Skip to main content

Featured

Why Distance Control Matters More Than Direction on Approach Shots

Photo by Lo Sarno on Unsplash Statistical analysis of amateur golf performance consistently reveals a counterintuitive finding: distance control errors on approach shots cost recreational golfers more strokes than directional errors, even though most golfers practice and worry about direction far more. The Statistical Pattern Shot-tracking data from systems used across recreational and competitive golf shows that amateur golfers are typically far more likely to miss an approach shot short or long of their intended distance than they are to miss significantly left or right of their intended line. A shot that's 15 yards short or long frequently finds trouble — a bunker, water, or simply a much longer subsequent putt — in a way that a shot 10 yards left or right of the pin, but still on the green, does not. Why This Happens Directional misses are usually caused by face-to-path errors, covered in our ball flight laws article , which tend to be relatively consistent for an individual g...

Top 10 Golf Courses in the UK: The Best Links and Parkland Courses

green pine trees on green grass field near mountain under white clouds during daytime
Photo by Dan Congdon on Unsplash

The UK is golf's birthplace and home to some of the finest courses in the world. Here are the ten best.

1. The Old Course, St Andrews

The home of golf, publicly accessible via ballot. Par 72, 7,305 yards, featuring the Road Hole and Swilcan Bridge.

2. Royal County Down

Set against the Mourne Mountains, consistently ranked in the world's top five.

3. Royal Dornoch

One of golf's most natural courses in Scotland's far north — Tom Watson's favourite.

4. Muirfield

Home of the world's oldest golf club, 16 Open Championships hosted.

5. Royal Birkdale

2026 Open venue, England's finest links course.

6. Turnberry (Ailsa)

Dramatic Ayrshire coastal setting, site of the 1977 Duel in the Sun.

7. Carnoustie

The hardest Open venue, with the toughest closing stretch in championship golf.

8. Sunningdale Old

England's finest parkland/heathland course.

9. Royal Portrush

Antrim coast venue of the 2019 and 2025 Opens.

10. Woodhall Spa

England's finest inland heathland course with extraordinary bunkering.

Comments