9 Reasons To Buy The Open Issue

We delve inside the Open issue of Golf Monthly, which includes a 32-page Open Championship preview, a FREE Strokesaver guide to the course at Birkdale, a look at the perfect pre-round preparation with Rickie Fowler and a chat with PGA Championship winner Alex Noren. Added to this we have all the usual jam-packed gear, courses, rules and features sections plus opinion from Wayne Riley, Dan Walker and Chris Wood.

1. 32-page preview of The Open at Birkdale

Our preview to the showdown on the Lancashire coast includes a look at whether Birkdale is the best Open venue on the rota. We also look back on past encounters at the course, recount some famous Open near-misses, try to create the perfect links player and much more.

2. Unfinished Business

We look back to 1998 when a young Justin Rose burst onto the scene at Birkdale. Things did not go altogether smoothly for the Englishman in the next few years but he returns to the course as one of the favourites.

3. FREE Birkdale Strokesaver course guide

Enhance your enjoyment of the greatest championship of all with our FREE hole-by-hole guide to Royal Birkdale.

4. Tested by Golf Monthly

Our expert testing team runs the rule over the new Scotty Cameron putters, TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x balls, Cobra King Pur wedges and more.

5. Rickie Fowler's Pre-Round Secrets

See what you can learn from the World No.9's pre-round routine.

6. Reader Lesson

We help one GM reader who's struggling with his driver.

7. Rules

Our Rules experts answer some reader queries and look at the do's and don'ts of the golf ball, as well as posing some teasers in our monthly quiz.

8. Head To Head

We put two of the latest wedge models up against each other to see which could save you the most shots.

9. Destination Golf

We visit Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, tour Aberdeenshire, stay at Dunston Hall in Norfolk and much more.