JUNE 2026
south africa
US OPEN PREVIEW
WHY MORE PROS ARE USING A 7-WOOD
Bob MacIntyre GREAT SCOT!
NEW RANKING WORLD'S BEST COURSES
PGA TOUR POKER
The World Leader in Golf Instruction Opens in Johannesburg.
Located inside the World of Golf. GOLFTEC has a proven way to help all golfers play Way Better . Using data-driven technology, our highly trained Coaches quickly diagnose the key areas of your swing that need help. The GOLFTEC Training Center includes 4 Training Bays fully equipped with launch monitors and our proprietary swing motion measurement system, OptiMotion. To book a Swing Evaluation or to learn more visit: www.golftec.co.za or call 011 545 8600 Located at the corner of Woodmead Drive and Maxwell Drive Johannesburg, Gauteng
JUNE 2026
HEARTY HEATHLAND
St George’s Hill near London is one of 16 newcomers on our World’s 100 Greatest List. See the full ranking on page 108.
6 Editor’s Letter BY STUART MCLEAN Voices 8 The Undercover Pro WITH LUKE KERR-DINEEN
85 Two putting drills BY LYDIA KO
89 Boost your heart rate BY JASON BIRNBAUM
92 Embrace the Loft BY KATIE DETLEFSEN DAHL Features 42 Game of Stones Bob MacIntyre on moving back to Scotland, Ryder Cup, brotherhood, shinty and how to meet the moment. BY JOEL BEALL 52 7th Heaven Why more pros are using high-lofted woods. BY NICK BOVA 56 Special Delivery Learn the golf swing even when you’re not swinging. BY ERIKA LARKIN 108 World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses Our new world ranking reveals the joys of slow travel. BY DEREK DUNCAN Where to Play 68 US Open Preview The evolution of Shinnecock
10 Can Tiger make history? BY JERRY TARDE
12 Journeys Casandra Alexander WITH GRANT WINTER 15 Storm Damage Trees lost at George courses. BY STUART MCLEAN 18 GD Community Is it a career round if you take gimmes? BY DREW POWELL 21 Can you play with a range ball? RULES BY RON KASPRISKE 22 Aaron Rai’s quirky habits BY LUKE KERR-DINEEN 24 Stupid problems How to rake bunkers. BY CHRISTOPHER POWERS How to Play 26 Cam Young’s Putting Philosophy
Hills’ iconic design. BY DEREK DUNCAN
28 From the Archives Phil Mickelson’s flop shot.
94 Dumbarnie Links Modern links in Fife. BY STUART MCLEAN
30 Tap-in sandies BY JORDAN DEMPSEY
98 Best SA Facilities Top-rated pro shops, halfway houses, 19th Holes, locker rooms, ranges, etc. What to Play 76 Should you sweep your woods and hit down on your irons? What our robot test reveals (page 78). Dirty wedge grooves affect ball flight and spin more than you might think (page 80). The most forgiving drivers fly straighter, even on mis-hits (page 82).
32 Two-Minute Clinic How to stop skulling. BY RUSHI OZA
36 Create more energy BY MARK BLACKBURN
38 Best place to miss a green BY JORDAN DEMPSEY 40 Swing Analysis PGA champion Aaron Rai. BY LUKE KERR-DINEEN
M other Nature can be hugely damaging to golf courses, as we’ve seen the past month, with high winds toppling hundreds of mature trees at George GC and Fancourt, and flooding wiping out holes at Silwerstrand estate in Robertson. This year it has been the turn of the Western Cape and Mpuma- langa to suffer; previously it had been KwaZulu-Natal. George members are still coming to terms with the devastation inflicted on their parkland course (see page 15). They have been playing golf elsewhere since it happened, thanks to the gener- ous reciprocity offered by other Garden Route clubs, but now they are return- ing home and facing up to a course that looks different from the one they knew. Our golfers are generally “tree-hug- gers.” We love parkland courses and the many tree species lining the fairways. George is a fine example. However, we forget that nearly all our courses were originally built on barren ground, with little vegetation. Our ancestors embarked on massive tree-planting projects, mainly fast-growing blue gums and pines. These comprised most of the trees that crashed down on fairways and greens at George. They shouldn’t be mourned for long. In the United States, many famous private clubs have been cutting back the forests on their courses, opening the landscapes. It has become a trend in the north-east. An extreme example EDITOR’S LETTER E Destruction can lead to renewal
is Oakmont Country Club. When Ernie Els won the US Open there in 1994 the trees were so dense that you couldn’t see between holes. When the US Open was played there last year, only a handful re- mained. The course is no less appealing. Not for one moment would it be sensible for George GC to cut down more trees, but a reduced number might enhance the layout and create more views across the course from the clubhouse, as it has done at Oakmont. The renewal of courses can be re- warding. Four years ago, Durban Country Club was severely damaged by flooding. Today, we see a transformed layout that draws admiring comments from members and visitors. Its resusci- tation not only involved the construc- tion of new greens, but the removal of much of the invasive coastal bush that had proliferated in tropical conditions. Members were initially distraught at the amount of clearing taking place, but now see the new vistas as beneficial. When it comes to forces of nature devastating a course, nothing can match what happened in the Cana- dian Rockies on July 22, 2024. A wild- fire roared through the revered Jasper Park Lodge that night. The 100-year- old Stanley Thompson design had been lined with somewhere between 8 000 and 9 000 trees. The next morn- ing it resembled “scorched earth.” Few trees remained alive. Either they were charred black flagpoles, or had been uprooted and felled onto fairways, greens and into bunkers. It wasn’t the fire that had uprooted 60-metre Doug- las firs with 10-metrewide root systems but cyclonic winds. Black ash covered the course, the greens were charred. The site lost 90 percent of its tree cover, and most of the remaining 10 percent was centred
Shinnecock’s Tough Par 3 Seve & Ollie: 1991 Ryder Cup Costs of a PGA Tour player PGA trophy went missing CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO VIEW OUR TOP SIX VIDEOS
Getting Up & Down World 100 Rankings
around the Lodge itself (which, mirac- ulously, survived, likely only because the course, drenched from the irriga- tion before it succumbed to the fire, acted as a natural break in the fire’s path). Course architect Ian Andrew was shocked at the sight but began seeing vistas he’d never had before. He could make out the topography better. Hid- den peaks were now visible. It occurred to him that most of the trees hadn’t been there when Thompson built the course in the 1920s. Andrew turned to the course superintendent, and said, “I can’t believe what I’m looking at. This might actually be better than before.” More than 7 000 trees were removed, and the course reopened for play 344 days later, on July 1, 2025. This year Golf Digest has Jasper Park Lodge at No 35 in their biennial ranking of the World’s 100 Greatest Courses (see Page 108). Two years ago, in the 2024 rank- ings, it was 45. Stuart McLean stuartm@morecorp.co.za
GOLF DIGEST USA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JERRY TARDE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MAX ADLER EXECUTIVE EDITOR PETER MORRICE INTERNATIONAL EDITOR JU KUANG TAN
TEACHING PROFESSIONALS: TODD ANDERSON, MARK BLACKBURN, CHUCK COOK, HANK HANEY, BUTCH HARMON, ERIKA LARKIN, DAVID LEADBETTER, CAMERON MCCORMICK, JIM MCLEAN, MICHAEL NEFF, RENEE POWELL, RANDY SMITH, RICK SMITH, DAVE STOCKTON, JOSH ZANDER PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: AMY ALCOTT, RANDY MYERS, NICK PRICE, JUDY RANKIN, LUCIUS RICCIO, BOB ROTELLA, BEN SHEAR, RALPH SIMPSON, DR ARA SUPPIAH PLAYING EDITORS: COLLIN MORIKAWA, JORDAN SPIETH
EDITOR STUART MCLEAN DESIGN ELINORE DE LISLE MEDIA SALES DANIEL EGDES (daniele@morecorp.co.za)
A licensing agreement between Warner Brothers Discovery and Morecorp, owners of The Pro Shop and World of Golf. Warner Brothers Discovery is a global leader in real-life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains.
6 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2026
THE UNDERCOVER PRO
Poker Games on Tour Cocky players, good gossip and big money
I’M NOT A TOUR PRO BUT I’VE worked as credentialled player support for a long time. In my
career I’ve learned that some of the most interesting conversations behind the scenes of pro golf don’t happen on the range, the putting green or in player dining. They happen at the poker table. Broadly, underground poker games are a way to protect recreational play- ers. When a casual poker player with some cash to burn sits down to play in a casino, that table gets swarmed by low- er-level professionals looking to take advantage. Hosting a game at some- one’s rental house or even in a desig- nated space like a warehouse keeps that element away. In the golf world, you find there’s just a lot of overlap with people who love cards, too. There’s a legendary poker game known to golf people in Dallas and an- other in Las Vegas, both areas with low taxes and great airports that attract a lot of tour pros. You might also find these games at country clubs anywhere. Bring your own booze and don’t go where the house takes money, as those games are illegal. I see a lot of pots between $300 and $1 000, although I’ve watched a cou- ple of hands where guys had north of $250 000 in chips in front of them. I can’t play for that kind of money, but those nights have a different kind of energy. There’s no feeling like witness- ing a high-stakes poker game, just as nothing compares to watching some- one stand over a short putt with serious prize money on the line. Underground poker games attract a wide group within golf. There are more coaches and agents that frequent the table, but it’s not unusual for players to show up, too. I’ve seen everyone from
Ryder Cuppers to highly ranked ama- teurs make appearances. The real high rollers tend to be the friendly execs who are members at the same club as the tour pros. Some of the guys are genuinely good at poker. Others play like they’re used to winning at everything and can’t figure out why the cards aren’t cooperating. Regardless of who takes the big pots on a given night, it’s the love for poker and golf that bonds everyone. Also, some of the gossip that flows through these games is remarkable. Long before Anthony Kim’s LIV Golf comeback was ever a rumour on X, I heard about it from playing cards with someone in his inner circle. I heard about another prominent player need- ing season-ending surgery the same way. That’s how these things work. The poker table is the original group chat. You know how it is – once the cock- tails get poured, the conversations begin flowing just as freely. I’ve seen player-coach relationships form over poker games. Guys start chatting about the golf swing in a casual setting, and the next thing you know, you see them on the range together at a tour event. I
watched one player quickly double his career earnings after making such a change, which proves there’s more than one way of making money playing pok- er. Whenever you see a player show up with a new logo on his bag, understand there’s a chance that business relation- ship has its origin at a poker table. The longer I spend in both worlds, the more I realise how similar poker and golf are. Not every golfer likes poker, but the ones who do have the same analytical mind that helps them avoid bogeys on par 5s. They under- stand that winning or losing individual hands comes down to random variance. No one makes every putt, but you learn that if you have a good system and put enough good rolls on the ball, you’ll make enough of them. The mistakes are often the same, too. Whatever instinct makes a golfer try to carve a draw through a gap in the trees instead of pitching back into the fair- way is the same one that urges a poker player to run an elaborate bluff. Poker players call it fancy-play syndrome. Golfers don’t really have a word for it, but they suffer from it just as badly. – WITH LUKE KERR-DINEEN
8 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
THE NEXT ONE’S GOOD
Tiger Wins the ’26 US Senior Open. You Mean, There’s a Chance? BY JERRY TARDE
T he most historically sig- nificant event of the year isn’t Rory McIlroy winning back- to-back Masters, or whatever Scottie or Nelly will do this summer. It’s the prospect of Tiger Woods, bruised and battered, coming back from a secret rehabilitation centre in Zurich to play in the US Senior Open at Scioto Coun- try Club, July 2-5. It might be unlikely, but given his CV, I wouldn’t rule out the Miracle Man just yet. After his DUI arrest in March, Tiger said he was “stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.” That simple sentence dashed the hopes of Ireland, which was counting on Tiger to be the next US cap- tain of the Ryder Cup played in 2027 at his pal J P McManus’ Adare Manor. (Jim Furyk is a good guy but the Irish GDP will take a dip at the consequence of him replacing Tiger.) Historians know Tiger winning the Senior Open would give him a record four different USGA championships in addition to his symmetrical achieve- ments in US Juniors (1991, ’ 92, ’ 93), US Amateurs (1994, ’95, ’96) and US Opens (2000, ’02, ’08). A victory would break Tiger’s tie with Bobby Jones for most USGA championships, currently nine apiece, and it would mirror the lifetime arc of a golfer – from junior to amateur
to peak professional to senior. Only Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer won the last three national championship categories, but not the junior. JoAnne Gunderson Carner won the first three but not the senior, although the USGA didn’t estab- lish the Senior Women’s Open until she was well past her prime (age 79) in 2018. Doing it at the Donald Ross-designed Scioto course in Columbus, Ohio, would also draw a line from Jones through Nicklaus to Woods – the all-time Great Triumvirate of Golf. A century ago, Jones won the 1926 US Open at Scioto, cement- ing his status as a golfing icon, having won the British Open two weeks before. Nicklaus grew up on Scioto, where his pharmacist father was a club member and often recalled watching Jones play, inspiring young Jack to win golf majors. Just as Jones was Nicklaus’ hero, Nick- laus was Tiger’s. Simply playing the Senior Open at Nicklaus’ home course would revive the GOAT debate. Tiger not only would kick- start a Champions Tour in decline, he’d cause a collision of golf’s three greatest eras – the amateur ideal versus the pro- fessional benchmark versus modern dominance. A mythical victory by Tiger would complete the four-tier champion- ship slam and renew a strong argument for greatest golfer of all time. Tiger would not only have to beat the field; he would
conquer Fate itself. Tiger is eligible for the Senior Open having turned 50 in December 2025. He registered his entry before the March
NATIONAL TREASURES Can Tiger be the first to claim four different USGA championships?
25 deadline, keeping his options open, so he’s in the system but not commit- ted. You mean, there’s a chance? He is exempt into the championship under several categories but most notably as a US Open champion in his first year of Se- nior Open eligibility. He could also get a special medical exemption to ride a cart, not normally allowed in the Senior Open, but provided he passes the American With Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines (the USGA denied John Daly’s knee in 2018 but let Scott Verplank ride in 2017 for his diabetes). Tiger would have to decide by June. One for the ages? I know it’s a pipe dream, but so was the 2019 Masters. As of this writing, the four pros he’d have to beat at the top of the Champions Tour money list are named Cink, Johnson, Toms and Alker, which sound more like a personal-injury law firm on an I-95 billboard. Tiger has more important challenges he’s facing, but a goal like this might be exactly what he needs for motivation. As they say in politics or pulpits, “Thoughts and prayers.”
10 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
JO U RNEYS
Cass Alexander ‘Golf looks cool; I’ll try it out’
I played five different sports for South Africa at age-group level, but it was my golf swing that got me a scholarship at St Dunstan’s College and led me to become a golf pro. BY CASANDRA ALEXANDER WITH GRANT WINTER
M Y DAD DIED IN AN ACCIDENT when I was three, so I don’t remember him. My brother Dean is 11 years older. He was a father figure at times, but moved out when he was 17 so it was always me and my mom, Charmaine Hall (my maiden name). They say single parents are superheroes and she has been one for me. I had to help with the cooking and responsibilities of running a home and this taught me to be independent.
● ● ● I was keen to immediately turn professional. Mom said the proviso was that I had to finish in the top 10 of the Sunshine Ladies Tour order of merit. If not, I had to quit and study. I didn’t fancy the thought of that, so I played great and finished third. Now I was eyeing the Ladies Euro- pean Tour (LET) Qualifying School. I needed more than R100 000 to trav- el and attend the various stages. It took six months of fund-raising and help from various people to raise the money. My first time in Europe, and there were 300 women competing for 20 cards. I played out of my skin and finished eighth. I knew then I could make the grade. A big tick in my life. ● ● ● I had hit my first roadblock. I’d earned my card but had no cash left! My husband Adrian, then my boyfriend, lent me R20 000 and told me to trust in my ability, to back my- self. Soon afterwards I finished third behind Ashleigh Buhai in the Canon Ladies Open. I earned R44 000 and
director at St Dunstan’s, a fancy pri- vate school out of our price range. He told me I was talented and offered me a golf and hockey scholarship! ● ● ● Many of the school kids had wealthy parents, and there were costly extra-curricular activities. Mom didn’t want me to be left out, so she paid and paid. I put her in a lot of debt and made a promise to myself back then that I was going to be her retirement plan. ● ● ● No-one in my family played golf, but a friend of my mom took me to a range when I was 11. I enjoyed it and thought ‘this game looks cool; I’ll try it out.’ That was the start of my golfing journey. I improved rapidly
● ● ● I loved my sport growing up in Benoni. I was a better hockey player than a golfer. At age-group level I rep- resented Eastern Gauteng and South Africa at golf, hockey, badminton, netball, and athletics. Badminton was cool, requiring skill and physi- cal fitness. I’ve always loved being fit and strong. At a sports day at St Dun- stan’s College a teacher said. “Here’s a javelin, see how far you can throw it.” I'm so competitive that I broke the school record. By age 14, I was in the first teams, playing alongside 18-year- olds. I wanted to play soccer with the boys, so they put me in goal. Before long I was no longer the goalie but scoring goals. ● ● ● We always had food on the table but there wasn’t much money. Mom worked 9 to 5, yet she made sure I could get to practice and play sport. She sacrificed such a lot. Spending more money on my sports equip- ment than schoolbooks. Her invest- ment in me was massive. My primary school was Farrarmere, and it was never the intention I would attend a private high school. However, I’m 13 and practising my golf at Ebotse Links when this guy approaches me and says he likes my swing. He’s the sports
could pay him back. My first LET year coin- cided with Covid and was about surviving. If it’s sink or swim, I choose to swim as I’m fiercely competitive. I sunk the winning putt to be part of a winning team in Saudi Arabia in November 2020 and earned €27 000, a for- tune in our currency, about R500 000.
and in 2018 I set myself a goal of becoming the No 1 amateur in South Africa, which I did, win- ning the SA Strokeplay at Port Elizabeth Golf Club, and the Limpopo Champs. College golf in the United States was briefly discussed but, even if had I received a scholarship, it wasn't an option. I didn’t want to study.
CASS ALEXANDER
1 WIN: LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
6 WINS: SUNSHINE LADIES TOUR
AGE 26
WORLD RANKING 31
LIVES GAUTENG
12 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2026
● ● ● Adi is a big influence and the reason why my golf has been so good. He’s a former body builder who knows how disciplined one needs to be to succeed and he’s taught me that. When we be- gan dating, I had to ask him “Are you in or out?” Being the spouse of a pro golfer was never going to be easy. But he was ‘in’ from the start and kicked me into gear, stressing the need for me to put in more effort and practise harder. He backed me from the beginning. He’s my rock and sees that my golf comes before anything else. When I was a nobody, he supported me like I was world No 1 and nothing has changed. He travels with me and is my manager. Everyone calls us the Dream Team. The amount of sacrifice I give to golf, he gives even more. ● ● ● I’m coached by Grant Veen- stra. I worked with him briefly at Ebotse Links when I was 16. We got back together three years ago. I wouldn’t say he’s strict, but he’s pur- pose driven. Everything is done for a reason, which I enjoy. We know where we stand. Grant coaches some of the LIV guys and being around the best coaches and players has given him knowledge that he passes on to me. In my opinion he’s one of the top five coaches in the world. He’s taught me how to make a score without necessarily hitting the best shots or having a perfect swing. That now shows in my golf. Adi says that Grant is the only man I listen to! ● ● ● A key moment in my career was fin- ishing T-7 in the 2024 AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews. Where Lydia Ko won in dreadful weather conditions on the Old Course. It was only the third time I had teed up in a major champi- onship. That cheque for €229 000, by far the biggest of my life, was an impor- tant lifeline. After that I could breathe easier, buy a car, travel more comfort- ably. That set things off for me and it’s been a roller coaster ride since. Last year I had four runner-up finishes on the LET and won for the first time at the Czech Open. With a last round 62! This year there have already been five runners- up – in Saudi Arabia, Australia, South Africa, Mauritius and Germany.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 13
JUNE 2026
TOP 100 COURSES
Storm Damage In George Powerful winds felled more than 500 trees on courses at George and Fancourt. BY STUART MCLEAN
fusing with trees lying everywhere,” he said. “I had no landmarks. Tree trunks had become barricades. Many were an- cient blue gums. Their tree rings sug- gested they could be 120 years old.” A giant 60-metre-tall gum tree next to the second tee box crashed on to the 16th green; another fell on the fourth green, gouging deep holes in the put- ting surfaces. “The reason why so many trees fell that day was a consequence of the heavy rain in George the week before,” said Austin. “We measured 250mm, so the ground was saturated, perfect conditions for the tees to be uprooted. Most were gums and pines, but a sad loss for the club was a pin oak right of the tenth, a feature of that hole. Indig- enous trees like yellowwoods weren’t affected too much. “I would say we lost about one third of all the trees on our property, but a number of those weren’t on the course,
THE POWERFUL GUSTS OF HIGH WINDS that ripped through the Garden Route city
kilometres per hour. An estimated 300 mature trees are thought to have fallen on the property, and the clear up operation is likely to last months. A few kilometres away, at the Fancourt resort, more than 500 trees fell across the residential estate, although many younger trees were saved by instant replanting. George GC chairman Daryl Austin was among the first to venture out on his course after the storm had blown through and he was astonished by the amount of devastation. “I couldn’t tell one hole from another, it was so con-
of George on Monday, May 11 caused widespread damage to buildings and felled tall trees as if they were match- sticks. The most high-profile and vis- ible destruction of trees occurred at George Golf Club, one of the region’s premier parkland courses. Motorists driving past the course’s eighth hole on CJ Langenhoven Road witnessed the sight of trees toppling over on to the fairways, flattened by wind speeds of between 100 and 130
George GC chairman Daryl Austin is dwarfed by the size of the roots of a blue gum tree.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 15
JUNE 2026
TOP 100 COURSES
than 100 contractors cleaning up im- mediately after the storm on the Mon- day, and we were playing the Fancourt Amateur, one of our biggest events, on the Outeniqua course on the Friday,” he said. “We lost 100-year-old gums and an- cient oaks. No specific species of tree survived. New fever trees were uproot- ed. However, we are fortunate in that we have no playability issues with lost strategic trees. You only need one tree to be strategic. “We did lose trees right of the par-4 sixth hole on the Montagu which could help us improve the playability of this challenging hole. We can widen the fair- way, which would help the higher hand- icaps on a difficult stroke 1 hole and get more sun on to that fairway. “Fancourt has planted 500 new trees in the last 10 years, and we had a team in place after the storm putting those young trees that had fallen back in the ground, saving them for the future. We anticipate the clean-up process to last another couple of months.” The Links at Fancourt was undis- turbed by the storm, having few trees on its open links terrain, but hundreds of blue gums fell in the forest between the Links and the rest of the resort, along- side the Malgas River.
avenue of trees between the first and ninth holes was unaffected. “Our biggest expense will be the re- moval of the trees, because the club was not insured against that eventuality. Insurance will only pay for perimeter fences that were damaged by falling trees, as on the eighth hole.” Austin did mention one positive. “We had so many trees that their shade was an issue, preventing the sun from reach- ing some fairways and greens. The turf will benefit from their absence.” George GC was founded 120 years ago on another site – the club will be celebrating that anniversary later in the year – and the current course designed by Charles Molteno Murray opened for play in 1931. Old photographs in the clubhouse show a barren landscape in those early years, with hardly any vegetation visi- ble to the eye. The Outeniqua mountain range was a prominent backdrop from every hole, not concealed by gigantic trees. Fancourt playable within days Fancourt lost about 270 trees across their two resort courses, the Montagu and Outeniqua, according to Ryan Reid, Director of Sports & Recreation at the resort. “We were lucky to have more
rather in the adjoining bush. And would you believe it, the dead gums in our main dam alongside the 18th are still standing!” The course was closed for two weeks, and then only the back nine was opened for play, as most of the damage had oc- curred on the front nine. It was due to reopen in the middle of June. “It was not an option for us to close the course until the clearing up had been completed. Closing for a month would cost us R2-million in revenue. Staff must be paid, just as they were during Covid, and without rounds being played there is no work for the caddies.” The tall trees have long been a fea- ture of the attractive George layout, ranked No 29 in South Africa, lining the fairways and creating defined corridors of play. There is concern that it won’t be the same without them, that the course will somehow lose its character. But golf courses evolve and success- fully carry on, as at Stellenbosch Golf Club, in the Cape Winelands, where hundreds of trees came down in similar circumstances decades ago. The picture at George GC is not as bleak as it would appear. It is not a wasteland. Many trees have survived, and still pose strategic hazards. The
Tree limbs scattered across a fairway at George, and the damage to a green.
16 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
Data driven. tour tested. ready for any challenge.
The all-new PRO/SL
GD COMMUNITY
Does it Count? We asked our staff if you can call it a career round if you took gimmes
Max Adler, editorial director: A career round matches the career. If you’re a tournament player, it must occur in a tournament. If you’re a recre- ational golfer known to play by a certain wiggle of rules, the round must be strict- ly completed within that wiggle. If your reputation is you tally a round by how many shots get airborne plus how many beer cans are left in the cart, please tell me about your career round but don’t take too long. Call it what you want because your audience knows. Stephen Hennessey, managing editor: I have personal experience on this one. I had to add a huge asterisk to my career- low 80 because my 10-footer was hit back to me on the last hole since my putt didn’t matter for a match. It wasn’t until we added up our scores after the round that I realised that putt would have been for 80. It sucked to tell that story for years until I matched that 80 recently without
gimmes. You can count your career-low round with gimmes if you want, just know that you’ll be judged for it. Joel Beall, senior writer: I understand these little debates are supposed to be light-hearted, but some are so fundamentally wrong they make me question the very fabric of who we’ve become. Can you call it a career best if you took gimmes? That’s like asking if you can call yourself a chef af- ter microwaving a Hot Pocket. What’s next? Are we going to let people claim they ran a marathon if they took an Uber for the last six miles? Will we allow someone to say they climbed Everest if they took a selfie at base camp? Stina Sternberg, vice president, Golf Digest Studio: You can definitely call it a career round if the gimmes you took were short, easy kick-ins. If any of them were longer
than two feet (or if they were downhill/ sidehill sliders), then no. I’m of the firm belief that golfers know exactly where the line is between a definite gimme and a putt that would have been a lit- tle tricky. If you don’t putt out on the even slightly tricky ones, the round is unofficial. Sam Weinman, digital editorial director: Can you call it a career round if you take gimmes? Sure, you can CALL it whatev- er you want, especially since most golf rounds in our modest worlds are sig- nificant only to ourselves. Personally, I don’t want to cloud the satisfaction of a low round with any nagging “Yeah, but I raked that one . . .” doubts. As long as the dream is still alive, I’ll putt everything out knowing I want a record showing to stand under scrutiny.
Christopher Powers, senior writer: No.
18 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
DOWNLOAD THE NEW APP For the chance to win a share of R250 000!
mygolflife.co.za DOWNLOAD NOW
RULES
O ne of the biggest changes to the Rules of Golf , perhaps since the death of the stymie, awaits in the not- too-distant future. The USGA and R&A are implementing new procedures for testing golf balls used at the elite level starting in 2028 and the recreational level in 2030. As you might imagine, some golf-ball makers and members of the PGA of America aren’t happy. The expected effect of the change is to roll back distance, particularly for players with faster swing speeds. While it might be at least five years before the new balls become the ones you play, you might have some ques- tions about balls currently in your bag. For example, who among us hasn’t pulled out a beat-up ball for a meaning- less round in an effort to save the “good ones” for the golf that counts? Perhaps you might have even resorted to using a driving-range ball when you ran out of eggs or didn’t want to risk dunking a R240 multi-layer urethane sleeve into a pond. If you’re guilty of pulling out a red- striped practice ball from time to time, you might wonder if you’re running afoul of the rules in terms of potentially using a non-conforming golf ball. And what about those X-out balls you can get for R250 a dozen? Surely, they don’t offer the same per- formance characteristics of a premium ball. Does that mean they are non-con- forming and would lead to a penalty or penalties if used during a round? The good news is, you’re probably safe to use either a range ball or an X-out ball on the golf course. Rule 4.2a(1)/2 covers the status of these types of balls. It first defines them. X- outs are usually stamped that way after Swapping Out Can you use a range ball on the golf course? BY RON KASPRISKE
er, you might be in violation of a golf- course or club policy regarding their use -- especially range balls, so don’t get caught.) One more thing to consider is wheth- er the course, club or tournament committee has adopted a Local Rule with a “list of conforming golf balls.” If so, refurbished and X-out balls are typi- cally not permitted to be used, even if the model of the ball is on the conform- ing list. However, balls stamped “PRAC- TICE” or similar can be used, regardless of the Local Rule. Using a range ball might be OK with the rule book, but that doesn’t mean you should be pocketing private property – right?
a manufacturer has deemed them too imperfect to be sold otherwise. Range balls, meanwhile, are “normal” balls that are simply stamped or painted so they are easy to identify and recover for golfers using the practice tee or short- game area. A third category of balls you might wonder about are “refurbished balls.” This group typically includes stuff that is recovered at the bottom of ponds and/or other spots on the course where they accumulate in great numbers. In all three cases, you’re likely to get less-than-ideal performance, which is why they are cheaper to buy and gen- erally more disposable (Can you say, water ball?). That difference in perfor- mance might lead you to believe that they are no good for a normal round of golf, but again, Rule 4.2 says unless there is “strong evidence” to suggest one is non-conforming, then there’s nothing wrong with using it. (Howev-
PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL HORNSTEIN
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 21
JUNE 2026
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
5 Standing on a stick Watch Rai on the range, and you'll no- tice every three to five golf balls he takes a break to stand on an alignment stick on the ground. “It’s a balance check. I want to check to make sure the stick and my weight run right through about the middle of my foot," Rai explains. "I don't want the weight too much on my toes or heels. I want to make sure I'm very balanced at setup." 6 Ball in the middle of his stance The traditional advice is to play the ball inside your left heel at setup with your driver. That helps you hit up on the ball to maximise distance. Rai, true to form, doesn't do that. He plays the ball back – almost in the middle of his stance. It started as a technical adjust- ment that forced him to rotate his body instead of flipping his hands. He keeps doing it now because the results are low-rising bullets. 7 His hips ‘stop’ mid-swing Ask Rai about his own swing, and he'll pinpoint one thing that looks different that he's never quite understood. "About halfway through the release, my hips almost start coming backwards a little bit," Rai explains. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. The ball's already gone at that point, so I'm not sure it matters, but it's something that's been in my swing for a long time." It's not a bad thing. Rory McIlroy's hips did something similar. It hap- pens when a golfer has strong oblique muscles that contract forcefully, temporarily reversing the direction of your hip turn. 8 Me and My Golf logo Rai wears a Me and My Golf logo on his hat and shirt. That’s because he's been working with the two coaches behind it, Andy Proudman and Piers Ward, since he was 11 years old. They decided to sponsor him early in his pro career, and Rai has been loyal to them – both as a student and sponsor – ever since.
2 Covers for his irons You've probably heard this one before, too. Rai puts iron covers on his irons. It's a move that's almost universally ridiculed, but Rai does it for a genuinely heart-warming reason. "It started from age 4, when my dad used to pay for my equipment. He paid for my membership, paid for my entry fees. It wasn't money that we re- ally had, to be honest, but he'd always buy me the best clubs. When we used to go out and practice, he used to clean every single groove afterwards with a pin and baby oil, and to protect the golf clubs he thought it would be good to put iron covers on them. And I've pret- ty much had iron covers on all my sets ever since, just to kind of appreciate the value of what I have." 3 Pink castle tees Rai uses castle tees of various colours instead of traditional wood tees. Wood tees look normal, but Rai doesn't care. He uses these tees because they have a little platform, which guarantees he tees the ball up the same height every time. 4 Dot on golf ball Rai only uses golf balls with "1" on them, but that's a common superstition on tour. He marks his ball with a line, but also places a small dot in the middle of that line. Why? Well, the line is for alignment, and after he uses that to align his putter, he focuses his eyes on that tiny little dot. It's a method known as "quiet eye" – and it helps.
8 Quirky things Aaron Rai does BY LUKE KERR-DINEEN
I love golfers like Aaron Rai, because they do a series of things that can only
be described as "quirky." Some people crack jokes about those things, but golf- ers like Rai, the new PGA champion, don't care about that. They only care about playing better golf. And if doing something slightly unusual helps them play better golf, then who cares what it looks like or what other people say about it. Because for whatever reason, it works. It's an attitude the rest of us can learn from. And as for how it mani- fests in Rai's game: 1 He wears two rain gloves This one is the most obvious to anyone who watches. Most golfers wear one leather glove on their left hand. Every now and again a golfer comes along wearing no gloves. There's only been one golfer (Tommy Gainey) that I can think of who wore two gloves. Rai goes one step further than that: He wears two rain gloves. The reason why is ob- vious: It gives him better grip. A compa- ny sent him a pair, he tried them, liked them, wore them ever since.
See Aaron Rai Swing Analysis on Pages 40 and 41
22 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
STUPID GOLF PROBLEMS
Am I raking Bunkers Correctly? BY CHRISTOPHER POWERS
but it’s the proper way to do it, and the group behind you, the one behind them, and so on and so forth, will thank you for it. Maybe not literally, but in spirit. Using “pace of play” as an excuse to not take care of the course is B S, and if a group behind is pissed that you are taking too long to rake a bunker, then they should be shamed for it. Lastly, as you’re doing your final pushing and pulling when you exit the bunker, flip the rake over and push and pull with the “smooth” side to smooth the edges. This is a move straight from the caddies of the PGA Tour, who are pro bunker-rakers. This will allow balls to roll more towards the centre/ low points of the bunkers and not get caught up around the edges, making for impossible, even unfair shots. Of course, the more woke golf nerds out there will tell you that bunkers should be true hazards again, and that rakes should be banned. That’s more an argument for the highest levels of golf. For everyday golfers, rakes aren’t go- ing anywhere. As long as they are here you should use them properly, with the golfers behind you in mind.
fellow golfers. That said, just a simple once over rake job sort of doesn’t cut it, especially for greenside traps. Not saying you should take care in fairway bunkers, but the greenside traps require your full attention. That’s where you’re digging in the most, that’s where the most foot traffic occurs, and that’s where you’re most likely to screw someone over in a group behind by not giving it the proper attention. Rule No 1: Never, ever enter or exit from the highest point of a bunker. Al- ways find the low point, regardless of where you ball sits, so not to damage the grass on the edge of the bunker’s high points or the faces of the bunker. And you can bring the rake with you to make the job easier. Just don’t test the sand with it before playing your shot. After you’ve played your shot, grab your rake, teeth side down, and begin “pushing” and “pulling” over the spot you’ve played the shot from as well as where your stance was. This will smooth out all the imperfections, as opposed to just raking in one direction. This may seem like it’s taking forever,
SOMETIMES, WE TACKLE big issues in Stupid Golf Problems, like how to plan a golf trip.
Sometimes, we tackle smaller ones, like where to leave your wedge after you’ve chipped to a green. This one is of a smaller, more granular variety, bunker-raking. There is, evidently, a right and wrong way to do it. And let me just say this now, especially to those who may have taken up golf in the year, I don’t know, let’s call it 2020: doing it at all is a great first step. It’s depressing to say that, but there are golfers who’ve played this game for decades that don’t even do the bare minimum. Hit into a big fairway bunker at many courses and you’ll see just how little respect everyday golfers have for not only the course but their
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE MULHOLLAND
24 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
26 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2026
EDITED BY RON KASPRISKE
“Some of it is becoming more accepting of what happens; realising that putting can be stupid. You can hit the best putt, you know, twice in a row, and one of them misses left and one of them misses right. And it’s not because you hit a bad putt or you read it wrong; it just didn’t go in.” – CAM YOUNG (COURTESY OF “THE SMYLIE SHOW”). YOUNG WAS 59 OF 59 FROM THREE TO SEVEN FEET IN PUTTING EN ROUTE TO WINNING THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP IN MARCH. Cam Young’s Putting Philosophy (revised)
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 27
JUNE 2026
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Phil’s Flop A look back at Mickelson’s first time explaining his
FOR MORE THAN TWO decades, beginning in 1992, Phil Mickelson was a Playing Editor
we captured his signature shot with a high-speed camera and then got Phil to explain how to execute it. Here are the images and his take from 27 years ago: “You might have the impression that the flop is a high-risk shot. In fact, it can be more forgiving than many conven- tional shots, provided you follow three simple rules:
for Golf Digest and shared detailed ac- counts of how he hit every shot in golf. That said, there’s one that stands out more than any other, even to this day – his infamous flop shot. Back in the September 1999 issue,
signature shot BY RON KASPRISKE
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPHEN SZURLEJ
28 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2026
1) Select the right type of sand wedge. “You need a great deal of loft to pro- duce height on the shot. You want that 60-degree to have bounce nearer the rear of head. That way, the club will slide through the turf rather than bounce off it, while preventing the leading edge from digging.” 2) Assess your lie carefully. “If your lie
backswing. On the downswing, don’t hurry to swing the clubhead into the ball. Let gravity do the work. You want soft momentum. Finally, you want to strike the ground an inch or so behind the ball. It will explode off a cushion of grass and turf. You rely on the trajec- tory of the ball, not backspin, to stop it quickly on the green.”
is fluffy, you’ll need a more level, shal- low angle of approach through impact. If you’re playing off a hardpan lie, you’ll need a bit more of a descending blow – though not steep by any means.” 3) Don’t force the issue. “Position the ball off the heel of your lead foot. Align your feet and shoulders open, but aim the clubface at the target. Make a full
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 29
JUNE 2026
GIMME ONE THING
Tap-In Sandies How to control distance
forward, weight on your front foot, shaft neutral) and make a three-quar- ter-length backswing. Whether the pin is tucked close to you, in the middle of the green or on the far side, keep the length of your backswing the same, but vary the length of your follow-through. Pay attention to the orientation of the butt end of the club and your body at the finish. That’s how you regulate how far the ball travels. The shorter the shot, the closer the grip finishes to your lead hip; the longer the shot, the further away. A good rule is that for greenside bun- ker shots of 10 metres or less, the butt end of the club should finish near your hip pocket (below, left). For a medium shot of 15-to-20 metres, finish it at your rib cage (below, centre). For the longest
of bunker shots, fin- ish it about shoulder height (below, right). Take a few swings out- side the bunker, visu- alising where the butt end of the grip is going
CHECK THE SHAFT Focus on
the butt end of the club and where it finishes.
to finish for the length of shot you’re trying to hit. Hold that finish for a few seconds, then repeat once more before stepping in to execute the shot. If you can replicate that same finish on your real swing, the ball should have the right amount of energy to finish near the hole. – WITH DAVE ALLEN JORDAN DEMPSEY, one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in Florida, teaches at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
from the bunkers BY JORDAN DEMPSEY
MANY AMATEURS ARE happy just to get out of a greenside bunker in one shot. But if you
want to take your sand play to the next level and get up and down more often, you have to learn how to control the dis- tance the ball flies. Here’s a simple tech- nique I know will help you. Take your normal bunker setup (ball
30 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
PHOTOGRAPHS BY J D CUBAN
TWO-MINUTE CLINIC
STEP ONE FEEL A STRETCH AT ADDRESS • Play the ball in the middle of your stance. • Keep your weight evenly distributed between your feet. • Let your arms reach out to the ball. • Feel a stretch at your elbows ( right ). Stop Thinning Your Irons These adjustments will keep you from skulling it over the green BY RUSHI OZA I WILL SAY ONE THING ABOUT blading an iron shot: The ball goes pretty far. That might please a beginning golfer whose priority is to advance the ball in any way possible. For the rest of the golfing population, a thin shot is rarely satisfying – even when it works out. Catching the ball on the upswing with the leading edge of an irons is a fault that is easily curable. Follow these steps to avoid it. – WITH RON KASPRISKE
STEP TWO MAINTAIN THE TRIANGLE
• Keep the feeling of extension in your arms as you start back. • Let your torso rotate the club away from the target. • Maintain the look of a triangle between your arms and club (left). • Don’t let your elbows bend (far left ).
PHOTOGRAPHS BY J D CUBAN
32 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
WE PLAY TO WIN When it comes to Srixon’s Z-STAR Series golf balls, we play to win. We win major championships, professional tour stops around the world, club tournaments, and everywhere serious players game.
And with our newest ball improvements—like reformulated cores and covers across the line—we expect to see even more trophies, medals, and low scores thanks to this next-generation of Z-STARs. Simply choose the one for you.
TWO-MINUTE CLINIC
STEP THREE KEEP EVERYTHING TOGETHER • As you swing down and through impact, keep your arms “long.” • Let your body and arms turn through together. • Still feel a stretch at your elbows. • Extend the club towards the target ( left ).
STEP FOUR DRILL: STAY CONNECTED
• Place a bath towel under your armpits and pin it. • Make backswings keeping the towel in place. • Feel like you’re taking the club back on a wide arc ( right ). • Make short through-
swings (no ball) feeling the connection of the body, arms and club.
RUSHI OZA, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, is at Highland Creek GC in Charlotte, North Carolina.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 35
JUNE 2026
TOUR TECHNIQUE
Create More Energy for the Strike Tour pros do it by focusing
going back, but it’s the result of the rib cage moving, which pulls them along for the ride. If you over-rotate your hips, you’ll get the club too far around and behind your body, requiring you to re-route the club on the downswing to get it back to the ball. To correctly rotate going back, think about your shirt buttons. Try to turn them away from the target. Imagine you’re on TV and the camera is filming your swing from behind. Show the lens your shirt buttons by coiling and turn- ing your rib cage to the top. Your hips and shoulders will automatically move with it, and you’ll have created a good amount of energy you can transfer to your shot. – WITH DREW POWELL MARK BLACKBURN, No 1 on Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America list, teaches at Greystone G&CC in Birmingham, Alabama.
YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT making a full turn on the back- swing, but many average golf-
ers mistakenly focus on their shoulder movement instead of rotating their entire trunk. If you look at the centre of their chests at the top of the swing, you’ll see it hasn’t moved much. It’s a fake turn, and those who do it really struggle to produce good power. Instead of focusing on your shoul- ders, let’s get you making a bigger backswing by copying how the pros do it – by turning their rib cage ( below ). The centre of the chest is the engine that drives the second half of the back-
swing, with the entire torso moving away from the target. Some golfers get too active with their hips in the backswing. The hips should turn
on this body part BY MARK BLACKBURN
BUTTON UP GOING BACK Turn your shirt buttons away from the target.
36 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRIC A
JUNE 2026
PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSE RIESER
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator