Showing 1 - 10 of 29
Smart play! Time to know your bunker relief options
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 04/03/2026
» There is no penalty for accidentally hitting the ball twice during a single stroke. If a player's club strikes the ball more than once, it only counts as one stroke, and the ball is played as it lies.
Unplayable lies: Know the three relief options
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 04/02/2026
» You have basically three options if your golf ball finds itself in an unplayable lie. An unplayable lie allows a golfer to take relief almost anywhere on the course but comes with a one-stroke penalty, excluding penalty areas. The player is the sole judge of whether a ball is unplayable. The 3-options for relief are -- stroke-and-distance, back-on-the-line, or lateral relief within two club-lengths of where the ball is at rest.
One wrong move, two strokes gone
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 31/12/2025
» Giving or asking for advice like "What club did you use?" from anyone except your caddie or playing partner results in a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. Unsolicited advice from strangers or spectators is okay, but the player must not encourage it.
Penalty or no penalty? These tricky scenarios will test you
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 12/11/2025
» Let's see how good you know your golf rules; Here's some questions that will get you thinking -- You and your opponent are using the same type of ball in a match and inadvertently play each other's ball into the green. You're not sure who played a shot with the wrong ball first, so you finish out the hole as if nothing happened. Penalty or no penalty?
Golf's odd club rules explained
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 08/10/2025
» Here's a confusing rule that l would like to hopefully make clearer. You're allowed to carry up to fourteen clubs for a round of golf. However, you can have fewer -- just one if you wish. There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry so long as they conform to the Rules of Golf. For example, you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed clubs. If you start a round with fourteen clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, even if you lose one. But if you break one you can continue using that damaged club, replace it, or have it repaired, if possible. If you start a round with fewer than fourteen clubs, you can add clubs during the round until you reach fourteen, but you must not delay play in doing so.
Old tricks and new science in green reading
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 27/08/2025
» I have to be honest and say that the 'Feet Feeling Method' for finding the break in a putt has never excited me. This involves using your feet to feel the slope of the green while you walk around it. The Plumb Bob Method in finding the line of any putt involves using your putter as a plumb line to judge the slope. To do this, you need to stand behind your ball, at a right angle to the hole, and hold up your putter so it covers the ball. Then, you align the shaft of your putter with the ball. If the shaft seems to tilt to one side, it indicates that the green also slopes in that direction and you then allow for this.
Balance matters in swing
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 25/06/2025
» Make sure your legs are shoulder-width apart' because it's a straight forward requisite. Stand with your knees slightly bent with your feet gently angled. Your front foot should have a slight angle outward, or towards where you want to hit the ball. Your back foot should be angled at a 90-degree from the desired target.
Swing smart: Power tips for women
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 04/06/2025
» Women's clubs are usually lighter than men's, which helps generate a faster swing. The downside is that women sometimes have a more challenging time making good contact with the ball with these lighter clubs. Regardless of using men's or ladies' clubs when swinging, imagine that the club is heavy in your hands on the downswing to make better contact with the ground and the ball. You'll also generate more clubhead speed and overall carry distance.
Perfect your stance in 4 easy steps
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 12/03/2025
» Standing correctly to the ball is obviously extremely important for consistency and there's a four-step exercise that will help you to do just that. Firstly, standing upright, hold the club directly out in front of you. Then flex your knees until, when looking down, you can see half of your feet. Carry on the exercise by dropping your arms without bending forward, and then lastly, bend from your hips and stick your bottom out slightly. When the club touches the ground, Hey Presto, you will be in the perfect position from which to start a good swing.
Out of bounds: A humorous wish list for golf in 2025
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 25/12/2024
» Seeing that it's Christmas and the season of goodwill, instead of my usual tip, here's something different: