How many times have you sat in the clubhouse with a post-round drink and heard one of your playing partners mutter something along the lines of, “If I could just get the ball in play off the tee, I’d be a single-figure golfer.” Those sorts of comments are made the world over, for one simple reason: the vast majority of amateur players hit at least one wayward drive a round that leaves them hacking out of a bush, dropping behind or next to a penalty area or reloading off the tee. Surely if we could just find the short grass, even at the expense of distance, we would all shoot better scores?
That was the hypothesis we were keen to put to the test at West Hill Golf Club in early November. The idea was to play a round as normal in the morning, then start every par 4 and par 5 from the middle of the fairway in the afternoon. However, the start distance on each hole would be bespoke to each player, with our staff four-ball comprising myself (9.6), Neil Tappin (3.9), David Taylor (18) and Alison Root (16) – four players from across the handicap spectrum.
In the afternoon, with the help of game-tracking software
