Hassocks Golf Club says it has been running at a loss for many years and has only avoided closure because of substantial ongoing subsidies from its owner. Now it has revealed that it is going to lose 9 holes to houses.
Seaford Town Council is working on a new neighbourhood plan, and it includes redeveloping the 6th hole at Seaford Head Golf Course. Sacrilege we say!
We have a vandal on our home course, who is taking divots out of our greens. In just one shot they are ruining the surfaces that have been bought to near perfection by the Green Team. We need to find the culprit.
Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich Bay, Kent has celebrated the completion of a major renovation project at the 27-hole property with the opening of Smugglers’ Landing, a completely new par-3. The three-year project undertaken by internationally acclaimed golf course architects, Mackenzie and Ebert, began with the now lauded ‘reimagination’ of the Himalayas nine, completed in Spring 2018.
Following close behind the launch of its new TAG Heuer Connected range back in March the luxury Swiss brand is building on its success with a special edition for golfers. The new watch uniquely combines sporty elegance and the unparalleled functionality of the TAG Heuer Golf app within a custom-designed digital experience suited for any lifestyle.
Tune into www.womensgolfday.com on 2nd June for a day packed with exclusive entertainment and inspirational messages from across the world of golf. WGD raises much needed funds for Médecins sans Frontiers / Doctors without Borders (MSF) and their battle with COVID-19.
Coming to a store, or computer, near you on Friday 21 August is the latest iteration from the folks at 2K, PGA TOUR® 2K21. The game will be available on several platforms and will be the first golf game for some time to feature actual PGA Tour Pros.
Today is the day we can all get back on the course after an almost insufferable seven weeks or so. Golfers have been rushing to book tee times and clubs systems have been crashing under the volumes.
It was good news for golfers in England as Boris Johnson announced in his Sunday address that recreational sports could resume, so long it is with members of your household. Sadly, the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have refused to follow Westminster’s lead
Hot on the heels of the Tiger and Phil announcement we have some more golf on telly coming our way with Team TaylorMade. In the socially distanced red corner, and standing a good six feet or so apart, will be Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson and in the blue corner will be Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff. The players will be taking to the fairways in a $3 million charity skins game on 17th May.
Instagram sensation and ex-pro golfer has been working on her putting during the lockdown. She has been showing off the various putting grips and techniques on her Instagram feed and there is one we couldn't quite replicate even with our Moobs!
The Skechers GO GOLF footwear collection for 2020 combines award-winning Skechers Performance technologies and exciting new designs to help golfers play and look their best whenever they step onto the golf course.
Here’s a chance for golfers to take part in a world record attempt – without having to leave home! At 2 pm BST on 5th May 2020, PGA golf professionals around the world will take to Instagram Live in an attempt to give the world’s biggest golf lesson. GolfPunk is going to jump on board as out pre-COVID-19 putting was truly shocking.
American Golf has teamed up with Golf Alchemy and Cleveland Golf to give away an exclusive set of three NHS branded wedges to one lucky donator. The prize is truly unique, as the team at Golf Alchemy has branded each club with the NHS logo, and carefully added a message of thanks to all NHS workers from 3-year-old Henry Brown, whose mother Emma Marshall is a healthcare provider for the NHS in Watford.
Leading premium golf apparel brand Galvin Green has introduced its biggest ever range of high-performance clothing aimed at young golfers for the 2020 season. The collection features more than 20 garments designed to appeal to golfers between the ages of 9-15 who are serious about their game.
As we feared the 'Covidiots' have spoiled it for the responsible vast majority in the UK and we are not only in lockdown but golf is also out of bounds! England Golf, Scotland Golf, Wales Golf and the Golfing Union of Ireland all confirmed that courses must now shut until further notice.
If you want to keep playing golf, then listen to this intensive care doctor and take action, now. There is much discussion that golf is a sport that can continue socially. However, unless we ALL take heed of the advice to social distance in all parts of our life, the virus will keep spreading and the authorities will shut down the courses.
We love Paige Spiranac, she is not only a good golfer but she also speaks her mind. Her Podcast ‘Playing a Round’ is well worth a listen and in her most recent one she takes a shot at golf and the hypocrisy within the game.
The Golf Channel has decided to up sticks and move its base from Orlando, Florida to Stamford, Connecticut, home of its parent company Comcast. The irony will not be missed by many that the news started to leak out during the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Palmer was one of the founders of the Golf Channel some 25 years ago.
Trial by television was with us again at the Bay Hill Classic on Thursday. No Patrick Reed this time but rather the squeaky-clean Justin Rose. Rose had a tricky chip from the back of the 11th which he ran some 10 feet past the pin but did he move the ball at address?
As previously reported, the Golf Hall of Fame recently amended the qualification criteria moving the minimum age for both male and females to 45 from 50. So, it was hardly a ‘dropped my bacon sandwich’ moment when we learned that Tiger was on the list of finalists.
David Feherty didn’t hold back in a recent interview for Sports Illustrated when asked about Patrick Reed. Feherty reckons that Reed should be known as "Captain Oblivious" given his response to the furore that has followed since his infamous rules infringement.
GolfPunk favourite Ian Poulter saw red following comments by Paul Azinger at the weekend suggesting the European Tour was a lot easier than the PGA Tour. Poulter took to Twitter and did not hold back on what he thought about what was said by the ex-Ryder Cup captain.
Martin Slumbers, the R&A chief executive, recently stated that “Golf has to change” when referring to the restrictive dress regulations at golf clubs as one of the reasons why prospective players are put off, with membership levels down across the UK. Fashion brands Lyle & Scott are in total agreement as borne out by their recent collaboration.
He has been saying for a while now that he needs to get off to better starts in events and in Mexico yesterday Rory McIlroy delivered. The World Number One soared into a two-stroke first round lead at the WGC-Mexico Championship to continue an excellent run of form of late with a six-under-par 65 at Chapultepec Golf Club.
The Scottish government has refused planning permission for a controversial plan to build an 18-hole championship golf course in the Highlands of Scotland. The plan had been to build a championship golf course at Coul Links, Embo, near Dornoch.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the bunker, or waste area, the Patrick Reed saga pops its nose out again. This time its the world number two Brooks Koepka giving his two pennyworth and he, as usual, does not pull any punches. Koepka described Reed’s actions as “building sandcastles in the sand.”
It was a fine victory for Adam Scott last weekend, he is a great ball striker, but I must confess I rather sighed when I saw him using a long putter to great effect once again. It was a similar feeling to that I had when Scott won the Masters back in 2013. I’m sorry, but I am with the brigade who consider these long putters cheat sticks.
For those of a certain age and most likely from this side of the pond will see parallels between the move by the proposed Premier Golf League and the World Series Cricket (WSC) competition of the late 1970s. Both ventures share two fundamental drivers, the chance for players to earn more money and access to broadcast rights for the organisers.
Forget the roses and chocs this Valentine’s Day what you need is a shiny new Stewart Golf trolley. Yes, slightly left field isn’t it but those lovely folk at Stewart have produced a shiny new video to support their Valentine’s offer.
Ok as nobody else seems to be doing it, I am going to come out and defend the seemingly indefensible, or at the very worst add a bit of perspective. Hank Hainey made a pretty unwise statement and was clearly mistaken in taking what might be described as ‘locker room humour’ to the airways. But, was he being ‘racist, xenophobic, and sexist’ as stated by the PGA Tour’s lawyers?
Our Bryson may not quite be ripping it up on the golf course but word has got to us that he made the Sports Illustrated Top 50 Most Fit Athletes. Quite excited to learn who had made this Top 50 ( 25 men and 25 women) we were somewhat disappointed to find the definition of ‘fit’ not quite matching GolfPunk’s.
According to Rory McIlroy, he is approaching 2020 with a new mindset, one in which he plans to play carefree golf. But what exactly does ‘carefree’ mean in terms of playing the game? Consulting the dictionary carefree is an adjective meaning free from anxiety or responsibility. Checking the thesaurus, I happen to have to hand synonyms for carefree include ‘breezy’ ‘cheerful’ ‘jaunty’ ‘happy go lucky’.
Call us old cynics but are the latest set of changes at the Golf Hall of Fame just a dressed way to get Tiger Woods inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame a few years earlier and boost the quality of the list of possible inductees for the 2021 draft? The rules were only changed some four years ago to move the minimum age from 40 to 50 and now it is being edged back to 45.
Ping Europe Ltd has lost an appeal against an infringement decision from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and £1.25 million fine. The CMA had originally ruled that the manufacturer had broken competition law by stopping retailers from selling its clubs on their websites.
Encouraging signs from the first event with the European Tour’s new regime on slow play. The toughened up four-point plan did not result in any penalties but the general consensus was that the pace of play was better. Even Bryson DeChambeau seemed to have responded positively – might the penny be finally dropping?
A lot of us have old clubs languishing in the garage or in the attic gathering dust. Those of a certain age may also have a modern-day antique - a wood actually made out of wood! But there is a man who has not one but over one thousand woods tucked away in storage and all of them made from what was the holy grail of golf manufacturing materials – persimmon!
Tiger Woods will open his account for 2020 and quest for his record breaking 83rd tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines from 23rd to 26th January. Woods last seen leading Team USA to victory at the Presidents Cup will then head to the Genesis Open at the Riviera Country Club in mid-February.
Ping has signed up Eddie Pepperell on a multi-year equipment deal. Eddie will be all Pinged up , as it were, as he will be wearing a Pink hat and carry a Ping staff bag as well as playing the clubs. It seems Eddie’s antics on Twitter also endeared him to the bosses at Ping and once again he amused his audience with an offer to Prince Harry.
The European Tour has a real headache on its hands following Iran’s recent threats to "destroy" parts of the United Arab Emirates if there is retaliation after the attacks they launched on Iraq in reprisal for the US killing of Qassem Soleimani.
2019 is behind of us but it was not a great display by some who let down our great game and so have been inducted into the GolfPunk Hall of Shame. So which five golfers find themselves with the unwanted invite?
Well they’ve had the boxing, Tiger and Rory have declined big pay days to play there and now Saudi has made history by announcing the first-ever professional women’s golf event in the Kingdom. The fully-sanctioned Ladies European Tour event will be staged in collaboration with Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation and carry a purse of $1 million.
When Peter Fowler picked up the winner’s trophy at the MCB Tour Championship it was not his golf that was centre stage in the post event online discussions. The trophy Fowler received is apparently inspired by the coc de mer or Seychelles’ nut but did they seriously not realise what else it might resemble?
We must say we like the look of the new Stewart Golf HottMitt. Who wouldn’t want toasty warm hands on the golf course? The mobile phone or device holder and charger does look like a bit of techfoolery (Is that a new word? - Ed) but each to their own. But might there be other uses?
The guys at adidas are not known for being shrinking violets and their new limited edition Collection (Zero) will certainly raise some eyebrows. The collection will certainly push the boundaries on the definition of what performance apparel can look like on the golf course.
This weekend the biggest winner’s cheque on Tour were nabbed by Jon Rahm on the European Tour and Kim Sei-young on the LPGA Tour. Check out how both closed out their respective events and raked in a rather obscene amount of cash.
Derek The Donkey, GolfPunk's grumpy horse-envier once again delivers his 'Joke of the Week'. As you know he likes nothing better than a proper good laugh as long as it's at someone else's expense...
GolfNow the biggest online tee time agency in the golf industry has grabbed an even bigger share of the market following the acquisition of EZLinks Golf by GolfNow owner, NBC Sports Group. Part of the EZLinks Golf portfolio is the online tee time booking platform TeeOff. So, what does this consolidation signal to the golf industry?
The folk at Galvin Green, in keeping with their name, are enhancing their environmental credentials by introducing a collection of golf wear using high-performance fabric that is left over from the production of its comprehensive core range. The UpCycle Edition collection consists of a limited number of garments for both men and women.
A golf club is counting the cost of a horrific attack on their greens by mindless vandals. Seven of the greens at Oldham Golf Club were hacked at with what appears to have been a golf club or clubs. The distressing pictures were posted by the club on their social media feeds.
Honma, that premium brand from Japan has just launched its first shop in Paris. However, it is no American Golf, or standard pro shop, and it would not look out of place on London’s Bond Street. In fact, we would not be surprised if we saw George Clooney walking out of it with a Nespresso in one hand and a Honma wedge in the other.
Derek The Donkey, GolfPunk's grumpy horse-envier once again delivers his 'Joke of the Week'. As you know he likes nothing better than a proper good laugh as long as it's at someone else's expense...
There has been much talk about Eddie Pepperell’s Tin Cup moment at the Turkish Open at the weekend. For those of you who have not ready about it, European Tour joker Eddie had a minor meltdown at the par five 4th hole(his 12th). hitting four or five balls into the water. Pepperell ran out of balls, walked off the course and was disqualified.
Stop Press: Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam is set to become the first female professional to compete in the PNC Father Son Challenge. We’ve just picked the Brigadier up off the floor spluttering something about it never happening at West Hill or something. Yes, it is called a father son event but this is 2019 and actually the fairer sex has competed before.
Eddie Pepperell must have mixed memories of Portugal Masters after missing the cut and losing his card in 2016. However, this year he appears to have found an innovative way to motivate himself, wagering Martin Kaymer about appearing on the Television Show First Dates.
Jason Day gets in private jet, hot foots it from CJ Cup in China where he was 31st and then beats Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and home favourite Hideki Matsuyama to the spoils taking home $210,000 of the $350,000 pot. Happy Days then (do you see what we did there?)! Well perhaps for Jason but not really for golf as the inaugural 'The Challenge: Japan Skins' lived up to our pretty low expectations.
It's GolfPorn time! This time we're at the famous floating green at the 14th hole of the Coeur d'Alene Golf Resort, Idaho.
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama will go head to head in a globally televised skins game, the first in a series of annual competitions staged by GOLFTV. "The Challenge: Japan Skins" will take place on the 21st October ahead of the PGA Tour's Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino C.C. in Chiba, Japan, and we will not be watching.
Cobra Golf today unveiled T-RAIL (Transitional Rail) its first, all-hollow iron-hybrid set, taking super game improvement clubs to the next level. T-RAIL, so they say, combines the forgiveness of a Cobra Baffler hybrid with the precision of an iron in a one-of-a-kind set of clubs that are designed for anyone looking for a better game.
There has been much debate about parity for women golfers and there have been attempts to move in the right direction, for example the Jordan Mixed Open and the ISPS Handa World Invitational promoted by Niall Horran’s Modest media. With all respect to these other events, finally, there is a big one with some serious money attached.
We love a bit of luxury at GolfPunk, particularly if someone else is paying, but the idea that you could actually use clubs that cost the price of an average family car is not something which we could ever comprehend.
Cobra Golf today introduced its next generation of KING Forged TEC Irons, featuring a traditional muscle-back shape with a hollow design for softer feel and improved power preferred available in a variable or ONE Length set make-up.
A year after finishing tied for second in the Hero Women’s Indian Open, Christine Wolf enjoyed a much happier experience at DLF Golf and Country Club as she claimed her first Ladies European Tour title. The 30-year-old Austrian, who had led by three going into the 18th hole 12 months ago before a nightmare double-bogey wrecked her chances, was able to take care of unfinished business.
We love a good 14 club challenge at GolfPunk. We’re not very good at them but watching the pro’s go at it is always a scream, especially when they manage to hit the green with a putter or equally unsuitable club!
Australia’s Whitney Hillier carded a one-under round of 71 to claim a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Hero Women’s Indian Open. She leads by a single shot from Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord with Linda Wessberg of Sweden and Meg MacLaren of England a further shot back.
Christine Wolf shot an excellent five-under-par 67 in the third round of the Hero Women’s Indian Open to take a one stroke lead into the final round at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram. The 30-year-old Austrian will be determined to make amends for last year when she dumped her third shot into the water at the 18th to take a double bogey and lose the event by two shots.
10th hole West Cliffs Golf Links, 372 yards, Par 4.
Poor old Bio Kim. The Korean who is leading the money list on the Korean tour, has been handed a three-year suspension for raising his middle finger at members of the crowd at the weekend. This seems a rather harsh punishment and will cost the young man a lot of dosh.
As we head into October there is a definite chill in the air and those hopes of an Indian Summer might be waning. With this in mind the stylish, but practical, folk at adidas have introduced their Frostguard Collection. A new layering collection for both men and women that was designed to help golfers extend their golf seasons during the colder months of the year.
Not happy with having the most popular golf ball those clever chaps at Titleist continue to push the boundaries of ball technology. The Titleist Golf Ball Research & Development team were thrown into a room and told they could not come out until they came up with a new golf ball. The result, the Experimental EXP•01 Golf Ball.
Only a fortnight after playing her part in Europe’s Solheim Cup victory at Gleneagles, Carlota Ciganda claimed the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open at Terramar Golf Club in Sitges, Spain to add another unforgettable moment to her remarkable career.
Victor Perez became the first French winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the event, winning by one shot from England’s Matthew Southgate at St Andrews. Whilst, at the same time, Rory McIlroy, finishing tied for 26th place complains to the BBC that the European Tour is too easy.
England’s Matthew Southgate and Victor Perez of France take a two shot lead into the final round at the Old Course, St Andrews in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Perez shot his second 64 of the week at Kingsbarns Golf Links to move to twenty under and was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Southgate who birdied his final hole at St Andrews to card a 65.
Businessman Jeremy Ord from South Africa's had an outrageous slice of luck when playing the short 13th hole at Kingsbarns Golf Links. Ord was playing alongside professional Branden Grace in the team event in Scotland when he came close to a hole-in-one following a number of lucky breaks.
Nelly Korda shot a four-under 67 to win the Lacoste Ladies Open to take her first European Title. Blustery conditions made it challenging at Golf du Medoc and despite being in a final round containing two local favourites, Korda managed to hold off Joanna Klattern and Céline Boutier for her maiden win on this side of the pond.
Following the debuting of the Titleist 2020 branding at the FedEx Cup playoffs the rather sleek looking bags are being launched on the European Tour at this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. We still want one!
European Captain Padraig Harrington has named Robert Karlsson as his first vice captain for The 2020 Ryder Cup against the United States at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin next September. Karlsson twice played in the Ryder Cup, in the victorious 2006 team that crushed the USA at the K Club and on the losing side two years later at Valhalla.
The teams were introduced, the crowds were bedecked in the colours of the teams and Sharleen Spiteri and Texas hit the stage to liven up proceedings. First points in the fashion stakes probably went to Europe with their mid length coats and Solheim Cup tartan scarves winning it out over the the not quite so flattering short jackets of Team USA. A real spectacle indeed and here are some of the best images.
Something for the weekend? Ooh suit you!
Gleneagles 13th hole The Queen's Course. A par 3, 140 yard piece of GolfPorn!
Two Foxhills members both hit a hole-in-one on the same hole with consecutive shots. Apparently, the odds of this happening are millions to one although we must confess, we haven’t a clue how that is calculated.
With stunning views of the China Sea along with the city skyline Sentosa Golf Club is home of the Singapore Open and more recently has been the venue for the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Cleveland wedges are definitely always in the mix when you think about premium tour products and we loved their recent CBX 2 launch aimed at the slightly more regular golfers amongst us. What they aren’t as well known for are their top of the line putters and perhaps, with the new Frontline range, that is about to change?
The techies at Cleveland believe that the keys to success are control and feel which gives confidence in putting and their new Huntington Beach SOFT range does just that, so that we make more putts, "plain and simple!"
Something for the weekend? Ooh, suit you!
What happens when you pair one of the world’s biggest pop stars with the world’s number two golfer at a Pro-Am event? Well it’s no joke but what you actually get is a lesson in bunker play in the middle of the round, oh and a very near miss!
The Solheim Cup is just three weeks away and Team USA captain, Juli Inkster, used her picks to add some experience to her rookie Solheim Cup line up last night. This will be Stacy Lewis’ fifth Solheim Cup and Morgan Pressel’s sixth.
World number one, Jin Young Ko, walked arm in arm up to the 18th green at the CP Women’s Open yesterday with defending champion and local girl Brooke Henderson, as she cruised to a five shot lead over her nearest rival, Denmark’s Nicole Broch Larsen, to confirm that she is in her class of her own on the LPGA Tour this year.
Something for the weekend? Ooh suit you!
Local favourite Stephanie Meadow will take a four shot lead into the final round of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational. The 27-year-old from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland shot a six under par 67 to sit on ten under for the event, four clear of England’s Eleanor Givens. In the men’s event, Damien Perrier of France and Todd Clement of England lead the field by a single shot following another long day with rain delays at Galgorm Castle.
Reports indicate our erstwhile Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Boris Johnson MP, has been learning to develop his golf game as part of a strategy to help him secure a trade deal with the US and presumably other nations headed by golf addicted leaders.
Scotland’s Craig Ross and England’s Eleanor Givens are the first round leaders lead in the The ISPS HANDA World Invitational, both carding an impressive 6 under par. Ross shot an impressive birdie free round of 64 Massereene Golf Club while Givens had seven birdies and one solitary bogey in carding a 67 at Galgorm Castle Golf Club.
It has rather flown under the radar but yesterday the ISPS HANDA World Invitational event for both men and women teed of at Galgorm Castle Golf Club and Massereene Golf Club. A first for golf in Europe as women will play alongside (sort of) the men and will play for the same money.
Following the Ladies Scottish Open the first eight players have been confirmed for the 2019 European Solheim Cup team. This afternoon the Team Europe captain Catriona Matthew will break some hearts and delight others as she makes her four captain’s picks. But GolfPunk have it covered, so you can relax Catriona as these are the picks!
TaylorMade are on a roll, of that there can be little doubt and when the TP Patina Putter collection drops you can be sure it will cause more than a little stir. The marketing bumpf is all well and good, but well, just look at them.
In 2018, Prince’s unveiled the newly-redeveloped Himalayas nine having undertaken a significant redesign by renowned international golf course architects Mackenzie & Ebert. A year on, the results are looking pretty impressive.
Ok we are not going to let this one drop. Slow play is killing our game and the lead must come from the professional ranks. In the second round of the Northern Trust, Bryson DeChambeau took it to another level.
As we start the end of season scramble, which is the Fedex Cup playoff, starting first at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, the problem of slow play rears its ugly head once again. Both Rory and Brooks were asked in yesterday’s interviews about the problem and neither of them held back their criticism and the need for the governing bodies to take action.
As majors go, the AIG Women’s British Open was a classic. Hinako Shibuno, the 20 year old Japanese rookie, who had never set foot in a tournament outside of her home country holed, in some style we might add, a 20ft putt on the 18th to secure the title. Just moments before Lizette Salas had missed a much shorter chance in front of an amazing crowd.
