Golf Monthly is the market leading golfing magazine in the UK. It's a lively and welcoming read that is targeted at good golfers who are regular players - and keen to get even better.
With over 100 years of heritage and authority behind it, it represents the real 'voice of golf' with leading columnists, top players and unrivalled coverage of equipment and instruction.
The new European Tour season now moves to South Africa and the Gary Player Country Club which hosts this weeks event. The course is one of the major attractions at the once infamous Sun City resort in the north west region of South Africa. Sun City has two golf courses, the Lost City course which features crocodiles in one of its ponds, and the Gary Player Country club which has consistently been rated as the number one or two course in South Africa.
The fairways consist of a lush kikuyu and are complemented by immaculate bent-grass greens. Designed by Gary Player and Ron Kirkby and named after Player in celebration of his status as South Africa's greatest golfer, this par 72 track measures 7,655 yards from the championship tees. It is one of the longest golf courses in the world.
The Kikuyu-grassed fairways and bent grass greens contrast magnificently with the more barren thorn-scrub and aloe-covered hillsides through which the parkland course meanders. The fairways are wide but are bordered by tough kikuyu rough and untended African bushveld which, together with the tricky greens are the course's main defences.
Water comes into play on five holes, most famously on the par-five 9th with its island green, which is surrounded by waterfalls and artificial rocks. There are natural amphitheatres at the 9th and 18th holes, as well as several other vantage points around the course, giving thousands of spectators great views of the course as well as the players.
For another trusted The Gary Player Country Club review click here
My tips to Win:
With wins every year for the last three year’s and coming into this week on the back of six Top 25 finishes from his last seven starts, which includes a runner-up, third and seventh place finishes Thorbjørn Olesen 16/1 – with SpreadEx – will no doubt be back in the thick of it again come Sunday
Three Top 10 finishes, two of which were Top 5s in the PGA Tours Fall Series of events, it is fair to say that Mackenzie Hughes 20/1 – with BetVictor – golf game is in good shape coming into this week
The next couple of events offer the chance for Tom McKibbin 22/1 – with BetVictor – to get a win in 2024. And with a runner-up and eight Top 10s it’s not through the lack of being in the hunt come Sunday. Tom played in this event for the first time last year, but it’s certainly a more accomplished player arriving here this week
Each-way tips:
We won’t ever really know if Sebastian Söderberg 33/1 – with UniBet – has recovered from his last round total collapse at the Volvo Mixed, until he is back in that position again. But Sebastian does have a good record in this event with two Top 6 finishes from his last two starts. Fingers crossed if he gets into a position to win, he gets this one over the line
This year see Ewen Ferguson 40/1 – with UniBet – win his third European Tour event, and although he stumbled after that missing several cuts, he did finish the season with two Top 25 finishes. Ewen has had two Top 20 finishes in his two starts here and he will be arrive this week with a lot more confidence in his golf game
Outside tip:
Following up his win at the Australian PGA Championship with a Top 5 finish at the Australian Open last weekend, we are about to see if Elvis Smylie 66/1 – with Bet365 – will be challenging at the top of leaderboards away from home soil and without a partisan crowd
