brand. And
they’re obsessed with golf. Those
three key aspects of our brand
has clearly resonated with them.”
That success has increased the
likelihood of Glenmuir expanding
to more countries in the Far East,
while the brand is also keen to
crack America after feedback
received from visitors to Trump
Turnberry, Gleneagles and Royal
Troon, where Glenmuir supplies
ȚŒœÀ³íƒœv¨­ŒÀƒšv®ˆœÃŒƛ
All the while, its aim is to move
away slightly from being seen
as ‘the Ryder Cup brand’, with an
effort to switch the focus onto
Glenmuir’s rich Scottish heritage.
“In the past four years,
we’ve shifted the focus slightly
more towards our heritage,
craftsmanship and the quality
of our product – not being solely
based on the Ryder Cup,” added
Ruia. “We’ve developed our brand
around our heritage, which is very
unique in the golf industry. We are
one of the last, if not the last, truly
Scottish golf brands operating
on our scale and that’s something
which is an important USP for us.”
 DID YOU
KNOW?
Glenmuir started work
on the 2018 Ryder Cup
range just four months
after the 2016 Ryder
Cup at Hazeltine.

The new Daiquiri colourway in the Rib Cuff Narrow Stripe Cotton Polo

The Merino Lined Zip Neck Sweater The Ladies Sleeveless Lurex Tipped Collar Polo The V Neck Cotton Sweater

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 Royal Musselburgh
Golf Club

Located in a magnificent rural idyll, the resort and golf course is named
after the original 16th Century Brunston Castle. Set in 250 acres of
Located at the start of the landscaped grounds in the peaceful Girvan Valley, just five miles from
famous stretch of golf courses Ayrshire’s picturesque coastline.
on the East Lothian coast, a
warm welcome is guaranteed at Royal Musselburgh. Recognised
as the fifth oldest golf club in the world, this James Braid designed Midweek
beauty is always kept in immaculate condition and comes alive £28
heading down the stretch. Steeped in history with The Old Club Weekend
Cup, competed for every year since 1774, the oldest trophy still £35
competitively played for in the world.
Visitors
Vi and parties welcome 7 days a week.
So go on, take in the history of the world’s fifth oldest golf course Parties, please phone for best rates.
and make it a society outing to remember. Restaurant open 9am - 10pm
Brunston Castle Golf Club
Prestongrange House, Prestonpans, East Lothian EH32 9RP
T: 01465 811471
enquiries@brunstoncastlegolfclub.co.uk
T: 01875 819000 Seasons Holidays | Self catering holiday cottages
WWW.ROYALMUSSELBURGH.CO.UK Driving Range • Well Stocked Golf Shop • Buggies Available • Group discount rates available

Duns Golf Club WHERE?

Find us at www.dunsgolfclub.com
THE BEAUTY OF THE BORDERS Or call 01361 883599/882194
Quote TD11 for special offer - T & C apply

Special
offers
available
 vintageGEAR
CLASSIC EQUIPMENT
REVISITED

TRULY UNIQUE ROGER CLEVELAND is one of the most revered names in golf club design
history and has been responsible for the creation of some of the game’s most
iconic pieces of equipment. One set of irons that he would perhaps rather not

Cleveland have attached to his name however, are the unusual VAS irons.
Released in 1994,The VAS (Vibration Absorbing System) irons’ key technology
was the large purple badge in the cavity. This VAS system was invented by

Golf 792 VAS
irons
The unique irons Corey Pavin
used to win the 1995 US Open
Cleveland’s parent company at the time, Rossingol, and was initially developed to
reduce vibration in skis. The badge was designed to give a more solid and precise
feel, while also reducing unwanted vibrations by up to 30%.
It wasn’t just the big purple badge, however, that really made these irons stand
out from the crowd. The unique teardrop-shaped head was huge compared to
most conventional irons at the time, while the inset hosel created an appearance
at address that was certain to stun anyone who picked up the clubs.
Only one PGA Tour player decided to put these irons into the bag, Corey Pavin.
Despite his initial reservations about the quirky irons, Pavin would go on to win
his only major with them, claiming victory at the 95 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 113
newGEAR
latest

The latest innovations and technologies

Cleveland CBX wedges

Why you should be playing with a cavity back wedge

A TRAILBLAZER OF WEDGE DESIGN, Cleveland Golf has

been continually innovating short game technologies
since 1979. It has been a dominate force in the golf wedge
industry for nearly four decades, constantly pushing the
envelope with score-dropping innovations. Trusted by the
likes of Hideki Matsuyama, J.B. Holmes, Keegan Bradley,
and Graeme McDowell, Cleveland Golf offers wedges
ýŒƒœïƒv¨¨âƒÀŒvȌˆ–³ÀŒÛŒÀ⧜®ˆ³–—³¨–ŒÀƛ
Towards the latter half of 2017, Cleveland released a truly
revolutionary wedge, the cavity back design CBX. Almost a
year on from its initial release I thought it would be a good
idea to look back on what has made this wedge so popular
and why I deem it to be revolutionary.

KEYTECH

FORGIVENESS SPIN
A cavity back wedge A Rotex Face, the most
design offers more advanced Cleveland
forgiveness and blends wedge spin technology
with the look, feel and ever made, helps the CBX
weight of cavity back produce spin just like a
iron sets. tour-designed wedge.

114 bunkered.co.uk
 SPECIAL FEATURE

A modern wedge for the

modern golfer
CLEVELAND is a company
renowned for its innovative
wedge designs and
technologies. With the CBX
wedge we have a new take on
the traditional wedge design
½šœ¨³Ã³½šâƛ*ÈÜvÃýŒƒœïƒv¨¨â
created for the segment of
golfers who play forgiving,
cavity back irons.
The CBX is built to be more
forgiving and easier to hit
than traditional tour-designed
wedges, while providing
dramatically more spin and
versatility than set-matching
wedges. This totally new
wedge design, modelled to
complement the address
½À³ï¨Œv®ˆÃܜ®—܌œ—šÈ³–
the most popular cavity back
irons, is designed to look,
feel and play like the game
improvement irons used by the
vast majority of club golfers.
The CBX also features a
Rotex Face, Cleveland’s
most advanced wedge spin
technology which helps to
produce tour-like spin. The
Dual-V Sole Grind offers
forgiving turf interaction,
delivers extra assistance on
bunker shots, and provides
versatility when executing
ð³½Ú³ÈÃƜܚœ¨Œ$ŒŒ¨v¨v®ƒœ®—
Technology repositions the
centre of gravity for more
forgiveness, better feel and
distance control.
Q&A
JOHN
RAE
VP of R&D and Operations at Cleveland Golf
Where did the concept of the CBX begin?
For years we’ve been making what we call the cavity back wedge
‚ËÈœ®ÀŒv¨œÈâƜ܌švی‚ŒŒ®óšŒvۜ¨âœ®ðˌ®ƒŒˆ‚âȚŒȳËÀȚvÈ
we ended up making a blade wedge and a cavity back wedge that
were both more suited towards the better player. The cavity back
wedge was not much different than the blade. As we were doing
more and more testing with mid to high handicappers it became
obvious that all of the features that they were used to in their irons,
like forgiving design, wider sole and lighter weights, we weren’t
carrying any of them over into the wedges we designed. They
weren’t seeing the performance they wanted from our cavity back
designs because they were basically blade designs at heart. So we
decided to focus on creating a wedge purely for golfers that were
playing cavity back irons.
Why have we seen so few cavity back designs recently?
If you give it time I think you are going to see a lot more cavity
back wedge designs coming to the market. As manufacturers
we’ve always been a leader in wedges and then other brands have
followed our lead. Now that we’ve shown there is a big market for
cavity back wedges for average golfers, I would expect within the
next few years multiple other manufacturers will following us down
this same path.

In your opinion why should more golfers play a cavity back

wedge?
As a golfer, consistency breeds better performance. If you can
make a consistent swing you are going to hit better shots and
shoot lower scores. The same thing applies to your equipment.
If you have consistency in your equipment, you are going to feel
more comfortable over the ball, you’re going to make better swings
and you are going to shoot lower scores. In the past you would
be playing a cavity back set of irons with a blade set of wedges.
Those are two radically different types of golf clubs and as a result
you would have an inconsistency in your bag, that would lead to
inconsistent performance. By switching to the CBX you are getting
the lighter, easier to swing feel and all of the forgiveness you are
used to in your irons, but with tour calibre spin performance and
turf interaction. It’s giving you the best of both worlds.

VERSATILITY FEEL
A Dual-V Sole Grind offers Feel Balancing
forgiving turf interaction, Technology repositions
delivers extra assistance on the centre of gravity
bunker shots, and provides closer to the centre of
versatility when executing the face for better feel
different short game shots. and distance control.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 115
newGEAR
latest
The latest innovations and technologies
CAVITY BACK
Cleveland CBX wedge
£109 A short game changer for most golfers
SPEC Cleveland CBX wedges Lofts ŰŲșưŲŬșShafts Steel and Graphite available Price ljŭŬŵ
AS SOMEONE who plays off four, it’s
probably fair to say that the CBX isn’t
ýŒƒœïƒv¨¨âvœ­ŒˆvÈ­Œƛ*¨œ§ŒȚŒƒ¨vÃ܃
¨³³§Ãv®ˆ–ŒŒ¨³–ÈÀvˆœÈœ³®v¨‚¨vˆŒưÃÈ⨌
܌ˆ—ŒÃƛSšvÈÃvœˆƜ*¨³ÛŒˆȌÃȜ®—ȚŒ
eƛ
Cleveland has a long and established
reputation for making some of the best
wedges in golf. The CBX is a completely
new and revolutionary design that the
brand hopes will change mid to high
handicap will golfers approach their short
game.
The feel off the face was unexpectedly
superb and, thanks to the Rotex face
that features milled Tour Zip grooves
116 bunkered.co.uk
and laser milling across the face, I was Thanks to the clever design of the
getting plenty of grab on approach shots Dual-V sole grind, the heel of the sole is
and shots around the green. It considerably thinner than the toe
performed well out of bunkers section and so, when open,
and its Dual-V sole grind the fairly sizeable clubhead
meant it glided through the
turf with ease.
WE SAY sits nicely, with the leading
edge low to the ground.
However, what I found
According to Cleveland The lighter weight and
arguably most impressive 84% of golfers play feel also made those
was the versatility it cavity back irons so delicate short pitch shots
still managed to provide the CBX should suit a delight to take on.
ˆŒÃ½œÈŒœÈèvÀ—ŒÀ½À³ï¨Œƛ* most of you. In short, the CBX is a
like to open up the face and great option for mid to high
šœÈv¨³È³–šœ—šð³½ÃvÀ³Ë®ˆȚŒ handicappers that play with cavity
green so I was a little concerned that the back irons and will, without a doubt, help
wider sole would stop me from doing this. your short game.
gearGUIDE
More detailed reviews - with videos - at bunkered.co.uk/gear

THE BEST EQUIPMENT IN GOLF

HO E
OUT

PUTTERS PAGE 118

HYBRIDS PAGE 121

BASE LAYERS PAGE 120

OUR LATEST GEAR GUIDE has everything you need to know about

HOT
the most advanced putters on the market and how they have been
engineered to help you hole more putts.. We also have 24 new hybrids
and utility irons for you to get to grips with, as well as 16 base layers.
NEW GEAR David Cunninghame

GUIDE! @DC_bunkered

PRICING EXPLAINED
All prices provided are RRP. Contact your local golf stockist or
PGA pro for more accurate prices and offers.
gearGUIDE
THE BEST EQUIPMENT IN GOLF

PUTTERS

SCOTTY CAMERON SELECT NEWPORT

£365 Continuing the evolution of a line engineered for
performance, milled to precision and designed with
elegance, the next generation of Scotty Cameron
Select putters extends Scotty’s proven multi-material
construction methodology.
ONLINE titleist.co.uk

SCOTTY CAMERON SELECT FASTBACK

£365 The 6061 aircraft grade aluminium face-sole inlay has
‚ŒŒ®ÀŒï®Œˆȳv¨¨³Ü–³À܌œ—šÈȳ‚ŒˆœÃÈÀœ‚ËȌˆȳȚŒ
perimeter of the putter head for enhanced forgiveness.
The sound and feel has also been improved upon thanks
the new construction.
ONLINE titleist.co.uk

SCOTTY CAMERON SELECT LAGUNA

£365 Scotty’s newest, re-engineered Laguna brings back a
popular head shape with 2018 Select line technology,
including a mid-milled stainless-steel face inlay, four-
way balanced sole milling and improved vibration
dampening technology.
ONLINE titleist.co.uk

PING VAULT 2.0 ANSER

£275 Ping’s next generation of 100%-milled putters have
been engineered to provide tour-calibre touch and
performance through proven innovations like precision-
milled, patented True Roll Technology (TR), plus a new
custom-weighting system.
ONLINE ping.com

PING VAULT 2.0 B60

£275 One of Ping’s classic designs to be re-engineered with
innovations like precision-milled, patented True Roll
Technology, plus a new custom-weighting system.
f³Ëšvیvƒš³œƒŒ³–ȚÀŒŒ½ÀŒ­œË­ﮜڌÃƝOȌv¨ÈšƜ
Platinum or Copper in the mid-mallet B60 model.
ONLINE ping.com

PING VAULT 2.0 KETSCH

£275 The Ketsch mallet combines a 6061 aerospace-grade
aluminium body with a stainless steel sole plate for an
extremely high MOI and offers exceptional alignment
features. TR Technology variable depth grooves deliver
extreme forgiveness and exceptional distance control.
ONLINE ping.com

BETTINARDI BB1
£279 The new BB Series features a striking new look and
innovative technology. Finished in a durable ‘stealth’
Matte Black colourway, the new Super-Fly Mill Face
milling offers a responsive feel at impact made for
players looking for consistent speed and feel.
ONLINE bettinardi.com

BETTINARDI INOVAI 5.0

£279 The new iNOVAi 5.0 connects the 303 Stainless Steel
piece in the rear of the putter, to the 6061 aluminium to
create a full circle offering more resistance to twisting
and turning. The result is a striking putter that is
extremely stable throughout the putting stroke.
ONLINE bettinardi.com
 PUTTERS

ODYSSEY O-WORKS BLACK #1

£189 Microhinge Insert Technology provides incredible gains
in topspin and roll at impact regardless of your stroke.
The stainless steel Microhinge plate is co-molded into
the Thermoplastic Elastomer Feel Layer, providing
great feel and a better roll at impact.
ONLINE uk.callawaygolf.com

ODYSSEY O-WORKS RED 2-BALL

£189 One of the most iconic putter models over the last two
decades has received a makeover. Featuring Microhinge
Insert Tech, the new O-Works Red Putters were driven
by extensive feedback from Callaway staffers after a
®Ë­‚ŒÀ³–ȚŒ­v猈ȳȌÃÈ­³ˆŒ¨ÃܜȚvÀŒˆﮜÚƛ
ONLINE uk.callawaygolf.com

ODYSSEY EXO #7
£349 An advanced multi-material construction concentrates
܌œ—šÈȳÜvÀˆȚŒ½ŒÀœ­ŒÈŒÀȳܗ®œïƒv®È¨âœ®ƒÀŒvÌ
MOI for more consistent ball speeds and accuracy.
The legendary feel and sound of White Hot has been
combined with a Microhinge Insert.
ONLINE uk.callawaygolf.com

TAYLORMADE TP BLACK COPPER

£219 COLLECTION SOTO
Currently in the bag of Rory McIlroy, TaylorMade has
expanded its TP Collection with the introduction of
this rich new colourway. If features a Pure Roll insert to
provide great feel and a better roll off the face.
ONLINE taylormadegolf.eu

TAYLORMADE SPIDER TOUR RED

£269 Incredibly popular on tour over the past two years, the
Spider Tour Red delivers Tour-proven performance.
With perimeter weighting for added stability and a
removed sightline to zero in your focus, this putter
½À³ÛœˆŒÃvƒ³®ïˆŒ®ƒŒܚŒ®œÈ­vÈȌÀí³ÃÈƛ
ONLINE taylormadegolf.eu

TAYLORMADE SPIDER MINI RED

£269 `œÈšvÀŒï®ŒˆO½œˆŒÀˆŒÃœ—®Ɯ–ŒvÈËÀœ®—vŭűǦív¨¨ŒÀ
head, Spider Mini delivers the stability and high-MOI
performance of its bigger brother in a compact, mid-
mallet design. This is combined with Tour-inspired
“T-line” alignment and an optimised weighting system.
ONLINE taylormadegolf.eu

WILSON STAFF INFINITE THE BEAN

£95 SšŒ`œ¨Ã³®OÈv––*®ï®œÈŒ½ËÈȌÀ¨œ®Œœ®ƒ¨ËˆŒÃÜშvÃ܃
šŒvˆÚv½ŒÃܜȚÀŒï®ŒˆˆŒÈvœ¨œ®—ƜŒvƒš–ŒvÈËÀœ®—
counter-balanced technology for a more controlled
putting stroke. The 2018 line features a dark, matte
ﮜÚȳÀŒˆËƒŒ—¨vÀŒv®ˆvƒƒŒ®ÈËvȌȚŒܗšÈư¨œ®ŒÃƛ
ONLINE wilson.com

WILSON STAFF INFINITE SOUTHSIDE

£95 Used exclusively by three-time Major Champion Padraig
Harrington, it features Counterbalance Technology,
combining a heavier head and grip weights that moved
the balance point closer to the hands for a smoother
and more controlled putting stroke.
ONLINE wilson.com

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 119
gearGUIDE
THE BEST EQUIPMENT IN GOLF
BASE LAYERS
UNDER ARMOUR
COLDGEAR ARMOUR
COMPRESSION MOCK
£45
SIZE S- 3XL COLOURS 6
This ultra-tight, second skin
ïÈ‚v̨vâŒÀ–ŒvÈËÀŒÃV®ˆŒÀ
À­³ËÀƺÈËv¨ư¨vâŒÀ³¨ˆ%ŒvÀ
–v‚ÀœƒƛSšœÃœ®®³ÛvȜی–v‚ÀœƒšvÃ
v®œ®ƒÀŒˆœ‚¨âÜvÀ­Ɯ‚ÀËڌˆ
œ®ÈŒÀœ³Àv®ˆv蜃§Ɯ–vÃÈưˆÀ✮—
ŒáȌÀœ³Àƛ
MORE Ë®ˆŒÀvÀ­³ËÀƛƒ³ƛ˧
UNDER ARMOUR CG
ARMOUR MOCK FITTED
£42
SIZE S- 3XL COLOURS 6
This option has a next-to-skin
–ŒŒ¨ܜȚ³ËÈȚŒÿˌŒçŒv®ˆ
v¨Ã³–ŒvÈËÀŒÃȚŒˆËv¨ư¨vâŒÀ
³¨ˆ%ŒvÀ–v‚Àœƒƛ*ÈÃŰưÜvâÃÈÀŒÈƒš
–v‚ÀœƒvȜ³®v¨¨³ÜÖ³À­vᜭ˭
­³‚œ¨œÈ✮v®âˆœÀŒƒÈœ³®Ɯܚœ¨Œ
ȚŒ9³œÃÈËÀŒSÀv®Ã½³ÀÈOâÃȌ­
ܜƒ§ÃÃ܌vÈv®ˆˆÀœŒÃ–vÃÈƛ
MORE Ë®ˆŒÀvÀ­³ËÀƛƒ³ƛ˧
UNDER ARMOUR FITTED
CG FUNNEL NECK
£36
SIZE S- 3XL COLOURS Ű
SšœÃ‚v̨vâŒÀƺÖˮ®Œ¨®Œƒ§
ƒ³®ÃÈÀ˃Ȝ³®³––ŒÀÃvˆˆŒˆ
½À³ÈŒƒÈœ³®v®ˆÜvÀ­ÈšƜܚœ¨ŒœÈÃ
vÃâ­­ŒÈÀœƒv¨ƒË––לیŒáÈÀv
ƒ³ÛŒÀv—Œ–³Àâ³ËÀšv®ˆÃv®ˆ
ÜÀœÃÈÃƛ*Èv¨Ã³–ŒvÈËÀŒÃˆËv¨ư¨vâŒÀ
³¨ˆ%ŒvÀ–v‚Àœƒv®ˆŰưÜvâ
ÃÈÀŒÈƒš–v‚ÀœƒvȜ³®ƛ
MORE Ë®ˆŒÀvÀ­³ËÀƛƒ³ƛ˧
PUMA BASE LAYER
£30
SIZE S- XXXL COLOURS 2
SšœÃvˆÛv®ƒŒˆ‚v̨vâŒÀ
–ŒvÈËÀŒÃvÈËÀȨŒ®Œƒ§ƒ³¨¨vÀ
v®ˆIË­vƺÃÜvÀ­44
Ȍƒš®³¨³—âȳ½À³ÛœˆŒ­vᜭ˭
½À³ÈŒƒÈœ³®–À³­ȚŒƒ³¨ˆv®ˆ
vˆÛv®ƒŒˆ­³œÃÈËÀŒܜƒ§œ®—
½À³½ŒÀȜŒÃƛ
MORE ƒ³‚Àv—³¨–ƛƒ³ƛ˧
120 bunkered.co.uk
PUTTERS
CLEVELAND TFi 2135 SATIN 1.0
£119 Cleveland Golf’s new putter range has been designed
to provide total speed control and perfect alignment.
vƒš³–ȚŒÜá­³ˆŒ¨ÃšvÃv®ŒÜȳËÀÃvȜ®ﮜÚƜ
high-contrast alignment lines and a customised milling
pattern.
ONLINE clevelandgolf.co.uk
CLEVELAND TFi 2135 SATIN RHO
£139 O½ŒŒˆ?½Èœ­œÃŒˆ9œ¨¨œ®—vˆ¦ËÃÈÃŒ®ŒÀ—âÈÀv®Ã–ŒÀŒ®ƒŒó
that every putt rolls to the same distance regardless of
ܚŒÀŒœÈœÃÃÈÀ˃§³®ȚŒ–vƒŒƛSšŒ9?*ÛvÀœŒÃvƒÀ³ÃÃȚŒ
six models so the amount of ball speed correction has
been individually tailored to each head shape.
ONLINE clevelandgolf.co.uk
CLEVELAND HUNTINGTON BEACH
£79 COLLECTION 8
SšŒůŬŰOÈvœ®¨ŒÃÃOȌŒ¨ƒ³®ÃÈÀ˃Ȝ³®ˆŒ¨œÛŒÀÃvó–È–ŒŒ¨Ɯ
ܚœ¨ŒȚŒIÀŒƒœÃœ³®9œ¨¨Œˆ$vƒŒšvÃvƒ³vÀÌƜˆœv­³®ˆư
shaped milling pattern four times deeper than the
previous-generation Classic Collection HB putters.
ONLINE clevelandgolf.co.uk
EVNROLL ER3
£275 The face features Evnroll’s patented Sweet Face
SŒƒš®³¨³—âƜvË®œ¿ËŒv®ˆ½ÀŒƒœÃŒ–vƒŒ­œ¨¨œ®—œ­½vÀÈÃ
progressively more energy transfer on off-centre hits
ȳÀ³¨¨ȚŒ‚v¨¨vƒ³®ÃœÃȌ®ÈˆœÃÈv®ƒŒܜȚŒÛŒÀâÃÈÀ³§Œ
regardless of impact point.
ONLINE evnroll.com
EVNROLL ER9-10K
£300 The ER9 features a milled 6061 aluminium body with
strategically located hollow cylinders running the length
of the head along the extreme heel and toe. This design
§ŒŒ½ÃȚŒ³ÛŒÀv¨¨Ü猈³Ü®ȳ­v®v—Œv‚¨Œ¨ŒÛŒ¨Ãܚœ¨Œ
ÃȜ¨¨vƒšœŒÛœ®—v®vÃȳ®œÃšœ®—ŭŬƜŬŬŬ9?*ƛ
ONLINE evnroll.com
LYNX PROWLER FANG
£179 Lynx’s new Prowler range combines a fully CNC milled
304 stainless steel head with a gently curving face
(new Curved Face Technology) and a unique groove
ƒ³®ÃÈÀ˃Ȝ³®ȳÀŒˆËƒŒ‚vƒ§Ã½œ®vÈœ­½vƒÈ–³Àv­³ÀŒ
consistent and true roll.
ONLINE lynxgolf.co.uk
BENROSS TRIBE MDJ1
£99.99 This range of putters from Benross’ short game division
has been designed to optimally locate the CG of each
½ËÈȌÀȳ½À³­³ÈŒvÈÀˌv®ˆƒ³®ÃœÃȌ®ÈÀ³¨¨ƛ*Èý¨vȌˆ
ﮜÚ½À³ÛœˆŒÃv—ÀŒvȨ³³§ˆ³Ü®‚Œšœ®ˆȚŒ‚v¨¨v®ˆ
excellent durability.
ONLINE benrossgolf.com
MACGREGOR RESPONSE i
£49.99 Ûvœ¨v‚¨Œœ®–³ËÀ½³½Ë¨vÀšŒvˆÚv½ŒˆŒÃœ—®ÃƜȚŒ
LŒÃ½³®ÃŒœ½ËÈȌÀÃŒvƒš‚Œ®ŒïÈ–À³­9vƒ%ÀŒ—³ÀƺÃL
Tech face milling for improved roll and distance control.
A variety of styles are available from traditional blade to
šœ—šư9?*­v¨¨ŒÈƛ
ONLINE macgregor-golf.co.uk
 HYBRIDS BASE LAYERS

COBRA KING F8
£169 SšŒ3*:%$Ŵšâ‚ÀœˆÃËȜ¨œÃŒ?LƺÃvîŒÀËv¨ FOOTJOY PRODRY
Lvœ¨OâÃȌ­v®ˆv®ŒÜ9˨ȜưœÀŒƒÈœ³®v¨À³Ü®ŒÀ³ PERFORMANCE
SŒƒš®³¨³—âȳ½À³ÛœˆŒ­³ÀŒýŒŒˆƜ–³À—œÛŒ®ŒÃÃv®ˆ SEAMLESS BASE LAYER
یÀÃvȜ¨œÈâȚv®ŒÛŒÀ‚Œ–³ÀŒƛSšŒœ®®³ÛvȜیvîŒÀSŒƒš £65
ÀŒv¨¨âšŒ¨½ÃȚŒÃŒšâ‚ÀœˆÃÃÈv®ˆ³ËÈœ®ȳˆvâƺívÀ§ŒÈƛ SIZE XS - XXL COLOURS 2
ONLINE cobragolf.co.uk FootJoy’s exclusive ProDry
fabrication provides superior
COBRA KING F8 ONE LENGTH moisture control that quickly
wicks away moisture, keeping
£169 SšŒ?:4Œ®—Èššâ‚ÀœˆˆŒ¨œÛŒÀó½Èœ­Ë­½ŒÀ–³À­v®ƒŒ
vÈųưœÀ³®¨Œ®—ÈšƜ¨œŒv®ˆÃܜ®—܌œ—šÈƛSšŒË®œ¿ËŒˆŒÃœ—® you dry and comfortable. Its
Golf Compression Fit has been
–ŒvÈËÀŒÃv®˽Àœ—šÈ¨œŒv®—¨Œv®ˆvšŒvۜŒÀšŒvˆ܌œ—šÈƛ
Èvœ¨³ÀŒˆýŒƒœïƒv¨¨âܜȚȚŒ
¨vÀ—ŒÀœ®ÈŒÀ®v¨܌œ—šÈ½vˆv¨¨³ÜÃȚŒ%ȳ‚Œ­³ÛŒˆ
golfer in mind.
¨³ÜŒÀv®ˆˆŒŒ½ŒÀÀŒÃ˨Ȝ®—œ®všœ—šŒÀð✮—ÈÀv¦ŒƒÈ³Àâƛ
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£149
COBRA KING UTILITY BLACK IRON
$ŒvÈËÀœ®—v®v¨¨³ÛŒÀ‚¨vƒ§I_³vȜ®—Ɯ–˨¨š³¨¨³Ü‚³ˆâ FOOTJOY THERMAL
(steel)
ƒ³®ÃÈÀ˃Ȝ³®ƜŭŬŬǦ–³À—Œˆ:9œ¨¨Œˆ–vƒŒv®ˆ—À³³ÛŒÃƜ BASE LAYER
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vˆ¦ËÃÈv‚œ¨œÈ✮v茌§¨³³§œ®—ËȜ¨œÈâœÀ³®ƛ The ProDry Performance
ONLINE cobragolf.co.uk Seamless Base Layer is a non-
restricting constructed shirt
TITLEIST 818 H1 ȚvÈïÈè³ÃŒ¨âȳȚŒ眮ȳ
help regulate body temperature
£255 ³ÈšȚŒ(ŭv®ˆ(Ů­³ˆŒ¨Ã–ŒvÈËÀŒSœÈ¨ŒœÃÈƺèvȌÃÈ
without interfering with the golf
Ȍƒš®³¨³—œƒv¨œ®®³ÛvȜ³®ÃƜœ®ƒ¨Ëˆœ®—ƒÈœÛŒLŒƒ³œ¨
swing.
šv®®Œ¨ŮƛŬƜOËÀŒ$œÈ%`Œœ—šÈÃv®ˆOËÀŒ$œÈ(³ÃŒ¨
Ȍƒš®³¨³—âȳˆŒ¨œÛŒÀȚŒœÀ¨³®—ŒÃÈƜ­³ÃÈvƒƒËÀvȌv®ˆ
­³ÃÈvˆ¦ËÃÈv‚¨Œšâ‚ÀœˆÃȳˆvȌƛ
MORE footjoy.co.uk
ONLINE titleist.co.uk

TITLEIST 818 H2
£255 SšŒ(Ů½¨vâí³ÀŒ¨œ§Œv®œÀ³®ƒ³­½vÀŒˆȳȚŒšœ—šŒÀ ADIDAS CLIMAWARM
¨vË®ƒšœ®—(ŭv®ˆœÃˆŒÃœ—®Œˆ–³À—³¨–ŒÀÃܚ³švیv GOLF CREW
ÃȌŒ½ŒÀˆŒ¨œÛŒÀ✮ȳȚŒ‚v¨¨ƛ*ȳ––ŒÀÃv½³ÜŒÀ–˨v®ˆ £39.95
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keep you warm and dry in cold
ONLINE titleist.co.uk
weather. The mesh inserts under
TITLEIST 718 T-MB arms and on the sleeves increase
‚ÀŒvȚv‚œ¨œÈâƜܚœ¨ŒȚŒðvȨ³ƒ§
£230 SšœÃ½³ÜŒÀ–˨ËȜ¨œÈâœÀ³®šv×À³Ü®œ®È³v–˨¨Ìȳ– Ìv­ÃÀŒˆËƒŒƒšvﮗv®ˆ眮
Ë®œ¿ËŒ¨âˆŒÃœ—®ŒˆœÀ³®ÃȚvȈŒ¨œÛŒÀŒ––³ÀȨŒÃÈœÃÈv®ƒŒ irritation.
œ®vȌƒš®œƒv¨Ɯ­ËèŒư‚vƒ§Úv½ŒƛSšŒš³¨¨³Üư‚³ˆâƜ
­Ë¨Èœư­vȌÀœv¨ˆŒÃœ—®½À³ˆËƒŒÃv½³ÜŒÀ–˨ƒ³­‚œ®vȜ³®
³–šœ—š¨vË®ƒšv®ˆ–³À—œÛŒ®ŒÃÃƛ
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WILSON STAFF C300 ADIDAS CLIMAWARM

£199 I³ÜŒÀš³¨ŒÃvÀŒ¨³ƒvȌˆvÀ³Ë®ˆȚŒƒ¨Ë‚šŒvˆƜƒÀŒvȜ®—
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ƒŒ®ÈÀŒÃÈÀœ§ŒÃƛOÈvœ®¨ŒÃÃOȌŒ¨–vƒŒœ®ÃŒÀȃ³­‚œ®ŒÃ £39.95
ܜȚȚŒI³ÜŒÀ(³¨ŒÃv®ˆ$4e$SŒƒš®³¨³—âȳ SIZE S- XXXL COLOURS 2
œ®ƒÀŒvÌ–vƒŒˆŒðŒƒÈœ³®‚âűǦvƒÀ³ÃÃȚŒŒ®ÈœÀŒƒ¨Ë‚ƛ These leggings are built with
moisture-wicking insulation to
ONLINE wilson.com keep you warm and dry. Cut in
vȜ—šÈïÈƜȚŒâ–ŒvÈËÀŒ­ŒÃš
WILSON STAFF D300 inserts for breathability and an
£139 O½Œƒœïƒv¨¨âˆŒÃœ—®Œˆ–³ÀȚ³ÃŒ¨³³§œ®—–³Àó­ŒÌÀœ³Ëà elastic waist for a full range of
ˆœÃÈv®ƒŒv®ˆv¨œÈȨŒŒáÈÀv–³À—œÛŒ®ŒÃó®ȚŒœÀ¨³®— movement on every swing.
v½½À³vƒšÚ³ÈÃƛ9œƒÀ³_³ÀȌá%Œ®ŒÀvȳÀó®ȚŒƒÀ³Ü®
Œ––ŒƒÈœÛŒ¨âÀŒˆËƒŒˆÀv—–³ÀƒŒȳšŒ¨½ˆŒ¨œÛŒÀÀœˆœƒË¨³ËÃ
ˆœÃÈv®ƒŒ–À³­ȚŒȌŒƜ–vœÀÜvâv®ˆÀ³Ë—šƛ MORE adidas.co.uk
ONLINE wilson.com

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 121
gearGUIDE
THE BEST EQUIPMENT IN GOLF
BASE LAYERS
GLENMUIR MEN’S LONG
SLEEVED COMPRESSION
PERFORMANCE GOLF
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£29.95
SIZE S - XL COLOURS 2
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v®ˆˆËÀv‚¨ŒðvÈư¨³ƒ§ƒ³®ÈÀvÃÈ
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MIZUNO BREATH
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ܜȚv®vȚ¨ŒÈœƒïÈƛ*ÈšvÂŒŒ®
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PING LLOYD BASE
LAYER
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SIZE S - XXL COLOURS 3
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the Lloyd Base Layer delivers
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to help maintain optimum body
temperature in colder weather.
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OSCAR JACOBSON
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SšœÃ–Ë®ƒÈœ³®v¨ÈËÀȨŒ®Œƒ§‚vÌ
¨vâŒÀšvÃv‚ÀËڌˆ‚vƒ§ÃœˆŒv®ˆ
­³œÃÈËÀŒܜƒ§œ®—Ȍƒš®³¨³—â–³À
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golf course.
MORE oscarjacobson.com
122 bunkered.co.uk
HYBRIDS
SRIXON Z H65
£190 The Arc Support Channel on the crown is progressively
deeper by loft to promote a higher launch angle and
optimal spin rates across the face, meaning more
consistent distance and accuracy. The CG is also
optimised across the lofts for increased shot versatility.
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SRIXON Z U65
£165 Constructed from ultra-soft 1020 carbon steel and
precision forged for a smooth, consistent feel, the Z
U65 has proven incredibly popular on the PGA Tour
over recent months. A high-strength SUP10 face insert
provides higher ball speeds and more distance.
ONLINE srixon.co.uk
CALLAWAY ROGUE
£229 The Rogue hybrids showcase a synergy of Callaway’s
Jailbreak and Hyper Speed Face Cup technologies
that help deliver incredible power, whilst also making
them super-easy to launch and versatile for the total
performance package.
ONLINE uk.callawaygolf.com
CALLAWAY ROGUE X
£229 Inspired by trends in sales in the Asian market, the X
model basically puts the standard version on distance
steroids. Its combination of lighter weights, stronger
lofts and a larger clubhead is the reason why Callaway is
labelling it as a ‘super-hybrid.’
ONLINE uk.callawaygolf.com
CALLAWAY X FORGED UT
£199 A forged design that perfectly complements the X
Forged irons. It delivers the accuracy and control that
—œÛŒÃ‚ŒÈȌÀ½¨vâŒÀÃȚŒ˨Ȝ­vȌƒ³®ïˆŒ®ƒŒȳšœÈȚŒ
fairway or the green. It is the perfect club for when you
®ŒŒˆȳïÈȚŒ‚v¨¨œ®È³Ȝ—šÈ¨v®ˆœ®—vÀŒvÃƛ
ONLINE uk.callawaygolf.com
PING G400
£200 The G400 hybrids combine maraging steel faces with CG
optimisation to deliver more distance and forgiveness.
The new face is constructed from one of the strongest
v®ˆ­³ÃÈðŒáœ‚¨Œv¨¨³âÃœ®ȚŒܳÀ¨ˆȳˆŒ¨œÛŒÀ–vÃȌÀ‚v¨¨
speeds and higher launch conditions.
ONLINE ping.com
PING G400 CROSSOVER
£200 SšŒ%ŰŬŬƒÀ³ÃóیÀ³––ŒÀÃvšœ—šŒÀƜ¨³®—ŒÀ𜗚È–³À
fantastic stopping power coming into the greens thanks
ȳv®ŒÜƜšœ—š¨âðŒáœ‚¨ŒƜ­vÀv—œ®—ÃȌŒ¨–vƒŒƛSšŒ–ŒŒ¨
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Țœ®®ŒÀ󨌈ŒÃœ—®v®ˆšâˆÀ³½ŒvÀ¨ﮜÚƛ
ONLINE ping.com
BENROSS EVOLUTION R HYBRID
£104.99 A dense rear Weight Cell moves the CG position low
and back in the head, promoting a high launch. A wide
sole minimises unwanted turf interaction, while the
improved CT Response Channel helps to boost ball
speeds across the face.
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 HYBRIDS BASE LAYERS

MIZUNO CLK
£245 The CLK’s eight-way adjustable hosel allows it to be GALVIN GREEN EBBOT
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¨³®—ŒÃÈœÀ³®v®ˆÚ³ÀȌÃÈ–vœÀÜvâܳ³ˆƛ*ÈÃv­½¨œïŒˆ SIZE S - XXL COLOURS 2
Shockwave Sole delivers faster balls speeds and also Specially developed for optimum
šŒ¨½Ã½À³ÛœˆŒvšœ—š¨vË®ƒšœ®—Ɯ¨³Üưýœ®®œ®—𜗚Èƛ warmth in cold conditions thanks
ONLINE golf.mizunoeurope.com to Galvin Green’s SKINTIGHT
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£150 SšŒ¨vȌÃÈ$¨œư(œƺÃ茌§®ŒÜ½À³ï¨Œ–ŒvÈËÀŒÃv­vÀv—œ®—
ï‚ÀŒ—œÛŒÃv¨œ—šÈƜvœÀâ­vȌÀœv¨
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MORE galvingreen.com
ONLINE golf.mizunoeurope.com

LYNX
£139 4â®áƺèvƒ§vÈšâ‚ÀœˆÃ–ŒvÈËÀŒv茌§Ɯ¨³Ü½À³ï¨Œ GALVIN GREEN EAST£60
design that makes them very easy to hit from tight lies SIZE S - XXL COLOURS 2
and gives a high launch for ultimate control from long The SKINTIGHT THERMAL long
range. Available in 20°, 23° and three striking colour 茌یƜÀ³¨¨®Œƒ§ȳ½ƒ³­‚œ®ŒÃ
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v®ˆšœưȌƒšï‚ÀŒÃȳ½À³ˆËƒŒ
ONLINE lynxgolf.co.uk
v¨œ—šÈƜvœÀâ­vȌÀœv¨–³À
XXIO ³½Èœ­Ë­ÜvÀ­ÈšƜƒ³­–³ÀÈv®ˆ
breathability. Also available in
£349 A premium offering designed with moderate swing ܚœÈŒƜܜȚƒ³®ÈÀvÃȜ®—ÃȜȃšœ®—
speed golfers in mind. It is extremely lightweight and across the shoulder and sides
features a higher balance point. Its Low Swing MOI helps and subtle branding down the
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swing changes.
MORE galvingreen.com
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TAYLORMADE M3
£239 The new M3 Rescue incorporates a moderate sized, GALVIN GREEN ELROY
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’17 M1 Rescue that now houses a heavier 30g weight for SIZE S-XXL COLOURS 1
an unparalleled level of personalisation. These SKINTIGHT thermal
base layer legging are ideal
for wearing under a pair of
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ÜvȌÀ½À³³–ÈÀ³ËÌÀÃƜœ–½À³¨³®—Œˆ

TAYLORMADE M4 ڳ܌ÀÃvÀŒ–³ÀŒƒvÃÈƛO½Œƒœïƒv¨¨â
developed for golf in cold
£199 Designed to help average golfers replace a long iron ܌vȚŒÀƜȚŒȚŒÀ­v¨œ®Ã˨vȜ³®
with higher, longer and more draw-biased performance. properties provide maximum
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TAYLORMADE P790 UDI STUBURT URBAN BASE

£199 Used by the likes of Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson,
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SpeedFoam material, which serves a dual purpose of £29.99
generating ball speed as well as the management of SIZE S-3XL COLOURS 4
sound and feel. These leggings are built with
The Urban Base Layer delivers
ONLINE taylormadegolf.co.uk excellent thermal protection in
colder winter conditions. With its
CLEVELAND LAUNCHER HB ƒ³­½ÀŒÃܳ®ïÈv®ˆL*ư‚vƒ§
£179 A redesigned HiBore Crown, ultra-lightweight hosel, ­³œÃÈËÀŒÈÀv®Ã–ŒÀȌƒš®³¨³—âƜœÈ
Flex-Fin Technology, Low and Deep Weighting and a will help to effectively regulate
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distance and forgiveness most of us are looking for from
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ONLINE clevelandgolf.co.uk

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 123
 Barassie
Links at KBGC

27 holes of Ayrshire Links Golf

Year round play

TWO COURSES - ONE CLUB

4ball rates May-Sept
from £250
NEW TWILIGHT RATE*
Weekdays after 3pm T: 01292 313920
£180 per 4ball www.kbgc.co.uk
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
*Restrictions apply, please book via Club Office on 01292 313920 option 2
travel
Sponsored by
The best of golf around the globe

THIS ISSUE
126 West Cliffs
Book yourself a trip to
one of Portugal’s most
stunning golf courses
128 Sri Lanka
David J. Whyte
continues his golf tour
and this month tries
golf in Sri Lanka
132 Trump
We recently played
Trump Scotland,
‚ŒÀˆŒŒ®–³ÀȚŒïÀÃÈ
time in a while - and
decided to document
our thoughts
137 Where to Play
The best value golf
courses in GB&I

Expect sensational views and a golf course to match at The Els Club Malaysia

THE TRAVELLER

Discover Troon International

World-class courses plus the best service in golf

T
ROON INTERNATIONAL’S portfolio
is very impressive. It offers
more than 270 golf courses in 33
countries and 37 American states.
Troon’s expansive collection spans to
exotic locations in all corners of the
globe and we take a look at some of their
undiscovered gems.
The Els Club Malaysia
From £70
elsclubmalaysia.com
Take the exhilarating natural setting of
9v¨vâÜvƜvˆˆȚŒ‚Àœ¨¨œv®È—³¨ï®—­œ®ˆ
³–À®œŒ¨Ãv®ˆȚŒÀŒÃ˨ÈœÃó­ŒÈšœ®—
special at The Els Club Malaysia. This is
a golf club that seeks to go beyond par,
delivering excellence at every turn.
With the choice of a selection of courses,
spanning a total of 63 holes of golf
including the Valley Course, Desaru (which
ÜvȌÜ—®Œˆœ®ƒ³¨¨v‚³ÀvȜ³®ܜȚ_òvâ
Singh), prepare to have your senses and
眨¨Ãƒšv¨¨Œ®—Œˆƛ$À³­ƒ³ËÀÌÃȚvÈîv§Œ
through ancient rainforest down to the
ÈËÀ¿Ë³œÃŒ®ˆv­v®OŒvȳƒšv¨¨Œ®—œ®—
ƒ³vÃÈv¨—³¨–ȚvÈ­Œv®ˆŒÀÃv¨³®—ÃœˆŒv
ŭų§­‚Œvƒš–vƒœ®—ȚŒO³ËȚšœ®vOŒvƜ
SšŒ¨Ã¨Ë‚9v¨vâÜv³––ŒÀÃó­ŒÈšœ®—¦ËÃÈ
that little bit special.
Victoria Golf and Country Resort,
Sri Lanka
From £43
golfsrilanka.com
You will discover the Victoria Golf and
³Ë®ÈÀâLŒÃ³ÀÈšœˆˆŒ®vÜvâ–À³­ȚŒ
whirlwind of city life and is the perfect
destination to unwind, kick back and
Œ®¦³âv—v­Œ³–—³¨–ƛLv®§Œˆv­³®—ȚŒ
“100 Most beautiful Courses in the World”,
_œƒÈ³ÀœvœÃš³­Œȳv—ÀŒvȨvâ³ËÈƜˆŒÃœ—®Œˆ
by the award-winning Donald Steele in
ŭŵŵųƛŲƜŵůůưâvÀˆƜ½vÀųů­vÃȌÀ½œŒƒŒ
ýÀvܨŒˆv­³®—ÃÈȚŒšœ¨¨Ãv®ˆ‚³ÀˆŒÀœ®—
ȚŒ_œƒÈ³ÀœvÀŒÃŒÀÛ³œÀ³––ŒÀÃȚŒ­³ÃÈ
picturesque scenery (see page 128 for
­³ÀŒ³®—³¨–œ®OÀœ4v®§vƫƛ
Pravets Golf Club, Bulgaria
From £41
pravets-golfclub.com
Situated within an hour’s drive of Sophia,
lies Pravets Golf Club, above, regarded
as one of the best clubs in Bulgaria and
ÃËÀÀ³Ë®ˆŒˆ‚â󭌳–ȚŒ­³ÃȈÀv­vȜƒ
landscape. Designed by world renowned
course architect Peter Harradine, Pravets
%³¨–¨Ë‚švÂŒƒ³­Œ܌¨¨§®³Ü®–³À
š³ÃȜ®—½ÀŒÃȜ—œ³ËÌی®ÈÖÀ³­%9œˆư
­vȌËÀšv­½Ãȳ4vˆœŒÃSŒv­šv­½Ã
v®ˆI%³–ËÀ³½ŒIÀ³­ÃƛSšŒ½vÀ§¨v®ˆư
style golf course boasts spectacular views
³–ȚŒ¨³ƒv¨­³Ë®Èvœ®Ãv®ˆ¨v§Œ–Àv­Œˆ‚â
ȚŒœ­½ÀŒÃÜیLœËIÀvیÈÃLŒÃ³ÀÈ(³ÈŒ¨ƛ
Bulgaria is experiencing an upward trend
in golf visitors, and Pravets is one of the
ƹ­ËÃȽ¨vâƺی®ËŒÃ³®œÈœ®ŒÀvÀœŒÃƛ

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 125

The fourth hole at West Cliffs and, inset, the tenth hole
Birthday plaudits for West Cliffs
Portugal’s newest world-class venue hailed as it turns one
W
EST CLIFFS Golf Links may still
be in its infancy but it has plenty
ȳƒŒ¨Œ‚ÀvȌ³®œÈÃïÀÃÈ‚œÀȚˆvâ
following a remarkable rise to fame that
has seen the course establish itself as one
³–ȚŒܳÀ¨ˆƺí³ÃȌნȜ®—®ŒÜی®ËŒÃƲ
v®ˆ³®œÈÃÜvâȳ‚Œƒ³­œ®—I³ÀÈ˗v¨ƺîŒÜ
number one.
Situated less than an hour north of Lisbon
on the Silver Coast, the par-72 course has
wasted no time at all in making a name for
œĘ̀–vƒÀ³ÃÃȚŒ—³¨ï®—ܳÀ¨ˆƜŒvÀ®œ®—Àvی
reviews from golfers and the media alike.
Its burgeoning worldwide reputation is
borne out by golfers from no fewer than
six continents and 34 different countries –
including USA, China, South Korea, Brazil,
South Africa and New Zealand – visiting
in its opening year, and its popularity has
‚ŒŒ®ÀŒðŒƒÈŒˆœ®—ÀŒŒ®ư–ŒŒ‚³³§œ®—ÃƜܜȚ
ŮŬƜŬŬŬư½¨ËÃÀ³Ë®ˆÃ½¨v⌈œ®ȚŒïÀÃÈŭŮ
months.
Francisco Cadete, director of golf at West
Cliffs Golf Links, said: “It really has been an
ŒáƒŒ½Èœ³®v¨ïÀÃÈŭŮ­³®ÈšÃ–³À`ŒÃȨœ––Ã
and, if the next few years are anything like as
good, we’re in for a very exciting time.
“The feedback that we have received
126 bunkered.co.uk
–À³­v¨¨½vÀÈó–ȚŒ—³¨ï®—ܳÀ¨ˆšvÂŒŒ®
amazing, and the great thing for us is that
the course is going to get even better as it
matures and reaches its full potential.”
Managed by Praia D’El Rey Marriott Golf &
Beach Resort, West Cliffs has been created
over 200 hectares of natural landscape
and rolling sand dunes and offers sweeping
The feedback that
we have received
from all parts of the
golfing world has been
amazing.
views of the Atlantic Ocean from each hole.
Ãâ®ÈšœvâŒƺÃïÀÃÈ—³¨–ƒ³ËÀ̈ŒÃœ—®
in Portugal, it has won widespread global
praise and claimed a number of top
accolades since opening last summer,
including being named as the ‘World’s Best
:ŒÜ%³¨–³ËÀÌƺvÈȚŒŮŬŭų`³À¨ˆ%³¨–
Awards and being rated second in the Top
ŭŬŬ%³¨–³ËÀÌÃ܌‚ÜȌƺÃ˽ˆvȌˆ¨œÃȳ–
the best courses in Portugal.
Ì CITY BREAKS Ì
AMSTERDAM
The best cities for fun times
on and off the course
GET THERE
349v®ˆŒvÃâ2ŒÈ‚³Èšð∜ÀŒƒÈ
ȳȚŒËȃšƒv½œÈv¨–À³­%¨v׳Ü
vœÀ½³ÀÈƛSšŒ𜗚ÈȜ­ŒœÃv®š³ËÀ
v®ˆvšv¨–v®ˆ½ÀœƒŒÃvÀŒÀ³Ë—š¨â
ljŵŬÀŒÈËÀ®ƛ*®³ÀˆŒÀȳ—ŒÈȳȚŒ
ƒœÈ⃌®ÈÀŒƜ—ŒÈȜ®—ȚŒÈÀvœ®–À³­
Oƒšœ½š³¨vœÀ½³ÀÈœÃâ³ËÀ‚ŒÃÈ‚ŒÈƜ‚ËÈ
­v§ŒÃËÀŒȳ‚³³§â³ËÀȜƒ§ŒÈÃœ®
vˆÛv®ƒŒƛ
PLAY HERE
SšŒ*®ÈŒÀ®vȜ³®v¨œÃ³®Œ³–ȚŒ
®ŒÜŒÃÈ—³¨–ƒ³ËÀÌÃœ®­ÃȌÀˆv­
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vœÀ½³ÀÈƜȚœÃŒáƒœÈœ®—®ŒÜÈÀvƒ§švÃ
‚ŒŒ®švœ¨Œˆv󮌳–ȚŒ‚ŒÃÈœ®
ȚŒ:ŒÈšŒÀ¨v®ˆÃƛ*ÈšvÃÈܜƒŒ‚ŒŒ®
vš³ÃÈی®ËŒ–³ÀȚŒŒ¨³œÈȌ4vˆœŒÃ
?½Œ®³®ȚŒ4vˆœŒÃËÀ³½Œv®S³ËÀ
v®ˆšvÃv¨Ã³š³ÃȌˆȚŒËȃš
OŒ®œ³À?½Œ®ƛ
PARTY HERE
SšŒÀŒƺî³ÜšŒÀŒ‚ŒÈȌÀȳˮܜ®ˆ
v–ÈŒÀv‚ËÃâˆvâ³®ȚŒƒ³ËÀÌȚv®
šŒÀŒv®ˆ܌ÀŒƒ³­­Œ®ˆŒ¨ËڜƺÃƛ
SšœÃ‚vÀœÃœ®ȚŒȚœƒ§³–Țœ®—îŒvÀ
v­O¿ËvÀŒƜܚœƒšœÃ§®³Ü®–³À
œÈÂœ—ÃÀŒŒ®Ã–³À­v¦³Àý³ÀȜ®—
ŒÛŒ®ÈÃƛ*Èv¨Ã³švÃv‚Àœ¨¨œv®È‚ŒŒÀ
—vÀˆŒ®ƒ³Ë½¨ŒˆܜȚ—ÀŒvÈ­Ë܃ƛ
SEE THIS
SšŒÀŒƺÃó­Ëƒšȳˆ³œ®ȚŒƒœÈâƜ‚ËÈ
vÃv—³¨–ŒÀâ³Ë®ŒŒˆȳÈÀâ%¨³Ü%³¨–
­ÃȌÀˆv­Ɯܚœƒš³––ŒÀÃŭűš³¨ŒÃ³–
—¨³Üœ®ȚŒˆvÀ§ƜůƒÀvçâ—³¨–ȚvÈƺÃ
Ë®ˆŒÀ—À³Ë®ˆƛ*ÈƺÃvÂœçvÀÀŒvÃœÈ
óˮˆÃ‚ËÈó­Ëƒš–Ë®ƛ
travel

BOOK YOUR NEXT

GOLF TRIP WITH
LINKSLAND.COM

128 bunkered.co.uk
SRI LANKA
It’s a long way to go for a game of golf but our intrepid
travel correspondent, David J Whyte, crosses the South
Indian Ocean to evaluate golf in Sri Lanka
PHOTOS David J Whyte, Supplied
“Y
OU’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!”
my driver told me. “Golfers like to be
different,” I replied. We were heading
south towards the country’s newest golf
resort, Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa.
The ‘right’ way according to perceived wisdom and
my driver, Lionel, was to do the country’s ‘Cultural
Triangle’ clockwise. But I’d come to Sri Lanka,
primarily to play its handful of golf courses.
The Krishna Bus
There is a route, Highway E01, that can whisk you
straight south from Colombo to Galle in a couple
of hours but, according to Lionel, it wasn’t very
interesting. We were following the coast road which
is heavily populated so progress is slow but it’s a great
way to get a glimpse of Sri Lankan life!
And that life seemed to spill out onto the roads
mostly in the form of three-wheelers or tuk-tuks,
tooting and racing round corners sometimes three
abreast going all of 20mph. Lionel had the uncanny
knack of knowing when to overtake. There is one
phenomena that stands out amidst the motor mêlée,
the ‘Krishna Bus’! Horns blaring like the terrible host
of Lord Shiva, the destroyer of worlds, they appear
from nowhere without regard for anyone in their
path. And they travel in packs, racing to get to the
next stop ahead of the competition.
Sanctuary
I was relieved when we pulled into the tranquillity
of a turtle sanctuary. Along Sri Lanka’s west coast,
female turtles heave themselves onto the beaches
ȳˆŒ½³ÃœÈŒ——ÂŒ–³ÀŒð³½½œ®—‚vƒ§ȳȚŒˆŒŒ½Ɯ
leaving their offspring to fend for themselves. Few
survive to live the 150 years their mothers often do.
All of Sri Lanka’s seven species of sea turtles are
endangered and only 1 in 5,000 babies survive.
I’m usually quite cynical about this sort of
‘charitable’ operation, seeing them as an easy way to
sap soppy tourists of their hard-earned holiday cash.
But the ‘Sea Turtle Hatchery and Rescue Center’ in
Hikkaduwa was an exception, perhaps due to the
tragic tale that is attached to it.
The founder of the centre was BK Ariyapala, whose
untimely demise coincided with the year the centre
opened. His daughter took the helm but she also
perished in the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 along
with six immediate family members. The hatchery
was simultaneously decimated. With admirable
fortitude, the remaining family members, (a sister
and brother who were in Colombo at the time of the
tsunami) along with a few international volunteers,
rebuilt the facility. Following a guided tour, donations
were encouraged and after learning their story, even
I - the tight-sporraned Scotsman - was happy to
deposit an extra 1000 rupees (£5) in the collection
box.
Toddy tapping
A few miles on, we pulled over again, this time to
sample Sri Lanka’s indigenous alcoholic drink, ‘toddy’.
This acrid concoction is obtained by fermenting the
Ãv½³–ð³ÜŒÀֳˮˆvÈȚŒȳ½³–ƒ³ƒ³®ËÈÈÀŒŒÃƛ
In Sri Lanka, that’s at least 100-feet up and toddy
tappers gambol, monkey-like from tree to tree,
tending their pots. They do all this without a net. I
sampled the toddy which has a fermented coconut
ðvÛ³ËÀv®ˆ¨ŒÈƺæËÃÈÃvâœÈ­œ—šÈ®³È‚ŒȳŒÛŒÀâ³®ŒƺÃ
taste! I drank on, however, in the hope that it might
dull my senses for the rigours of the road ahead.
Galle stones
?ËÀï®v¨ƹ½œÈưÃȳ½ƺÜvÃv­³³®Ãȳ®Œ­œ®ŒȚvȈœˆ
ignite my sense of cynicism. The manager gave us
the ‘grand tour’, which included some old fellah raking
through a pile of gravel, supposedly freshly-hoisted
from the mine. With a signal, another scantily-clad
miner appeared below to give us a friendly wave.
And low and behold in the gravel a few glistening
moonstones-in-the-rough were discovered much to
the delight of the entire team.
This ‘Disney-type’ production was clearly staged to
get us excited and coax us into the shop where the
ƹ¦ŒÜŒ¨Ãƺ¨vâÜvœÈœ®—ȳ‚Œ½ËÀƒšv̈ƛ4œ³®Œ¨Ɯܚ³ÜvÃ
a prince among drivers I’m sure, was undoubtedly
twitter.com/bunkeredonline 129
travel
a cog in a system where drivers are commissioned to bring their
charges to certain facilities in the hope of achieving sales.
Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa
At last, we had reached Shangri-La! This version of earthly paradise
œÃOÀœ4v®§vƺÃïÀÃÈƜ½ËÀ½³ÃŒư‚Ëœ¨ÈƜ¨ËáËÀâ—³¨–ÀŒÃ³ÀÈƛ®ˆ–À³­ȚŒ
­³­Œ®Èâ³ËŒ®ÈŒÀƜOšv®—Àœư4vœÃœ®ˆŒŒˆvˆœÛœ®ŒŒá½ŒÀœŒ®ƒŒƠSšŒ
resort spans 58 hectares, making it the largest in Sri Lanka with
ůŬŬývƒœ³ËÃÀ³³­Ãœ®ƒ¨Ëˆœ®—ŮŭØȌÃv®ˆv¨¨ÃËÀÀ³Ë®ˆŒˆ‚â¨ËÚ
ÈÀ³½œƒv¨—vÀˆŒ®ÃƛSšŒÀŒƺý¨Œ®Èâ—³œ®—³®ܜȚv®³ËȈ³³ÀÜvȌÀ½vÀ§Ɯ
ȚÀŒŒÃܜ­­œ®—½³³¨Ãv®ˆvšŒv¨Èšƒ¨Ë‚ƛSšŒšœâËÀیˆvO½v³––ŒÀÃ
ÈÀvˆœÈœ³®v¨ȚŒÀv½œŒÃv¨³®—ܜȚ½ŒÀó®v¨œÃŒˆâËÀیˆvƒ³®Ã˨ÈvȜ³®Ã
ܜȚv¿Ëv¨œïŒˆˆ³ƒÈ³Àƛ
*®ȚŒ­³À®œ®—*Üvó®ȚŒ—³¨–ƒ³ËÀÌܜȚ9všŒÃšƜ­âƒvˆˆâƛ
‚Ë——âv®ˆƒvˆˆâvÀŒƒ³­½Ë¨Ã³ÀâƜȚ³Ë—šȚŒ³®¨âȚœ®—v—vœ®ÃÈ
Üv¨§œ®—­œ—šÈ‚ŒȚŒšŒvÈƛSšŒƒ³ËÀ̜î³È¨³®—Ɯv½vÀưųŬvÈvÀ³Ë®ˆ
ŲƜŬŬŬâvÀˆÃ½¨v✮—³ÛŒÀȚÀŒŒˆœ––ŒÀŒ®ÈȌÀÀvœ®ÃƛSšŒïÀÃȜÃv¨¨Œˆ
ȚŒƹ³ƒ³®ËÈI¨v®ÈvȜ³®ƺƜvÃâ³Ë­œ—šÈœ­v—œ®ŒƜÈÀŒŒư¨œ®Œˆv®ˆ¨ËÚƛ
*§œƒ§Œˆ³––ܜȚv‚œÀˆœŒ­ËƒšȳȚŒv­ËÌ­Œ®È³–ȚŒ—vÀˆŒ®ŒÀÃ
¨³½½œ®—ƒ³ƒ³®ËÈÖÀ³­vˆ¦vƒŒ®ÈÈÀŒŒÃƛ9âv½½À³vƒšÚ³ÈÀvÈȨŒˆ
off the pin and dropped straight into the hole. One of the gardeners
ƒv­Œ³ÛŒÀv®ˆšv®ˆŒˆ­Œvƒ³ƒ³®ËÈƠ
SšŒOv½½šœÀŒ9œ®Œ̃Ȝ³®Üv󮃌vܳÀ§œ®—­œ®Œƞœ®–vƒÈ
I believe the whole site was. There’s a noticeable change here,
—Œ®ŒÀ³Ë×ÀŒŒ®Ãv®ˆv®v‚Ë®ˆv®ƒŒ³–ÜvȌÀƛSšœÃ̃Ȝ³®ÜvÃv
‚œÈÀ³Ë—šܚŒ®*ۜÜȌˆ‚ËÈȚŒƒ³ËÀÌÜvÃâŒÈ®ŒÜv®ˆ*ƺ­ÃËÀŒœÈ
ܜ¨¨švیÌÈȨŒˆ܌¨¨ƛSšŒï®v¨Ë®Œ̃Ȝ³®̌í³ÀŒŒ¨ŒÛvȜ³®
changes and teasing glimpses of the Indian Ocean. Wind affects the
ƒ¨³Ãœ®—š³¨ŒÃƒ¨³ÃŒȳȚŒ?ƒŒv®Ɯ½vÀȜƒË¨vÀ¨âȚŒŭųȚƛ
Ö³ÀȚŒš³ÈŒ¨ƜœÈœÃÃËÀŒ¨â³®Œ³–ȚŒیÀâﮌÃÈœ®OÀœ4v®§vƛ`Œ
¨œ§ŒˆȚŒ½¨vƒŒó­Ëƒš܌ˆŒƒœˆŒˆȳÃÈvâv®
ŒáÈÀv®œ—šÈƜȚÀ³Üœ®—4œ³®Œ¨Ɯ³ËÀˆÀœÛŒÀƜœ®È³vȜçç
v‚³ËȳËÀڌˆË¨Œ‚ËÈƹOšv®—Àœư4vƺœÃvˆœíƒË¨È
We liked
place to leave. Shangri-La so much
we decided to stay
Tea Time
SšŒ®ŒáȈvâ܌ˆÀ³ÛŒ®³ÀȚœ®È³ȚŒÀŒ¨vȜی an extra night.
ƒ³³¨³–ȚŒ­³Ë®Èvœ®ÃȳÜvÀˆÃ:ËÜvÀv¨œâvƜ
ȚŒƹœÈâ³–4œ—šÈƺƜ‚ŒÈȌÀ§®³Ü®vÃƹ4œÈȨŒ®—¨v®ˆƺƛSšœÃ½¨vƒŒœÃ
ÀŒ­vÀ§v‚¨ŒƜv蜃Œ³–OËÀ‚œÈ³®ܜȚv­Ëƒš­³ÀŒ½¨ŒvÃv®Èƒ¨œ­vȌƛ
*ÈƺÃv¨Ã³œ®ȚŒšŒvÀȳ–ƹȌvƒ³Ë®ÈÀâƺƜv®vÀŒvŒÃÈv‚¨œÃšŒˆ‚âÀœÈœÃš
½¨v®ÈŒÀÃv®ˆƒœÛœ¨ÌÀÛv®ÈÃŭűŬâŒvÀÃv—³ƛ*®œÈÚŒâˆvâv®ˆš³È
ÃË­­ŒÀȜ­ŒƜÀœÈœÃšƒ³¨³®œv¨Ã𳃧ŒˆȳȚŒƒ³³¨³–ȚŒƹ(œ¨¨³Ë®ÈÀâƺ
v®ˆœ­­ŒÀ̈ȚŒ­ÃŒ¨ÛŒÃœ®ý³ÀÈÃÃ˃švÖ³ášË®Èœ®—Ɯ½³¨³ƜƒÀœƒ§ŒÈ
and golf.
Nuwara Eliya Golf Club
`Œ܌ÀŒvˆvâ¨vȌ–³À³ËÀȌŒȜ­ŒvÈ:ËÜvÀv¨œâv%³¨–¨Ë‚‚ËÈ®³
³®Œ̌­Œˆȳ­œ®ˆƛÃÈv‚¨œÃšŒˆœ®ŭŴŴŲƜȚŒƒ¨Ë‚œÃvȜ­Œƒv½Ã˨Œ
ܜȚ%œ®—ŒÀŒŒÀv®ˆv¨Ë®ƒš³–ƹÈvÈȜŒÃv®ˆ­œ®ƒŒƺÌÀیˆ³®ȚŒ
یÀv®ˆvƛSšŒƒ³ËÀÌ–³¨¨³ÜÃv—Œ®È¨ŒÛv¨¨ŒâȚÀ³Ë—šȚŒ­œˆˆ¨Œ³–
ȳܮƜ–vœÀÜvâîvÀÀ³ÜŒˆ‚âÈv¨¨Ɯ­vÈËÀŒÈÀŒŒÃƛ*ÈƺÃv‚œÈ³–vƒšv¨¨Œ®—Œ
³––ȚŒȌŒÃ‚ËȳȚŒÀܜÌvÚ³ÀÈƜŒ®¦³âv‚¨ŒÈÀvƒ§ƛ?یÀ¨³³§œ®—ȚŒ
ƒ³ËÀÌœÃȚŒ%Àv®ˆ(³ÈŒ¨Ɯv®³ÈšŒÀƒ³¨³®œv¨ŒˆœïƒŒ‚Ëœ¨Èœ®ŭŴŵŭv®ˆƜ
®ŒvÀ‚âȚŒ(œ¨¨¨Ë‚(³ÈŒ¨ƛ
Kandy Man
ÀœÛœ®—ˆ³Ü®ȚŒ­³Ë®Èvœ®ȳÜvÀˆÃȚŒƒœÈâ³–3v®ˆâœÃvÈܳưš³ËÀ
À³¨¨ŒÀưƒ³vÃȌÀÀœˆŒȚÀ³Ë—šȌÀÀvƒŒÃ³–Ȍv½¨v®ÈvȜ³®Ãv®ˆvÛ³ƒvˆ³
ÈÀŒŒÃƛ½½vÀŒ®È¨âƜȚŒÀŒƺÃvƹ(œ¨¨³Ë®ÈÀâƺÈÀvœ®ܚœƒš­œ—šÈ‚Œ¨ŒÃÃ
ȳÀÈ˳ËÃvÃȚœÃÃÈ⨌³–ˆÀœÛœ®—ƒv®‚ŒȜÀŒÃ³­Œƛ
È_œƒÈ³Àœv%³¨–Ǫ³Ë®ÈÀâLŒÃ³ÀÈƜv–ŒÜ­œ¨ŒÃŒvÃȳ–3v®ˆâƜ*
ÃÈv⌈œ®v¨³ˆ—Œ³ÛŒÀ¨³³§œ®—ȚŒ—³¨–ƒ³ËÀÌܜȚ‚œÀˆÃÈv½½œ®—vÈ
­âܜ®ˆ³Üȳ—ŒÈ­Œ˽–³Àvųv­ȌŒȜ­Œƛ–vœÀ–ŒÜ½¨vâŒÀÃ܌ÀŒ
v¨ÀŒvˆâȌŒœ®—³––ȳÈv§ŒvˆÛv®Èv—Œ³–ƒ³³¨ŒÀȌ­½ŒÀvÈËÀŒÃƛf³Ë
are paired with a caddy and fore-caddy here. Walking isn’t easy as it’s
–vœÀ¨âšœ¨¨â³®ȚŒ–À³®È®œ®Œ‚ËÈȚŒÀŒvÀŒܳ®ˆŒÀ–˨ۜŒÜóیÀȚŒ
130 bunkered.co.uk
_œƒÈ³ÀœvLœÛŒÀv­ܜȚܚœÈŒưȚÀ³vȌˆ§œ®—ïڌÀÃv®ˆ‚¨ËŒưÈvœ¨Œˆ
‚ŒŒưŒvȌÀÃðœÀȜ®—ܜȚ­³®§ŒâÃœ®ȚŒ‚Àv®ƒšŒÃƛSšŒ‚vƒ§®œ®ŒœÃv
¨œÈȨŒ­³ÀŒðvÈv®ˆ–³À—œÛœ®—ƛ*–â³Ë§ŒŒ½ȚŒ‚v¨¨³®ȚŒ–vœÀÜvâƜȚœÃ
̃Ȝ³®œÃ¿ËœÈŒŒvÃâ‚ËÈœ–â³Ë—³œ®È³ȚŒÀ³Ë—šƜœÈƺÃیÀâȚœƒ§v®ˆ
ܳ˨ˆ­v§Œ–³ÀƹÜvÀ­ƺܳÀ§ÈÀ✮—ȳ§ŒŒ½vóÀŒƛ
Cultural Triangle
SšŒœÈâ³–3v®ˆâƒ³­­Œ®ƒŒˆȚŒƒË¨ÈËÀv¨̃Ȝ³®³–³ËÀÈÀœ½ƛ
Œâ³®ˆȚŒ—³¨–ƒ³ËÀÌÃƜȚŒÀŒƺí˃šȳˆ³œ®OÀœ4v®§vƛ®ƒœŒ®È
Ȍ­½¨ŒÃv®ˆ½v¨vƒŒÃvÀŒšœ—š³®ȚŒ¨œÃÈ‚ËÈ­³ÀŒâ³Ë®—½Œ³½¨ŒvÀŒ
ˆœÃƒ³ÛŒÀœ®—ȚŒœÃ¨v®ˆ–³ÀÃËÀﮗƜî³À§Œ¨œ®—ƜÃܜ­­œ®—ܜȚÈËÀȨŒÃƜ
elephant safaris or bird watching. The place is so very friendly and
â³Ëv¨ÜvâÖŒŒ¨Ãv–Œƛ
3v®ˆâœÃv­ËÃÈư̌–³ÀȚŒSŒ­½¨Œ³–ȚŒS³³ÈšƛیÀââŒvÀȚŒâ
½vÀvˆŒ³®Œ³–ˈˆšvƺÃȌŒÈšƜȚŒŮƛűȚ³ËÃv®ˆâŒvÀ³¨ˆÀŒ¨œƒȚvÈƺÃ
¨vÃȜ®—܌¨¨ƛ*—ËŒÃÃ3v®ˆâœÃ®ƺÈó‚vˆ–³Àâ³ËÀȌŒÈšv–ÈŒÀv¨¨Ơ
*®9œ®®ŒÀœâv:vȜ³®v¨IvÀ§Ɯ*ȳ³§v`œ¨ˆ¨Œ½šv®ÈOv–vÀœv®ˆ³®ƒŒ
v—vœ®­â̮̳–ȚŒƹœ®ƒÀŒˆË¨³ËÃƺ¨Œv½Èœ®È³vƒÈœ³®v挌½Ã¨œ®Œˆ
˽¨œ§ŒÈváœÃȳÈÀv®Ã½³ÀÈȳËÀœÃÈÃȳȚŒÜvœÈœ®—`œ¨ˆ¨Œ½šv®ÈÃƛ
⮜ƒœÃ­Œ®—˨–Œˆ­Œ‚ËÈœÈÜvÃvƒÈËv¨¨âvÀŒÜvÀˆœ®—Œá½ŒÀœŒ®ƒŒƛ
SšvÈ®œ—šÈ܌½Ë¨¨Œˆœ®È³(ŒÀœÈv®ƒŒ3v®ˆv¨v­vƛ*ÈÜvÈvÀ§ܚŒ®
܌vÀÀœÛŒˆó*ƒ³Ë¨ˆ®ƺÈv½½ÀŒƒœvȌ¦ËÃÈš³ÜËÈȌÀ¨âv­v眮—ȚœÃ½¨vƒŒ
was. When I awoke in the morning and stepped onto the balcony, all
*ƒv®ÃvâœÃȚŒۜŒÜÜvÃœ®ƒÀŒˆœ‚¨ŒƛSšŒš³ÈŒ¨œÃ‚Ëœ¨Èœ®ȚŒ­œˆˆ¨Œ
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the edge of the lake, hiking, biking and trekking to an ancient village,
IËÀv®v—v­vƛ—vœ®Ɯ܌ƒ³Ë¨ˆ³®¨âÃÈvâ–³À³®Œ®œ—šÈ‚ËÈȚœÃœÃ³®Œ
½¨vƒŒ*ƺˆˆŒï®œÈŒ¨âƒ³­Œ‚vƒ§ȳƛ
Royal Colombo Golf Club
9âï®v¨À³Ë®ˆÜvÃvÈȚŒL³âv¨³¨³­‚³Ɯv®
Œáƒ¨ËÜی­Œ­‚ŒÀÃƺƒ¨Ë‚œ®ȚŒœÃ¨v®ˆƺÃv½œÈv¨
v®ˆȚŒâ—³³Ëȳ–ȚŒœÀÜvâȳÀŒ­œ®ˆâ³Ë³–
ȚvÈƛ9â–ÀœŒ®ˆƜv­Œ­‚ŒÀƜ̮ȚœÃƒvÀȳƒ³¨¨ŒƒÈ
­Œ‚Ëȳ®vÀÀœÛœ®—vÈȚŒƒ¨Ë‚ƜvÜ­½¨Œý³È³–
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ی®ÈËv¨¨âȚŒܳÀˆ—³ÈȚÀ³Ë—š*Üv³®v
v®ˆœ®ȚŒÃâÃȌ­‚ËÈÌÀۜƒŒÜvÃÀvˆœƒv¨¨â
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ȚŒOÀœ4v®§v®ÃŒ®ÈœÀŒ¨â–³ÀȚœÃ³®ŒƛSš³Ë—šÀœÈvœ®­œ—šÈšvی
­³ÛŒˆ³®ƜȚŒÃŒ½³³À½Œ³½¨ŒÀŒ­vœ®ÃÈ˃§ܜȚ³ËÀƒ³¨³®œv¨½vÃÈƛ
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`ŒÌȳ––Üv¨§œ®—œ®ȚŒšŒvÈܜȚv®Œ®È³ËÀv—Œ³–܌¨¨ưƒ³ÛŒÀŒˆ
–Œ­v¨ŒƒvˆˆœŒÃƛ`œÈšvÚvÀ½ܚœÃȨŒƜv—³³ˆÃÈÀvœ®ÈÀË®ˆ¨ŒˆÃÈÀvœ—šÈ
vƒÀ³ÃÃȚŒ­œˆˆ¨Œ³–ȚŒ—³¨–ƒ³ËÀÌƛ9â­³ÃÈ­Œ­³Àv‚¨Œ­³­Œ®ÈƜ
š³ÜŒÛŒÀƜÜvÃܚŒ®*ƒv­ŒvƒÀ³ÃÃvƹI³®ˆ³âƺƜv眮®âƜó¨œÈvÀâ
ï—ËÀŒÜÈȜ®—ƹ%³¨¨Ë­ư¨œ§ŒƺvÈȚŒŒˆ—Œ³–Œvƒš¨v§ŒƜÀŒvˆâȳˆœÛŒœ®È³
ȚŒȚœƒ§ƜÃÈv—®v®È½³³¨ȳÀŒÈÀœŒÛŒv—³¨–‚v¨¨ڳ˨ˆœÈŒ®ˆ˽ȚŒÀŒƛ
®ˆv¨¨–³Àv–ŒÜ­ŒvèâÀ˽ŒŒÃƠ
L³âv¨³¨³­‚³œÃ³®Œ³–ȚŒ³¨ˆŒÃÈ—³¨–ƒ¨Ë‚óËÈ܈ŒÀœÈvœ®v®ˆ
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Œá½Œ®ÃœÛŒ–³ÀȚŒðvÈƜ½vÀ§¨v®ˆƒ³ËÀÌȚvȜȜÃƛSšŒšœÀŒƒ¨Ë‚ÃvÀŒ
®³ÈȚŒ‚ŒÃÈŒœÈšŒÀv®ˆŒÛŒÀâ³®ŒŒá½ŒƒÈÃ
a tip. I got the feeling visitors are seen as a
ó–Èȳ˃šƒ³­½vÀŒˆȳȚŒ܌¨¨ưšŒŒ¨ŒˆOÀœ
FOLLOW
4v®§v®Ãܚ³¦³œ®ȚŒƒ¨Ë‚vÃvÃȌ½ư˽³®
ȚŒœÀóƒœv¨ÃÈvÈËÃƛ
DAVID
OÀœ4v®§vœÃvܳ®ˆŒÀ–˨ƒ³Ë®ÈÀâܜȚv For more
š³Ãȳ–ƒË¨ÈËÀv¨³––ŒÀœ®—Ãv®ˆ­v—®œïƒŒ®È information on
®vÈËÀv¨Œ®ƒ³Ë®ÈŒÀÃƛ*ÈœÃv½½vÀŒ®È¨âˆ³œ®— vۜˆƺÃÈÀvی¨Ã
یÀâ܌¨¨ܜȚ‚³³­œ®—ȳËÀœÃ­v®ˆœ®ˆËÃÈÀâ œ®ƒ¨Ëˆœ®—ۜˆŒ³Ã
ƒ³®ÈÀœ‚ËȜ®—ȳÜvÀˆÃv­³ˆŒÀ®ƜȚÀœÛœ®— of most places
󃜌ÈâƛËÈȚŒÀœÈœÃšƒ³¨³®œv¨½ŒÀœ³ˆœÃÃȜ¨¨ he has visited
یÀâ­Ëƒšv¨œÛŒv®ˆ܌¨¨œ®ƒŒÀÈvœ®Ɯ܌¨¨ư¨œ®Œˆ go to
pockets! ● linksland.com
Clockwise from top: the brilliant
and absolutely gorgeous Shangri-
La Hambantota Resort & Spa; a
traditional VIP welcome: our man
David J Whyte playing Victoria Golf
Club: some interesting instruction
during a Wild Elephant Safari

WHEN TO COME:
The months of January and February are
best although March and April are also
quite popular. September and October
constitute the Monsoon season.

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 131
travel
TRUMP
REVISITED
Six years on from its grand opening, we visited
the famed Trump International Golf Links in
Aberdeen to see how the course has settled in
BY BRYCE RITCHIE / MICHAEL MCEWAN
PHOTOS JAMES LOVETT
What’s it like six years on?
BR I’m very lucky to have played Trump
International a few times, in different weather
conditions, and also experience the evolution
of the course from its beginnings. I played
it on its opening day back in July 2012 and I
ÀŒ­Œ­‚ŒÀȚœ®§œ®—œÈÜvív—®œïƒŒ®ÈƜ‚ËÈȳ³
hard. On some holes, if you were on the edge
³–ȚŒ–vœÀÜvâƜâ³Ë³®¨â®ŒŒˆŒˆȳÈv§Œïی³À
six paces off the fairway and you were in gnarly
rough, which was not necessarily becoming
of the links courses in the area. Fast-forward
12 months and that rough had been tempered,
thankfully. It’s even better now.
A number of European Tour players have
said they like how the course has changed from
its early beginnings, with Stephen Gallacher
telling me he couldn’t believe how quickly they
did it. “It’s amazing isn’t it?” he said with genuine
132 bunkered.co.uk
amazement. The rough is what I
would describe today as ‘less brutal’ than
before and that makes the course more
playable by all. It was simply too hard in the
ïÀÃÈ–ŒÜ­³®ÈšÃ³–³½Œ®œ®—Ɯv®ˆ®³Üv½½ŒvÀÃ
to be under control, which is down to clever
maintenance by the greens staff. I like the
course now more than ever.
MM Like Bryce, I was fortunate enough to play
the course on the day it opened. Having closely
followed the development from when it existed
as nothing more than a rumour in 2006, I was
keen to see if the CAD renderings and artist’s
œ­½ÀŒÃܳ®Ã³–ܚvÈȚŒﮜڌˆ¨vâ³ËÈܳ˨ˆ
look like would live up to the presentations.
I wasn’t disappointed. It blew me away
instantaneously. That’s not to say it was
perfect. Large parts of the course were
 The picturesque par-3
third is one of the
standout holes on this
stunning golf course

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 133
travel
immature and needed time to bed in, the rough was crazy (caddies
advised you to ‘just drop another’ if you missed the fairway by a few
paces) and there wasn’t much in the way of signage. There was also
no clubhouse. Just a small, simple, temporary structure. But the
signs were all very good.
Today, those ‘teething problems’, if you even want to call them
that, have been resolved. The course has matured beautifully and the
ܗ®v—ŒœÃœ®ï®œÈŒ¨â‚ŒÈȌÀƛSšŒ½À³½ŒÀÈâv¨Ã³–ŒŒ¨Ã­Ëƒš­³ÀŒ¨œ§Œ
a ‘destination’ now, by which I mean it seems complete in the same
way that Kingsbarns or Castle Stuart is complete. The hotel, housing
and second course may not have happened – and may never – but you
ˆ³®ƺÈ–ŒŒ¨¨œ§ŒȚŒÀŒƺÃv®âȚœ®—­œÃÜ®—ƛ
The course
BR This is a golf course that has nestled in beautifully and, in doing
so, has managed to retain the wow factor, which is what ‘trophy’
courses such as this must do. The par-3s are fun and accessible, with
the third easily one of the best holes in Scotland. The par-3s don’t so
much as offer respite but simply add to the fun of your round.
Standout holes on the front nine are the second and third, which
­v§Œ–³Àv–Ë®ÃÈvÀÈƜv®ˆȚŒÌی®ÈšƜ½¨ËÃȚŒ³½½³ÀÈË®œÈâvÈȚŒ
ninth if you get a really good drive away.
Step onto the tenth tee and you’re bracing yourself for the coming
ˆË®ŒÃƛSšŒv½½À³vƒšœ®È³Ȍ®œÃ­v—®œïƒŒ®Èv®ˆƜœ®v¨¨š³®ŒÃÈâƜâ³Ë
ƒ³Ë¨ˆ½œƒ§v®â®Ë­‚ŒÀ³–š³¨ŒÃ³®ȚŒ‚vƒ§®œ®ŒvÂŒœ®—ܳÀȚâ³–
½ÀvœÃŒƛ*ÈƺævÜưˆÀ³½½œ®—vÈȜ­ŒÃƜv®ˆȚŒۜŒÜÃvÀŒ­v—®œïƒŒ®Èƛ
MM Fantastic, exhilarating,
­v—®œïƒŒ®ÈƜ¦vÜưˆÀ³½½œ®—Ʋ
choose whichever superlative you There are TPC venues in the
¨œ§ŒƛSšŒâv¨¨ܳÀ§ƛ$³À­v®âƜȚŒ
standout holes are the 13th and
States that can’t hold a candle to
14th. No doubt they’re special, the the facilities on offer here.
ŭŰȚœ®½vÀȜƒË¨vÀƪȚŒ‚vƒ§ȌŒ
³®ŭŰœÃȚŒ½ŒÀ–ŒƒÈƹ̨ïŒƺý³Èƫƛ
(³ÜŒÛŒÀƜœ–*ƺ­‚Œœ®—š³®ŒÃÈƜ­â–vÛ³ËÀœÈŒÃÈÀŒÈƒšœÃ–À³­ȚŒï–Èšȳ
ȚŒÌی®ÈšƛSšŒï–ÈšœÃv󨜈½vÀưŰܜȚÈÀ³Ë‚¨ŒŒÛŒÀâܚŒÀŒƞȚŒ
sixth is an exceptional par-3 where the view of the green is largely
³‚ÃËÀŒˆ‚âvšË—ŒˆË®ŒȚvÈŒ®ƒÀ³vƒšŒÃ–À³­ȚŒ¨Œ–Èƞܚœ¨ÃÈȚŒ
seventh is a driveable par-4 that is fraught with danger if you get too
greedy and get it wrong.
But here’s the deal: there’s not a bad hole on the course. That’s
testament to Martin Hawtree’s inspired design. The 18th is a brutally
ȳ˗šÜvâȳﮜÚv®ˆƜ½ŒÀó®v¨¨âƜ*Țœ®§œÈÃŭŴ‚Ë®§ŒÀÃvÀŒv¨œÈȨŒ
over the top but that’s a minor quibble, and it certainly doesn’t spoil
what is a phenomenal course.
The wow factor
BR Whilst the front nine has every right to be considered a wonderful
ƹšv¨–ƺƜȚŒ‚vƒ§®œ®ŒœÃܚŒÀŒSÀË­½*®ÈŒÀ®vȜ³®v¨ڜ®ŒÃƛSšŒˆË®ŒÃ
vÀŒv­vÃÜیÈv¨§œ®—½³œ®ÈšŒÀŒv®ˆˆ³—Œ®Ëœ®Œ¨âœ­½ÀŒÃÃƛSšŒâvÀŒ
šË—ŒƜœ®Èœ­œˆvȜ®—ȳ܌ÀÃȚvȨœ®Œ­v®â³–ȚŒš³¨ŒÃv®ˆ­v§Œ–³Àv®
œ­½ÀŒÃÃÃÈvˆœË­ư¨œ§ŒÌÈư˽ƛ
S³­ŒƜƹܳÜ–vƒÈ³Àƺ­Œv®ÃȚŒܚ³¨Œ½vƒ§v—ŒƜ®³È¦ËÃÈȚŒƒ³ËÀÌƜ
and this place delivers. Trump International still has the best practice
facilities of any course in Scotland, with the short game area being
truly world-class in every right. There are TPC (Tournament Players
Club) venues in the States that can’t hold a candle to the facilities on
offer here.
MM It hits you the moment you turn off the A90 into the property.
The road winds down past the stunningly restored Macleod
134 bunkered.co.uk
(³ËÌv®ˆâ³Ëƒv®ƺÈšŒ¨½‚ËÈȚœ®§ȚvÈȚœÃ½¨vƒŒœÃvÀŒvˆâư­vˆŒ
ȳËÀ®v­Œ®Èš³ÃÈی®ËŒ³®vƒƒ³Ë®È³–ȚŒv­½¨ŒÀ³³­–³ÀƒvÀ½vÀ§œ®—
v®ˆŒáƒŒ¨¨Œ®ÈÈÀv®Ã½³ÀÈ®ŒÈܳÀ§ƪ‚³¨ÃȌÀŒˆ‚âȚŒ®ŒÜ¨âư³½Œ®Œˆ
v¨­ŒˆœŒ4œ®§L³vˆƫƛ*ÈƺÃȚŒ¨œÈȨŒȚœ®—ÃȚvÈŒ¨ŒÛvȌœÈv—³³ˆ–ŒÜ
®³ÈƒšŒÃƝȚŒL³¨Œáƒ¨³ƒ§‚ŒÃœˆŒȚŒˆÀœÛœ®—Àv®—ŒƜȚŒ‚ŒvËȜ–˨¨â
manicured grounds, the spotless tidiness. You’re left in no doubt that
you’re somewhere special.
The facilities and staff
BR As expected, you get a proper welcome from the staff in
Aberdeen. The restaurant isn’t cheap, but no top-class golf resort is
these days and the food is exceptional. I’ve always believed that every
major golf resort should be judged on the quality of its macaroni and,
œ®ȚvÈÀŒÃ½ŒƒÈƜȚœÃ½¨vƒŒšvÃȚvÈ‚³áȜƒ§ŒˆƛSšŒƒšv®—œ®—À³³­Ã
vÀŒÃ˽ŒÀ‚v®ˆƜœ–â³ËƺÀŒ¨Ëƒ§âŒ®³Ë—šƜÈÀâv®ˆÈÀŒvÈâ³ËĄ̀–ȳv
night in MacLeod House, the eye-catching hotel you pass by on the
right-hand side as you drive into the estate.
MM The clubhouse opened in June 2015 and is a cosy, elegant place
to unwind either before or after your round. It’s not lavishly over-
ˆŒƒ³ÀvȌˆ³À½vÀȜƒË¨vÀ¨âŒáÈÀvÛv—v®ÈƞœÈƺæËÃȃ¨vÃÃâƛSšŒ®ȚŒÀŒvÀŒ
the practise facilities. The driving
range is excellent but it’s the short
—v­ŒvÀŒvȚvÈ­v§ŒÃȚŒ‚œ——ŒÃÈ
and best impression. You could
quite happily practice there –
¨œ§ŒÜœÃŒƜȚŒšË—Œ½ËÈȜ®——ÀŒŒ®
Ʋ–³Àš³ËÀÃv®ˆš³ËÀÃv®ˆ®³È§®³Ü
where the time has gone.
Final thoughts
BR I’ve never met a person who doesn’t love this place, and that’s
ȚŒ‚ŒÃÈ­vÀ§ŒÈœ®—â³Ëƒv®—ŒÈƛ*ÈƺæËÃÈv®v‚ó¨ËȌ¨â‚Àœ¨¨œv®È—³¨–
course. Having yet to play the revamped Ailsa at Turnberry – that’s my
next mission – this place still occupies a top-three spot on my list of
–vÛ³ËÀœÈŒƒ³ËÀÌÃƜܜȚ3œ®—ÂvÀ®Ãv®ˆvÀ®³ËÃȜŒ­v§œ®—˽
ȚŒÈÀœ³ƛÀvœ¨ƺÃv¨ƒ³­œŒ4œ®§Ãƒ³®Èœ®Ëv¨¨âÈÃȳÿˌŒçŒœ®È³
­âȳ½ưȚÀŒŒ‚ËÈœÈƺ׳ȜÈÃܳÀ§ƒËȳËÈ–³À®³Üƛ
*§®³Ü½¨Œ®Èâ³–½¨vâŒÀÃܚ³ƒ³®Èœ®ËŒȳ½¨vâSÀË­½*®ÈŒÀ®vȜ³®v¨
ŒÛŒÀâÌvó®Ɯ­v®â³–ȚŒ­–À³­ȚŒ¨³ƒv¨vÀŒvƜv®ˆœÈƺÃȚvȧœ®ˆ³–
repeat business that proves its quality and will help the course grow
in the long-term.
MM What’s particularly interesting is how Trump International has
­vˆŒ½Œ³½¨ŒÜÈ˽v®ˆÈv§Œ®³ÈœƒŒ³–ܚvÈ‚ŒÀˆŒŒ®ÃšœÀŒšvÃȳ
offer for golfers – and what they’re noticing is a destination that is
ÀŒv¨¨âƜÈÀ˨âýŒƒœv¨ƛL³âv¨‚ŒÀˆŒŒ®v®ˆ9ËÀƒvÀ4œ®§ÃvÀŒ¦ËÃÈv–ŒÜ
­œ¨ŒÃ‚vƒ§ˆ³Ü®ȚŒƒ³vÃÈȳÜvÀˆÃȚŒ%Àv®œÈŒœÈâƛ$ËÀȚŒÀ®³ÀȚ
vÀŒȚŒ¨œ§ŒÃ³–ÀˈŒ®vâv®ˆIŒÈŒÀšŒvˆƛSšvÈƺÃȳÃv⮳Țœ®—³–
ȚŒ¨œ§ŒÃ³–Oȳ®Œšvی®Ɯ˖–(³ËÌL³âv¨v®ˆ:ŒÜ­vƒšvÀƛ
ÃȚŒ¨³ƒv¨ÃvÀŒ§ŒŒ®ȳ½³œ®È³ËÈƜȚŒÃŒšvی¨³®—‚ŒŒ®–v®ÈvÃȜƒ
½¨vƒŒÃȳ½¨vâ‚ËÈȚŒâƺی¨vÀ—Œ¨âð³Ü®Ë®ˆŒÀȚŒÀvˆvÀƟˮȜ¨
now. Trump International has brought the spotlight, which, in turn,
has exposed one of Scotland’s most diverse and underrated golf
ˆŒÃȜ®vȜ³®ÃƛO³ƜâŒÃƜ*ƺ¨¨‚Œ—³œ®—‚vƒ§Ʋv®ˆ®ŒáÈȜ­ŒƜ*ƺ¨¨ÃÈvâ–³À
longer.
travel
immature and needed time to bed in, the rough was crazy (caddies
advised you to ‘just drop another’ if you missed the fairway by a few
paces) and there wasn’t much in the way of signage. There was also
no clubhouse. Just a small, simple, temporary structure. But the
signs were all very good.
Today, those ‘teething problems’, if you even want to call them
that, have been resolved. The course has matured beautifully and the
ܗ®v—ŒœÃœ®ï®œÈŒ¨â‚ŒÈȌÀƛSšŒ½À³½ŒÀÈâv¨Ã³–ŒŒ¨Ã­Ëƒš­³ÀŒ¨œ§Œ
a ‘destination’ now, by which I mean it seems complete in the same
way that Kingsbarns or Castle Stuart is complete. The hotel, housing
and second course may not have happened – and may never – but you
ˆ³®ƺÈ–ŒŒ¨¨œ§ŒȚŒÀŒƺÃv®âȚœ®—­œÃÜ®—ƛ
The course
BR This is a golf course that has nestled in beautifully and, in doing
so, has managed to retain the wow factor, which is what ‘trophy’
courses such as this must do. The par-3s are fun and accessible, with
the third easily one of the best holes in Scotland. The par-3s don’t so
much as offer respite but simply add to the fun of your round.
Standout holes on the front nine are the second and third, which
­v§Œ–³Àv–Ë®ÃÈvÀÈƜv®ˆȚŒÌی®ÈšƜ½¨ËÃȚŒ³½½³ÀÈË®œÈâvÈȚŒ
ninth if you get a really good drive away.
Step onto the tenth tee and you’re bracing yourself for the coming
ˆË®ŒÃƛSšŒv½½À³vƒšœ®È³Ȍ®œÃ­v—®œïƒŒ®Èv®ˆƜœ®v¨¨š³®ŒÃÈâƜâ³Ë
ƒ³Ë¨ˆ½œƒ§v®â®Ë­‚ŒÀ³–š³¨ŒÃ³®ȚŒ‚vƒ§®œ®ŒvÂŒœ®—ܳÀȚâ³–
½ÀvœÃŒƛ*ÈƺævÜưˆÀ³½½œ®—vÈȜ­ŒÃƜv®ˆȚŒۜŒÜÃvÀŒ­v—®œïƒŒ®Èƛ
MM Fantastic, exhilarating,
­v—®œïƒŒ®ÈƜ¦vÜưˆÀ³½½œ®—Ʋ
choose whichever superlative you There are TPC venues in the
¨œ§ŒƛSšŒâv¨¨ܳÀ§ƛ$³À­v®âƜȚŒ
standout holes are the 13th and
States that can’t hold a candle to
14th. No doubt they’re special, the the facilities on offer here.
ŭŰȚœ®½vÀȜƒË¨vÀƪȚŒ‚vƒ§ȌŒ
³®ŭŰœÃȚŒ½ŒÀ–ŒƒÈƹ̨ïŒƺý³Èƫƛ
(³ÜŒÛŒÀƜœ–*ƺ­‚Œœ®—š³®ŒÃÈƜ­â–vÛ³ËÀœÈŒÃÈÀŒÈƒšœÃ–À³­ȚŒï–Èšȳ
ȚŒÌی®ÈšƛSšŒï–ÈšœÃv󨜈½vÀưŰܜȚÈÀ³Ë‚¨ŒŒÛŒÀâܚŒÀŒƞȚŒ
sixth is an exceptional par-3 where the view of the green is largely
³‚ÃËÀŒˆ‚âvšË—ŒˆË®ŒȚvÈŒ®ƒÀ³vƒšŒÃ–À³­ȚŒ¨Œ–Èƞܚœ¨ÃÈȚŒ
seventh is a driveable par-4 that is fraught with danger if you get too
greedy and get it wrong.
But here’s the deal: there’s not a bad hole on the course. That’s
testament to Martin Hawtree’s inspired design. The 18th is a brutally
ȳ˗šÜvâȳﮜÚv®ˆƜ½ŒÀó®v¨¨âƜ*Țœ®§œÈÃŭŴ‚Ë®§ŒÀÃvÀŒv¨œÈȨŒ
over the top but that’s a minor quibble, and it certainly doesn’t spoil
what is a phenomenal course.
The wow factor
BR Whilst the front nine has every right to be considered a wonderful
ƹšv¨–ƺƜȚŒ‚vƒ§®œ®ŒœÃܚŒÀŒSÀË­½*®ÈŒÀ®vȜ³®v¨ڜ®ŒÃƛSšŒˆË®ŒÃ
vÀŒv­vÃÜیÈv¨§œ®—½³œ®ÈšŒÀŒv®ˆˆ³—Œ®Ëœ®Œ¨âœ­½ÀŒÃÃƛSšŒâvÀŒ
šË—ŒƜœ®Èœ­œˆvȜ®—ȳ܌ÀÃȚvȨœ®Œ­v®â³–ȚŒš³¨ŒÃv®ˆ­v§Œ–³Àv®
œ­½ÀŒÃÃÃÈvˆœË­ư¨œ§ŒÌÈư˽ƛ
S³­ŒƜƹܳÜ–vƒÈ³Àƺ­Œv®ÃȚŒܚ³¨Œ½vƒ§v—ŒƜ®³È¦ËÃÈȚŒƒ³ËÀÌƜ
and this place delivers. Trump International still has the best practice
facilities of any course in Scotland, with the short game area being
truly world-class in every right. There are TPC (Tournament Players
Club) venues in the States that can’t hold a candle to the facilities on
offer here.
MM It hits you the moment you turn off the A90 into the property.
The road winds down past the stunningly restored Macleod
134 bunkered.co.uk
(³ËÌv®ˆâ³Ëƒv®ƺÈšŒ¨½‚ËÈȚœ®§ȚvÈȚœÃ½¨vƒŒœÃvÀŒvˆâư­vˆŒ
ȳËÀ®v­Œ®Èš³ÃÈی®ËŒ³®vƒƒ³Ë®È³–ȚŒv­½¨ŒÀ³³­–³ÀƒvÀ½vÀ§œ®—
v®ˆŒáƒŒ¨¨Œ®ÈÈÀv®Ã½³ÀÈ®ŒÈܳÀ§ƪ‚³¨ÃȌÀŒˆ‚âȚŒ®ŒÜ¨âư³½Œ®Œˆ
v¨­ŒˆœŒ4œ®§L³vˆƫƛ*ÈƺÃȚŒ¨œÈȨŒȚœ®—ÃȚvÈŒ¨ŒÛvȌœÈv—³³ˆ–ŒÜ
®³ÈƒšŒÃƝȚŒL³¨Œáƒ¨³ƒ§‚ŒÃœˆŒȚŒˆÀœÛœ®—Àv®—ŒƜȚŒ‚ŒvËȜ–˨¨â
manicured grounds, the spotless tidiness. You’re left in no doubt that
you’re somewhere special.
The facilities and staff
BR As expected, you get a proper welcome from the staff in
Aberdeen. The restaurant isn’t cheap, but no top-class golf resort is
these days and the food is exceptional. I’ve always believed that every
major golf resort should be judged on the quality of its macaroni and,
œ®ȚvÈÀŒÃ½ŒƒÈƜȚœÃ½¨vƒŒšvÃȚvÈ‚³áȜƒ§ŒˆƛSšŒƒšv®—œ®—À³³­Ã
vÀŒÃ˽ŒÀ‚v®ˆƜœ–â³ËƺÀŒ¨Ëƒ§âŒ®³Ë—šƜÈÀâv®ˆÈÀŒvÈâ³ËĄ̀–ȳv
night in MacLeod House, the eye-catching hotel you pass by on the
right-hand side as you drive into the estate.
MM The clubhouse opened in June 2015 and is a cosy, elegant place
to unwind either before or after your round. It’s not lavishly over-
ˆŒƒ³ÀvȌˆ³À½vÀȜƒË¨vÀ¨âŒáÈÀvÛv—v®ÈƞœÈƺæËÃȃ¨vÃÃâƛSšŒ®ȚŒÀŒvÀŒ
the practise facilities. The driving
range is excellent but it’s the short
—v­ŒvÀŒvȚvÈ­v§ŒÃȚŒ‚œ——ŒÃÈ
and best impression. You could
quite happily practice there –
¨œ§ŒÜœÃŒƜȚŒšË—Œ½ËÈȜ®——ÀŒŒ®
Ʋ–³Àš³ËÀÃv®ˆš³ËÀÃv®ˆ®³È§®³Ü
where the time has gone.
Final thoughts
BR I’ve never met a person who doesn’t love this place, and that’s
ȚŒ‚ŒÃÈ­vÀ§ŒÈœ®—â³Ëƒv®—ŒÈƛ*ÈƺæËÃÈv®v‚ó¨ËȌ¨â‚Àœ¨¨œv®È—³¨–
course. Having yet to play the revamped Ailsa at Turnberry – that’s my
next mission – this place still occupies a top-three spot on my list of
–vÛ³ËÀœÈŒƒ³ËÀÌÃƜܜȚ3œ®—ÂvÀ®Ãv®ˆvÀ®³ËÃȜŒ­v§œ®—˽
ȚŒÈÀœ³ƛÀvœ¨ƺÃv¨ƒ³­œŒ4œ®§Ãƒ³®Èœ®Ëv¨¨âÈÃȳÿˌŒçŒœ®È³
­âȳ½ưȚÀŒŒ‚ËÈœÈƺ׳ȜÈÃܳÀ§ƒËȳËÈ–³À®³Üƛ
*§®³Ü½¨Œ®Èâ³–½¨vâŒÀÃܚ³ƒ³®Èœ®ËŒȳ½¨vâSÀË­½*®ÈŒÀ®vȜ³®v¨
ŒÛŒÀâÌvó®Ɯ­v®â³–ȚŒ­–À³­ȚŒ¨³ƒv¨vÀŒvƜv®ˆœÈƺÃȚvȧœ®ˆ³–
repeat business that proves its quality and will help the course grow
in the long-term.
MM What’s particularly interesting is how Trump International has
­vˆŒ½Œ³½¨ŒÜÈ˽v®ˆÈv§Œ®³ÈœƒŒ³–ܚvÈ‚ŒÀˆŒŒ®ÃšœÀŒšvÃȳ
offer for golfers – and what they’re noticing is a destination that is
ÀŒv¨¨âƜÈÀ˨âýŒƒœv¨ƛL³âv¨‚ŒÀˆŒŒ®v®ˆ9ËÀƒvÀ4œ®§ÃvÀŒ¦ËÃÈv–ŒÜ
­œ¨ŒÃ‚vƒ§ˆ³Ü®ȚŒƒ³vÃÈȳÜvÀˆÃȚŒ%Àv®œÈŒœÈâƛ$ËÀȚŒÀ®³ÀȚ
vÀŒȚŒ¨œ§ŒÃ³–ÀˈŒ®vâv®ˆIŒÈŒÀšŒvˆƛSšvÈƺÃȳÃv⮳Țœ®—³–
ȚŒ¨œ§ŒÃ³–Oȳ®Œšvی®Ɯ˖–(³ËÌL³âv¨v®ˆ:ŒÜ­vƒšvÀƛ
ÃȚŒ¨³ƒv¨ÃvÀŒ§ŒŒ®ȳ½³œ®È³ËÈƜȚŒÃŒšvی¨³®—‚ŒŒ®–v®ÈvÃȜƒ
½¨vƒŒÃȳ½¨vâ‚ËÈȚŒâƺی¨vÀ—Œ¨âð³Ü®Ë®ˆŒÀȚŒÀvˆvÀƟˮȜ¨
now. Trump International has brought the spotlight, which, in turn,
has exposed one of Scotland’s most diverse and underrated golf
ˆŒÃȜ®vȜ³®ÃƛO³ƜâŒÃƜ*ƺ¨¨‚Œ—³œ®—‚vƒ§Ʋv®ˆ®ŒáÈȜ­ŒƜ*ƺ¨¨ÃÈvâ–³À
longer.
 Portlethen Golf Club is conveniently situation
IN THE HOME ROYAL DORNOCH GOLF CLUB on the A90 only 6 miles south of Aberdeen City
Centre making it an ideal location for golfers
# 1 in Scotland Royal Dornoch Golf Club # 5 In the world travelling to or from the City from the South.
Dornoch Town & Country Lettings
Have an excellent reputation for the quality of self catering accommodation in their portfolio and for the high standard of
service we provide for our guests, many of whom return year after year. RDGC is easily accessed from all of our houses in
the heart of the town, making walking to the course or strolling to a restaurant in the evening a pleasure.
Let DT&CL help you plan your visit to Dornoch
We are able to assist you with airport transfers, taxi sight seeing trips,
organize a breakfast cook (or something a little fancier if you wish to
eat at home one night) and many other factions that make your trip As well as hosting the Scottish Under-16 Boys Stroke-play Championship in 2013 the course has been chosen
happy and hassle free. to host many local Golfing events including the 72 hole North-East Open and offers players the option of a
Its our job to make your stay here a memorable and happy gentle, but still testing, 5,757 yard, Par 70, SSS 68 course or for those who prefer a greater challenge play
experience. from our white tees lengthens the course to 6,449 yards, Par 72, SSS 71.
Dornoch Town & Country Lettings | High Street | Dornoch | Sutherland | IV25 3SH Visitors and Societies welcome. Practice facilities, trolley & buggy hire, professional shop, restaurant and bar.
T: +44 (0) 1862 810851 E: info@dornochtownandcountrylettings.co.uk
T: 01224 781090 www.portlethengolfclub.com
www.dornochtownandcountrylettings.co.uk

• We specialise in providing
Station Hotel top class golf breaks at
affordable prices
GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY
GOLF CLUB
Pay for
get 1 F &
3

Portsoy
ESTABLISHED 1890
• 15 modern, comfortable REE
en-suite rooms on
our mid
• Many top class courses A challenging 18-hole golf we
and ‘hidden gems’ to Fourba ek
course situated ll
choose from including in the Cairngorms National Park,
some of the best old
traditional links courses
approximately 35 miles from
3 NIGHTS’ Inverness.
DBB AND in Scotland
3 ROUNDS • Great food, friendly
locals’ bar and large - 2018 GREEN FEES -
FROM £279
games room with all Sky Round: £35 (Mid-week)
Sports and BT Sports Day: £45
shown
• 2018 already filling up Competitive group/society discounts available!
Station Hotel Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, AB45 2QT
fast but we will do our Visit us at: www.grantownonspeygolfclub.co.uk
T: 01261 842327 · E: enquiries@stationhotelportsoy.co.uk best to accommodate
www.stationhotelportsoy.co.uk you! t:01479 872079 f:01479 873725

Peterhead Golf Club GREAT

Founded 1841 OFFERS
The 18th Oldest Club in the World Catered and Self Catered
Accommodation packages
Set among the dunes and across the Craigewan available to book until
links the course is a classic example of Scottish September 2018
seaside golf at its best - and the toughest!
BRITISH OPEN 2021
Accommodation
packages to be
announced in

Value September 2018

ormation
to a tee For further infav
on packages
contact
ailable

Telephone: 01779 472149 Email: enquiries@peterheadgolfclub.co.uk Bookings can be made directly via our s.ac.uk
golf@st-andrew
website ace.st-andrews.ac.uk or by or visit
Visit: www.peterheadgolfclub.co.uk calling O1334 463000 ace.st-andrews.a
c.uk

The Corrie Hotel

dŚĞŽƌƌŝĞ,ŽƚĞůŝƐĂǁĂƌŵ͕ĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ͕ĨĂŵŝůLJƌƵŶŚŽƚĞůŝŶƚŚĞďĞĂƵƟĨƵůǀŝůůĂŐĞŽĨ
ŽƌƌŝĞ͕ƐŝdžŵŝůĞƐĨƌŽŵƌŽĚŝĐŬĨĞƌƌLJdĞƌŵŝŶĂů͘ŌĞƌLJŽƵƌĚĂLJŐŽůĮŶŐ͕ĞŶũŽLJĂƉŝŶƚŝŶ
ƚŚĞůŽǀĞůLJďĞĞƌŐĂƌĚĞŶŽŶƚŚĞƐŚŽƌĞůŝŶĞĂĚŵŝƌŝŶŐƚŚĞǁŽŶĚĞƌĨƵůǀŝĞǁƐ͘
Arran is a golfer’s paradise with no fewer than 7 golf courses - 18 hole courses at
ƌŽĚŝĐŬ͕>ĂŵůĂƐŚĂŶĚtŚŝƟŶŐĂLJ͕ĂϭϮŚŽůĞĐŽƵƌƐĞĂƚ^ŚŝƐŬŝŶĞĂŶĚϵŚŽůĞĐŽƵƌƐĞƐĂƚ
DĂĐŚƌŝĞ͕>ŽĐŚƌĂŶnjĂĂŶĚŚĞƌĞĂƚŽƌƌŝĞ͘'ƌŽƵƉĚŝƐĐŽƵŶƚƐĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ͘
Corrie, Isle of Arran, KA28 8JB · T: 01770 810 273 · E: corriehotelarran@gmail.com
www.corriehotel.co.uk

136 bunkered.co.uk

from
£65
per round
PETERHEAD
GOLF CLUB
` Peterhead, Aberdeen
` Par 70 Yards 5,704
peterheadgolfclub.co.uk
` Established in 1841, Peterhead is
the 18th oldest club in the world and
was originally designed by the great
Willie Park Jnr. The old course at
Craigewan is a natural links, which
was created as a nine-holer but
extended to 18 by Archie Simpson.
One of the most famous holes is
the ‘Cottage’, the 133-yard par-3
Ȍ®ÈšƜܚœƒšœÃÃËÀÀ³Ë®ˆŒˆ‚âïی
bunkers and a burn at the front.
The clubhouse opened in 1996, and
it was here that Butch Harmon
heaped praise on the Old course,
describing it as a real ‘hidden
—Œ­ƺܚœƒššŒ¨³ÛŒˆ½¨v✮—ƛ
toplay
from
£32
per round
TORWOODLEE
GOLF CLUB
` Galashiels, Scottish Borders
` Par 69 Yards 5,798
torwoodleegolfclub.co.uk
` This superb Scottish Borders
course sits just outside Galashiels
v®ˆœÃðv®§Œˆ‚âȚŒLœÛŒÀ%v¨vv®ˆ
ˆœÛœˆŒˆ‚âȚŒ®ŒÜ³ÀˆŒÀÃÀvœ¨Üvâ
¨œ®ŒƛSšŒƒ¨Ë‚švóیÀŭŬŬâŒvÀó–
history and is one of the toughest
tests in the area. Edinburgh in less
Țv®v®š³ËÀÈÀœÛŒvÜvâv®ˆȚŒÀŒ
is also good links to the south. It
ÜvÃ۳ȌˆȚŒ­³ÃÈۜÜȌˆƒ³ËÀÌ
in the VisitScotland Freedom of
the Fairwaysڌ­Œ–³Àïی
âŒvÀÃœ®vÀ³Ü–À³­ŮŬŭŭưŮŬŭűƛ*ÈƺÃ
a fun test with challenging, tight
fairways and small greens, a ‘must
ۜÜÈƺ³®v³ÀˆŒÀ׳¨–œÈœ®ŒÀvÀâƛ
WGET MORE bunkered.co.uk/wheretoplay
from
£30
per round
GRANGEMOUTH
GOLF COURSE
` Polmont, Falkirk
` Par 70 Yards 6,049
grangemouthgolfclub.co.uk
` OŒÈ³®űŬŬvƒÀŒÃv®ˆÃËÀÀ³Ë®ˆŒˆ
by Polmont Woods, this course
opened in 1974 and includes iconic
š³¨ŒÃÃ˃švÃȚŒIvÀůÌی®ÈšƜ
—ËvÀˆŒˆ‚âÌیÀv¨‚Ë®§ŒÀÃv®ˆ
½¨vâóیÀȚŒŒˆ—Œ³–vÀŒÃŒÀÛ³œÀ
ȳv®Œ¨ŒÛvȌˆ—ÀŒŒ®ƛ*ȜýÀ³Ëˆ¨â
referred to by locals as ‘one of the
best municipal courses in Scotland’
and that kind of reputation is rarely
®ŒÛŒÀ¨œÛŒˆ˽ȳƜvÃȚŒƒ³ËÀÌœÃ
v–Ë®ȌÃȳ–â³ËÀ®ŒÀیÃœ®½ÀŒÈÈâ
surroundings - take in the sights of
the Ochil Hills - with its fair share of
tricky holes, including the superb
closer in front of the clubhouse.
twitter.com/bunkeredonline
from
£27
per round
TULLIALLAN
GOLF CLUB
` Kincardine, Alloa
` Par 69 Yards 6,000
tulliallangolf.co.uk
` Tuilliallan is one of the oldest
clubs in Central Scotland and is
located in Kincardine on Forth. The
ƒ³ËÀÌœ®ƒ¨ËˆŒÃ‚ÀŒvȚÈv§œ®—ۜŒÜÃ
³–ȚŒLœÛŒÀ$³ÀȚƜ?ƒšœ¨(œ¨¨Ãv®ˆ
the Forth Valley and prides itself in
that the fact that it rarely closes
due to its drainage system. A par
69, the signature hole is the par-4
16th, which has been re-designed
to include a burn at the front
of the green and further water
hazards to the left of the green. An
interesting fact about the course
is that it has the largest practice
area in the whole of Scotland.
137
 Tulliallan Golf Club
PACKAGE 1 The Esk Flexible
1 night’s bed and breakfast plus 1 round on membership
The Medal and 1 round on The Broomfield. for only
£116 per person £250
FOR YOUR 2018 GOLF OUTING
PACKAGE 2 The Prosen
2 nights’ bed and breakfast plus 1 round on Our superb parkland course is only a 30 minute
The Medal and 1 round on The Broomfield. commute from Glasgow and Edinburgh
£156 per person
WEEKDAY GOLF PARTY Any parties of 12 or more will ALL VISITORS QUALIFY FOR
PACKAGE 3 The Clova PACKAGES INCLUDE receive a 10% discount on their A RETURN ROUND AT HALF
2 nights’ bed and breakfast plus 2 rounds on 2 ROUNDS OF GOLF, COFFEE golf booking. In addition you will PRICE DURING THE SAME
The Medal and 1 round on The Broomfield. & FILLED ROLL ON ARRIVAL, qualify for another game in the SEASON.
£212 per person SOUP & FILLED ROLL & HIGH same season at half price. *DOES Join now for under £10 a week
TEA ALL FOR ONLY £59.95* NOT INCLUDE £59.95 PACKAGE* (based on 5 day membership).

For bookings, The Park Hotel, 61 John Street, Montrose DD10 8RJ PRICES: WEEKDAY ROUND £27 WEEKEND ROUND £30
reservations &
T: 01674 663400 | E: reservations@parkmontrose.com Contact: professional@tulliallangolf.co.uk | Tel: 01259 730798
more information
please contact www.parkmontrose.com www.tulliallangolf.co.uk

HICKORY RENTALS · REPAIRS · SALES

37 MAIN STREET, GULLANE EH31 2AA
T: 01620 843 113 | E: JACKWHITE.GULLANE@YAHOO.COM
WWW.JACKWHITE-GULLANE.COM

THE COUNTY INN Torwoodlee Golf Club

Situated just outside Galashiels in the beautiful Scottish Borders
countryside, with over 100 years of history, Torwoodlee is a
A warm welcome, and affordable picturesque 18-hole 6,021 yrd, par 69 golf course. Flanked by the River
ensuite accommodation awaits Gala and set amongst a mix of mature woodland and rolling parkland,
you at The County. it is one of the most challenging golf courses in the Scottish Borders.
Our Food and Drinks range is
guaranteed to satisfy various 4 BALL SPECIAL FOR ONLY
tastes. The County is located on
Scotlands Golf coast close to
including buggies £120 01896 752260
(OPTION 3)
numerous championship golf www.torwoodleegolfclub.co.uk
courses. torwoodleegolfclub@torwoodleegolfclub.com
Our High Street location ensures
all facilities are at your door step,
and you will be within two
minutes walk of two beautiful
beaches.
www.countyinn.co.uk | 01620 892969 | tonybreathnach@icloud.com @Ewan Davidson Photography

Where only the views rival the golf Alnmouth Golf Club
Northumberland
Coastal Golf
Breaks Prices from
Two nights’ Dinner, Bed
and Breakfast with three
£90
per person
rounds of golf, from a
selection of some fantastic
local coastal courses including
Alnmouth, Goswick, Bamburgh,
Dunstanburgh and Eyemouth, Foxton Hall, Alnmouth,
T: 01668 214321 from £228 per person. One night Northumberland NE66 3BE
sec@bamburghcastlegolfclub.co.uk breaks available from £90 per T: 01665 830231
www.bamburghcastlegolfclub.co.uk person. All 3 Star accommodation E: bookings@alnmouthgolfclub.com
Visitors welcome and limited memberships available in the clubhouse. www.alnmouthgolfclub.com

138 bunkered.co.uk
 t
toplay
PORTLETHEN GOLF CLUB from
` Portlethen, Aberdeen £45
per round
` Par 72 Yards 6,468
portlethengolfclub.com

` This is a popular parkland dotted with high trees down the fairways
making it crucial you keep it straight. The Findon burn is one of many
®vÈËÀv¨–ŒvÈËÀŒÃƜv®ˆœÈÀË®ÃvƒÀ³ÃÃïیš³¨ŒÃ³®ȚŒ–À³®È®œ®Œƛf³Ëƺ¨¨
encounter it here on the par-5 fourth, as the burn crosses 90 yards short of
the green which plays with your head. The signature is the 15th, a par-four
ȚvÈÀŒ¿ËœÀŒÃvƒƒËÀvƒâ³––ȚŒȌŒv®ˆ½ÀŒƒœÃœ³®ܜȚȚŒ̃³®ˆȳvÛ³œˆ
the Findon burn which guards the green. The course also includes a four bay
ˆÀœÛœ®—Àv®—ŒƜÚ³ÀÈ—v­Œ–vƒœ¨œÈœŒÃv®ˆv½ËÈȜ®——ÀŒŒ®®ŒvÀȚŒïÀÃÈȌŒƛ

ALNMOUTH GOLF CLUB from

` Foxton Hall, Alnmouth £45
per round
` Par 71 Yards 6,449
alnmouthgolfclub.com

` ŒÃƒÀœ‚ŒˆvÃƹȚŒ¦ŒÜŒ¨œ®:³ÀȚ˭‚ŒÀ¨v®ˆƺ׳¨ï®—ƒÀ³Ü®ƺƜ¨­³ËȚ
is widely regarded as one of the best courses in this golf-rich hub of
ȚŒ:³ÀȚvÃÈƛOœÈËvȌˆ³®ȚŒƒ³vÃȨœ®ŒƜœÈv¨Ã³švývÀ§¨v®ˆÈËÀ–v®ˆ
has a good reputation for quality greens. The signature hole, the par-4
ŭűȚƜœÃ­vˆŒ­³ÀŒýŒƒœv¨–À³­ȚŒ½v®³Àv­œƒۜŒÜ–À³­ȚŒ—ÀŒŒ®ȚvÈ
ڳ܃vÌív®â­œ¨ŒÃ³–ȚŒ:³ÀȚ˭‚ŒÀ¨v®ˆƒ³vÃȨœ®ŒƛSšŒƒ³ËÀÌœÃ
rich in wildlife and an extract from British Golf Links 1897 stated: ‘The
—ÀŒŒ®ÃƜȚ³Ë—šív¨¨ŒÀȚv®³®­v®âƒ³ËÀÌÃƜvÀŒیÀâ—³³ˆv®ˆÈÀˌƛƺ

GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY GOLF CLUB from

` Grantown-on-Spey, Moray £35
per round
` Par 69 Yards 5,414
grantownonspeygc.co.uk

` %Àv®È³Ü®ư³®ưO½Œâ%³¨–¨Ë‚œÃv󮌳–ȚŒﮌÃÈی®ËŒÃœ®ȚŒ
Highlands. The course, designed by, Willie Park and James Braid, is the
ƒv½œÈv¨³–OÈÀvȚýŒâv®ˆÜÈËvȌˆůű­œ¨ŒÃóËȚŒvÃȳ–*®ÛŒÀ®ŒÃÃƛ
*ÈƺÃیÀ∜––ŒÀŒ®Èœ®ÃÈ⨌v®ˆƒšv¨¨Œ®—Œȳ­³Ãȃ³ËÀÌÃv®ˆȚœÃœÃ
œÈÃv¨¨œ®—ƛÀ®³¨ˆIv¨­ŒÀ½¨v⌈šŒÀŒˆËÀœ®—ȚŒƒ³ËÀÌƺÃŒ®ÈŒ®vÀâ
ƒŒ¨Œ‚ÀvȜ³®Ãv®ˆ‚Œƒv­Œv®š³®³ÀvÀâ­Œ­‚ŒÀƛSšŒƒ¨Ë‚ƺí³ÃÈ–v­³ËÃ
½¨vâŒÀÜvó‚‚âÀ˜ƒ§Ãšv®§Ɯܚ³ܳ®³ÛŒÀÈ܌®ÈâȳËÀ®v­Œ®ÈÃ
and was beaten in playoff by Bobby Jones for the US Open in 1923.

BAMBURGH CASTLE GOLF CLUB from

` The Wynding, Bamburgh £47
per round
` Par 68 Yards 5,271
bamburghcastlegolfclub.co.uk
The only
thing you ` Founded in 1904 by Lord Armstrong, the course was designed by local
should force in a pro George Rochester. It is perhaps best known for its fantastic scenery
golf swing is the v®ˆœÃ³®Œ³–ȚŒ­³ÃȽš³È³—Àv½šœƒƒ³ËÀÌÃœ®ÀœÈvœ®ƛ*ȳ––ŒÀÃۜŒÜÃ
club back in the of the Farne Islands, Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle and is unique in
bag. the fact that on the front nine, it offers back-to-back par-3s followed
by two long pa-5s. The course is not the longest at 5,271 yards but is a
BYRON NELSON ƒšv¨¨Œ®—œ®—½vÀŲŴܚŒ®ȚŒܜ®ˆœÃœ®–˨¨–³ÀƒŒv®ˆâ³Ëšvی®ƺȿ˜Ȍ
‚À³Ë—šÈâ³ËÀƹƺ—v­Œƛ:ŒÛŒÀȚŒ¨ŒÃÃƜœÈƺÃv‚ŒvËȜ–˨À³Ë®ˆ³–—³¨–ƛ

twitter.com/bunkeredonline 139
¨vÃÜÃ

Sunninghill Hotel
Elgin Cairn Hotel
An authentic highland inn offering excellent
accommodation for small groups and individuals.
• Tailored Golf packages available featuring Boat of Garten, Spey
Valley and the fantastically challenging Carrbridge Golf Course
• Only 30 minute drive from Castle Stuart – Home of the Scottish
Open
M excellent
Many ll courses nearby b iincluding:
l di Elgin,
El i YOU
H • 7ULS$GYLVRU&HUWLʻFDWHRI([FHOOHQFH
Forres and Moray. Good rates can be negotiated. S

I
Comfortable, en suite rooms available at excellent ș ([FHOOHQWVHOHFWLRQRIPDOWZKLVNLHVZLWKH[SHUWDGYLFHRQKDQG The perfect

W
prices. We serve a la carte meals daily using ș +LJKTXDOLW\EDUPHDOVZLWKVHDVRQDOPHQXVXVLQJWKHEHVW base for your
the best local produce. A fine selection of malt local produce Highland

E
whiskies and real ales are available in our friendly Golf Holiday

R
bar with new Scottish gin and cocktail list to try! W E
• Situated in the Cairngorm National Park, offering a fantastic range of things to see
ER
E H and do. We are delighted to make arrangements or make recommendations for
Hay St, Elgin, Moray partners and non-golfers in your group.
T: 01343 547799
E: info@sunninghillhotel.com To advertise in bunkered please Main Road, Carrbridge, Inverness-shire • 7 • (LQIR#FDLUQKRWHOFRXN
www.sunninghillhotel.com call 0141 353 2222 www.cairnhotel.co.uk

St Andrew Street,
THE KING’S ARMS HOTEL Castle Douglas,
DG7 1EL

The ideal location for your next golfing Start in the morning with the hearty Kings’
trip. All itineraries arranged by the golfing breakfast. After your round, relax with a malt
proprietor including the special ‘Play the Best’ in the golfers 19th hole snug bar.
package of 1 round on Southerness/Powfoot
and Dumfries & County with 2 nights’ dinner Private off-road car park/drying room/club
B&B from £245pp. storage/excellent food/late bar/free Wi-Fi.
01556 502626 | david@galloway-golf.co.uk | www.galloway-golf.co.uk

MAGDALENE FIELDS GOLF CLUB

Situated on the border between Scotland & England

signoaur
t
holeure

GREAT PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR PARTIES OF 8 OR MORE

• Coffee & bacon roll + 18 holes £20 per person
• Coffee & bacon roll + 18 holes + 2 course meal £24 per person
• Coffee & bacon roll + 12 holes + soup & sandwiches + 18 holes £28 per person
• Coffee & bacon roll + 12 holes + soup & sandwiches
+ 18 holes + 2 course meal £36 per person

T: 01289 306130
www.magdalene-fields.co.uk tel: 01558 823207

140 bunkered.co.uk
 Highlands / South West / South East / England / Mail Order / Miscellaneous

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twitter.com/bunkeredonline 141
stretch
doon the

“We haven’t seen anything

like this for a decade”
The lengthy dry and hot spell of weather has turned many
well-known, well-loved Scottish courses from green to brown

S
UCH IS the usual unpredictability of
Scotland, by the time you read this we
may have reverted back to a ‘typical’
Scottish summer, which generally
involves wind, rain and a bit of smattering of
sunshine thrown in there.
But if that’s the case, it sure was good while
it lasted, right? The UK enjoyed its sunniest and
warmest May on record and that was followed
up in June, where Glasgow enjoyed its hottest
day on record on June 28 with a temperature of
31.9 degrees. Did somebody say ‘taps aff’?
But this sustained hot and dry spell of Gullane, 2015
weather has had its impact on the country’s
golf courses, with the fairways of many courses
turning from lush green to a baked brown.
“We haven’t seen anything like this for a
decade,” said Shiskine GC secretary Pietre
Johnston. “It’s been such a prolonged spell and
everything is so burnt. But everybody is loving
it. We have a lot of visiting members and some
have never seen it play like this before, so it’s
providing a different challenge altogether.”
It provided a completely different test at the
Scottish Open, too. Just look at the difference
in the colour of the fairways at Gullane from
2015 to 2018… Gullane, 2018

Shiskine Golf Course on the Isle of Arran

Scotland’s SCOTLAND’S Year of Young

People has been celebrated
some of golf’s biggest names.
Highlights of the celebration
Spey Valley to mark 12 years of
VisitScotland backing the event.

young
across the country’s summer included junior golfers Jack It also featured six junior
golf events with a series of Mann (Fortrose & Rosemarkie), golfers being chosen by Scottish
activities aimed at engaging Alex MacGillivray (Nairn Dunbar) Golf to represent First Minister

golfers young people in the game.

The activities included
and Scott MacKenzie (Muir of
Ord), who were all born in 2006,
Nicola Sturgeon in the pro-ams
at both the men’s and ladies

celebrated provision for many youngsters

to experience the thrill of playing
alongside and caddying for
playing alongside Danish golfer
Joachim B. Hansen in the SSE
Scottish Hydro Challenge at
Scottish Opens, while 17-year-
old Cameron Gallagher from
Longniddry was chosen by the

142 bunkered.co.uk
 FREE bag with Motocaddy trolley
W With the golf season in full flow, Motocaddy is offering a free bag
with any of the brand’s revolutionary S5 CONNECT ‘Smart Cart’ models.
Between now and Friday, August 31, any golfer purchasing a Motocaddy S5
CONNECT or S5 CONNECT DHC electric trolley can claim a free Motocaddy
cart bag worth at least £159.99. Get involved! 

Stephen Gallacher Foundation

to caddie for Stephen during the
Aberdeen Standard Investments
Scottish Open Pro-Am.
“It was an amazing experience
getting to caddie for Stephen,”
said Gallagher. “To be able to
watch and learn how he goes
about his job was so cool and it’s
a day that I will never forget.”
Prize Crossword
Once you have completed the crossword, re-arrange the letters WIN... A DOZEN SRIXON
in yellow squares to form a distinguished Scottish golfer. ULTISOFT GOLF BALLS
Across 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
5. Many amateur golfers would like to
improve their club _____ speed (4)
8
8. Hey ho! Malice confuses this Northern Ireland golfer! (7,4)
9. Bubba Watson’s favoured hand (4)
9
10. Ex-Open Champion who is now
a golf analyst and commentator (5,5)
14. Runner-up to Miguel Angel Jimenez at the 10
2018 Regions Tradition, a senior ‘Major’ (5,8)
15. Amen _____, a challenging section of 11
the Augusta National course (6)
17. Receiving one from Butch Harmon would cost a lot of money (6)
12 13
19. Many professionals now go to
the gym to improve their core _______ (8)
20. USA’s Solheim Cup captain for the 14
match at Gleneagles in 2019 (7)
21. Modern St Andrews course? (3)

Down 15 16 17
1. Miguel Angel Jimenez enjoys one after a round (5)
2. Radio broadcaster whose victory in the
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship caused
great controversy (5,5)
3. SšŒâ—³³ËȨvÃȳ®ȚŒï®v¨ˆvâ³–vȳËÀ®v­Œ®Èƪųƫ 18 19
4. Some Scottish overcome this bad golf shot! (5)
5. Devilish Bunker on the 17th hole at
the Old Course at St Andrews (4)
6. Paul Casey believes Augusta National suits his ____ (3) 20 21
7. Many golfers put these on their ball to identify it (4)
11. Caddies use these expertly in bunkers (5)
12. Only the second left-handed golfer to win a ‘Major’ (4,4)
13. US Ryder Cup captain who was coached by Harvey Penick (8) Answer ................................................................................................................................................................................................
14. Connor Syme’s position at the 2018 Shot Clock Masters (6)
16. SšŒÃŒ­ËÃÈ‚Œ2ËÃȜ®ƺýÀŒ–ŒÀÀŒˆð³ÜŒÀÃƠƪűƫ Your Name ........................................................................................................................................................................................
18. Rees, captain of the winning Ryder Cup team in 1957 (3)
Address ..............................................................................................................................................................................................

Issue 164 answer Patrick Reed ................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Winner Alex Harper, Moray
Email ..................................................................................................................................................................................................
ISSUE 163 ANSWERS Across 7. Keegan Bradley 8. Marino 9. Stadler 10. Dust
15. Luke Donald 16. Ben 17. Rose 18. Strange 20. Pro 21. Layout 22. Rae Down
1. Debut 2. O’Grady 3. Andrew Coltart 4. Hazard 5. Alliss 6. Dyson 9. Small Ball
Send your entry to ‘Prize Crossword’, bunkered, 50 High Craighall Rd, Glasgow, G4 9UD.
11. Under 12. Trousers 13. Skins 14. Manager 19. Two Crossword kindly produced by Jim McLaren / jim.mclaren5@gmail.com

IN BRIEF Laings gives backing to Team Scotland

LUXURY jewellery and watch v®ˆƜ–À³­ïÀÃÈȌŒ®ŒÀیÃȳ radio host Jenni Falconer.
specialist Laings was proud ï®v¨—ÀŒŒ®šŒÀ³œƒÃœÈˆŒ¨œÛŒÀÃv Team Scotland didn’t
to sponsor Team Scotland unique spectator experience. win the golf – it was Team
as they competed recently in Heading up Team Scotland Wales who came out on
the Celebrity Golf Cup 2018 was former rugby captain Rory top – but it still proved to be
at Celtic Manor Resort. Lawson, who was joined by a fantastic weekend, with
The annual event brings fellow rugby players Max and Laings customers treated
together some of the biggest Thom Evans, Greig Laidlaw to hospitality across the
names in sport and showbiz and Stuart Hogg and TV and weekend and a gala dinner.

144 bunkered.co.uk
PGA Tour pro hires caddie…via Twitter!
W After missing the cut in 35 of his last 37 events, Steven Bowditch – a winner
on the PGA Tour as recently as 2015 – decided a change was needed. So, he
took to Twitter to find a caddie for the John Deere Classic. The tweet brought
in almost 200 replies, with the gig going to a guy called Elias. So, how did they
get on? Well, unfortunately it was another missed cut for the Aussie. 

Danny Willett Jean Russell

Remember this guy? Plagued by back issues,
which resulted in just one European Tour top
ten in 25 starts from January 2017 to May 2018,
ȚŒ®—¨œÃš­v®švÃï®v¨¨âÈËÀ®Œˆvƒ³À®ŒÀƛ
Equipped with a new swing, Willett – who now
works with Sean Foley – recorded two top tens
ÀŒƒŒ®È¨âvÈȚŒ*Èv¨œv®v®ˆ*ÀœÃš?½Œ®Ãƛ
It was a family affair at Tain GC in the
Highlands as 89-year-old Jean Russell
captured the Ladies Handicap Championship
ÈÀ³½šâƛ(ŒÀÃ˃ƒŒÃÃv­Œ³®ȚŒÃv­Œˆvâ
her daughters, Mary Smith and Anne Ryan,
battled it out in the Scratch Championship,
ܚœƒš9vÀâܳ®ƛ

GOOD MONTH BAD MONTH

Bryson DeChambeau Sung Kang

The quirky American’s use of a protractor –
ˆŒÃœ—®ŒˆȳšŒ¨½šœ­ƹï—ËÀŒ³ËÈȚŒÈÀˌ½œ®
¨³ƒvȜ³®ÃƺƲÜvÂv®®Œˆ‚âȚŒVO%ƛ(ŒÜvÃ
spotted using the old classroom favourite at
ȚŒSÀvی¨ŒÀÚv­½œ³®Ãšœ½ƛƷ*Ȝó®ÃœˆŒÀŒˆ
‘unusual equipment that might assist him in
­v§œ®—vÃÈÀ³§Œ³Àœ®šœÃ½¨vâƜƺƸÃvœˆȚŒVO%ƛ
The ‘C’ word is the worst name that can be
attributed to any golfer – but that’s what PGA
Tour pro Sung Kang was labelled by fellow
½À³2³Œ¨vš­Œ®ƛƷ(ŒƒšŒvȌˆƜƸv¨¨Œ—ŒˆȚŒ
American on Twitter after Kang reportedly
ȳ³§v‚vˆˆÀ³½–À³­všvçvÀˆƛSšŒ³íƒœv¨
‚vƒ§Œˆ3v®—‚ËÈÃȜ¨¨ƜœÈƺî³Èv—³³ˆ¨³³§ƛ
 moments
landmark victories | inspirational players
1992
Dundas ends wait for Scottish glory in The Amateur
A
GED JUST 18, Stephen Dundas emerged
victorious in The Amateur Championship to
‚Œƒ³­ŒȚŒïÀÃÈOƒ³ÈȜÚܜ®®ŒÀ³–³®Œ³–
v­vȌËÀ—³¨–ƺÂœ——ŒÃȽÀœçŒÃ–³ÀůűâŒvÀÃƛ
Not since Reid Jack in 1957 had the Saltire appeared
by the winner’s name – a clear indication of the scale of
the Haggs Castle man’s achievement as he took down
`Œ¨Ãš­v®Àvˆ¨ŒâÀŒˆ—ŒųǪŲœ®ȚŒï®v¨vÈvÀ®³ËÃȜŒƛ
ËÀ³½Œv®S³ËÀܜ®®ŒÀÀŒˆ—ŒÜvîƺÈȚŒ³®¨â‚œ—
Ãv¨½Ë®ˆvÃȳ³§Œ®À³ËȌȳ—¨³Àâƛ(ŒˆŒ–ŒvȌˆIvˆÀvœ—
Harrington in a nail-biting last 16 tie, taking advantage
v–ÈŒÀȚŒ*ÀœÃš­v®ˆ³Ë‚¨Œư‚³—ŒâŒˆȚŒŭųȚv®ˆ½ËȜȳËÈ
³–‚³Ë®ˆÃ–À³­ȚŒ­œˆˆ¨Œ³–ȚŒ–vœÀÜvâ³®ȚŒˆÀŒvˆŒˆ
ŭŴȚš³¨Œƛ–ÈŒÀÀŒˆŒ­½Èœ³®vÈvÀ®³ËÃȜŒœ®ƒv½ÈËÀœ®—
ȚŒ¨vÀŒÈ2˗œ®ŮŬŬųƜ(vÀÀœ®—ȳ®‚À³Ë—šÈ˽ȚvȈŒ–ŒvÈ
ȳË®ˆvÃó­ŒŭűâŒvÀÃŒvÀ¨œŒÀœ®šœÃ½³ÃÈưÀ³Ë®ˆ½ÀŒÃÃ
ƒ³®–ŒÀŒ®ƒŒƲóœÈÜvèŒvÀ¨âv½vœ®–˨Œá½ŒÀœŒ®ƒŒv®ˆ
³®ŒȚvÈv––ŒƒÈŒˆšœ­–³Àó­ŒȜ­Œƛ
146 bunkered.co.uk
Ëȳ®ƒšvÀ—ŒˆË®ˆvÃƜ‚ŒvȜ®—9œƒšvŒ¨9ŒŒšv®œ®ȚŒ
¿ËvÀȌÀưï®v¨v®ˆȚŒ®ŮŬŭŰL∌À˽½¨vâŒÀOȌ½šŒ®
%v¨¨vƒšŒÀŰǪůœ®ȚŒÌ­œưï®v¨ȳ–vƒŒÀŒˆ—Œƛ
SšŒܜ®ÜvÌی®­³ÀŒÀŒ­vÀ§v‚¨Œ—œÛŒ®ȚvÈ
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ȳËÀ®v­Œ®Èƛ½vÀÈ–À³­‚Œœ®—vÌ­œưï®v¨œÃÈœ®ȚŒ
Oƒ³ÈȜÚ­vȌËÀv­³®ÈšŒvÀ¨œŒÀƜšœÃ³®¨â®³Èv‚¨Œ
achievement was winning the West of Scotland Boys’
9vȃšI¨v✮ŭŵŴŵƛ
®ˆƜ¨œ§Œ­v®â­vȌËÀƒšv­½œ³®Ã‚Œ–³ÀŒšœ­v®ˆ
Ü®ƒŒƜšŒÜvÃË®v‚¨ŒȳÈÀv®Ã¨vȌȚvÈ–³À­ȳȚŒ½vœˆ
ranks and, after three years, he disappeared off the
½À³–ŒÃܳ®v¨—³¨ï®—­v½ƛ
ËÈȚvȜîƺÈȳÃvâË®ˆvÚvîƺÈšvˆv®œ­½vƒÈ³®
ȚŒ—v­Œƛ$vÀ–À³­œÈƛ:³ÜvˆvâÃƜȚŒOƒ³ÈܳÀ§ÃvÈȚŒ
IŒÃȳ۳%³¨–ǪfvƒšÈ¨Ë‚®ŒvÀ9³Ãƒ³Üv®ˆœÃ:vȜ³®v¨
³vƒš³–ȚŒLËÃÜv®%³¨–ÃóƒœvȜ³®ƜšŒ¨½œ®—ȳ®ËÀÈËÀŒ
Èv¨Œ®Èœ®vƒ³Ë®ÈÀâܚŒÀŒ—³¨–œÃیÀâ­Ëƒšœ®œÈÃœ®–v®ƒâƛ