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Sport Match
Which game is yours right now?
Six quick questions about your time, your company and the pace you enjoy. The answer is not a verdict, only a good place to start, and most of our readers end up playing two of the three.
From your first three cards to a number that travels with you. A clear guide to the World Handicap System, its formulas and what they mean on the first tee.
From car park to first tee or first serve in ten minutes: a short dynamic routine that gets ankles, hips, spine and shoulders ready, plus a five minute cool down.
5 min read
Score Keeper
Fifteen, thirty, forty, golden point
Tennis and padel share a scoring system that confuses every newcomer once. Tap who won the point and watch games, sets and tiebreaks fall into place, with advantage, the golden point of club padel or the Star Point the professional tours have played since 2026.
Nobody expects you to play well on your first round. Only to keep up, and to leave the course as you found it.
Season Planner
Where to play in October
Pick a month. The regions with their best weather for golf, padel and tennis come forward, based on typical conditions, not forecasts.
Best nowAlgarvePortugalgolftennispadelMild winters and long shoulder seasons on the cliffs and pines of southern Portugal.Best nowAndalusiaSpaingolfpadeltennisSpain’s busiest golf coast and padel at every corner; midsummer is for early mornings.Best nowMallorcaSpainpadeltennisgolfIsland courts under limestone mountains, at their best in spring and early autumn.Best nowFrench RivieraFrancetennisgolfClay courts on terraces above the sea, warm and bright from spring to October.Best nowScottish links coastUnited KingdomgolfLong summer evenings on the dunes; firm, fast links and wind as part of the game.Best nowThe GulfUnited Arab EmiratesgolftennispadelGreen fairways beside the dunes in the cooler months; summer is for indoor courts.
Typical weather by month, for orientation only. Courses and clubs set their own seasons; always check opening times and conditions before you travel. Travel guides
The magazine
Every article
24 long reads in 6 sections. Filter by section or browse them all.
From your first three cards to a number that travels with you. A clear guide to the World Handicap System, its formulas and what they mean on the first tee.
From car park to first tee or first serve in ten minutes: a short dynamic routine that gets ankles, hips, spine and shoulders ready, plus a five minute cool down.
When to go, how much golf to book, what a green fee covers and whether your clubs should fly with you. A calm plan for a trip that leaves room for life off the course.
A fitting matches length, lie, loft and shaft to the way you swing. What happens in the bay, why mid handicappers gain as much as low ones, and when to go back.
The same stroke behaves differently on brick dust, ryegrass and acrylic. How each surface plays, which shoes it needs and how to adjust your game and your feet.
Two common overuse problems with misleading names. Why they turn up in golf, padel and tennis, and the load, technique and kit habits that help keep forearms happy.
Spain is where padel grew up in Europe. The story behind it, how to find a game as a visitor, how to cope with the heat and which regions to combine with the beach.
Strings are the only part of the racket that touches the ball. How string type, gauge and tension shape power, control, spin and comfort, and when to restring.
Round, teardrop or diamond, soft or hard core, fibreglass or carbon. How padel rackets really differ, and how to match one to your level, your style and your arm.
The serve is the one shot you control completely. Build it step by step, from the continental grip and a steady toss to a second serve you can trust at 30-40.
No gadgets, no powders. Cooling down, drinking water, a proper meal, good sleep and an easy next day do most of the work, and planning your week does the rest.
A week of daily tennis can transform your game or wear you out. What a well run adult camp looks like, what to ask before you book and how to keep the progress.
Tennis, padel and golf ask your feet to do very different things. How outsoles, support and fit differ, which sole suits which ground and when to replace a pair.
The same swing can produce very different golf depending on the ground beneath it. How the main course types play, and how to adapt your shots and your packing.
Two racket games, one net and very different habits. A fair comparison of court, kit, serve and learning curve, plus what tennis players keep and what they must unlearn.
Good doubles is mostly geometry and conversation. Where each of the four players should stand, how to move as a pair, and drills that make club doubles click.
Two short sessions a week can help you keep the speed, balance and resilience your game needs. A simple programme built on squats, hinges, pulls, pushes and rotation.
Collars, whites, denim and hats: what golf, tennis and padel clubs usually expect, why the rules exist and how to dress comfortably for your first visit.
5 min read
Handicap Calculator
Your strokes on today’s tees
Term of the day
tennis
Ace
A serve the receiver does not touch, which wins the point outright.
