Wishing all our many, many golfing friends a very happy and enjoyable 2026 golfing year.

So, as we look foward to the year ahead what is top of your New Year golfing wish list?

Is it to break 100?  Maybe it’s posting your lowest round of golf or maybe play a round without any dropped shots.

Could it be simply setting yourself the goal of finally winning one of the Saturday medal outings or a weekly stableford competition that could lead hopefully to a first-ever club championship honour?

You may be longing for that first hole-in-one.

What about golf-related travel?  Have you travelled to Scotland to play the Old Course at St. Andrews or what about making the effort and go play that golf course you’ve driven past so many times, but never made the effort to book a tee time.

Have you travelled to the US to play some of the famed Long Island gems such as Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge or last year’s Ryder Cup host venue at Bethpage Park (Black) or what about those blue Pacific washed gems in Hawaii.

Talking of the Ryder Cup. What about getting a few friends together and travel to Ireland for a round at the famed Adare Manor where in late 2027, Europe will be looking to win for a third occasion in a row?  If successful, it would also be a third occasion they’ve won three Ryder Cup’s in succession since 2002. (2002 to 2006 and 2010 to 2014).

Maybe top of your New Year’s wish is to finally get yourself a new set of those state-of-the-art Callaway clubs and/or a new golf club logo endorsed item of clothing.  There’s that smart-looking all weather top you saw when last in the pro shop.

A New Year golfing wish list could simply be to finally get yourself organised and go join a golf club.  You know, if you do, the clubhouse gates will be open to play, as much golf as you can.

I did read that around a month ago, a 27-year-old Englishman, named Josh Simpson, set a new record at 581 rounds for the most number of 18-hole rounds of golf in a year, playing on different golf courses.

It’s a great achievement Josh and with monies he raised going to charity, so heartiest congratulations.

My own 2026 golfing wish, I am certain is very different to the norm.

It remaisn still the wish to play golf on 50 different countries. It’s not a outer this world wish, as I’ve already managed to play golf in 47 different countries and it’s just that I’ve found myself stuck in the high 40’s for the past couple of years.

The 47th was extra special, achieved early in February 2023 travelling to report on the Asian Tour’s Oman International on the stunning Al Mouj Golf Club course overlooking the Arabian Sea.  The visit was made extra special, not only in visiting the country for the first occasion but the professional in our pro-am group, Japan’s Takumi Kanaya won the tournament by an impressive four shots.

So, here we are, a few days into 2026 and I cannot get myself off having playing golf in 47 different countries.

I guess it’s not that a poor effort for someone who, 26-years and four days ago, created golfing history in hiting the first golf shot on a golf course of the new millennium in Tonga – Midnight 1st, January, 2000. While I have been fortunate to play Augusta National not once but twice.

Yes, I know what I need to do and that’s to get off my backside, get my clubs sorted, get my bags packed, get out there, and bring-up the big 50.

In playing golf in 47 different country’s it’s taken me not just those golf-friendly nations, but to some real out-of-the way locations such as Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria and Malta that are not necessarily on the golf destination map.

For the full list of 47 click on: https://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2020/09/how-many-countries-have-you-played-golf-in-i-count-42-looking-to-make-50/

I should have no excuses, as there is so many countries within easy reach of Scotland and countries where I have not played golf including: Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Sicily and Greece to name a few.

Now there’s six and I only need to officially play three.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Stay tuned.