January sets the golfing stage for the year. Despite the pomp, it does it in a pretty quiet way. At the start of the year, the golf calendar has tournaments that’re all about being patient and disciplined. You have to be good at traveling. You have to be clear about what you want to achieve early on.
While most of us are currently enjoying the winter weather, the golfing enthusiasts can look forward to a different kind of scenery in January. Namely, The Sentry starts in Hawaii, played at Kapula on the Plantation Course as the season’s kick-off tournament. This tournament is special because it only lets the winners from the season play. The Sentry has sixty players competing on the Plantation Course. The course itself is a par-73 layout that’s really long, over 7,500 yards.
The Plantation Course plays shorter because of the elevation and the trade winds. What is important, at The Sentry, is rhythm, not just trying to survive. The players get to the course feeling rested. Some of them are a little out of practice, while others are really ready to go because they worked hard during the off-season.
January is also good for starting anything, and for those new to golf. Whether a new golf player wishing to make a name or a fresh player looking for where to place their first bet, the playing field is equal for all in January. A fresh, clean slate for all. You don’t have to be a pro to guess or bet who will win in January. Yes, it’s easier for people who really look at golf trends to understand what is going on, but newcomers to a sport come at just the right time. People who really know what they are doing look at golf patterns like how players hit the ball when they’re close to the hole and how many strokes they save when they putt, not just where they finish. As everything gets moving, enthusiasts can follow extensive markets, analysis, any of the top 20 betting sites UK has to offer, sports coverage and online groups to begin with their first golf prediction steps. Just like those who will get early victory points from January matches, early players will get a better grip at what’s coming during 2026.
And if you are still associating January golfing with snow, then Abu Dhabi is here to change that. January is the time when Abu Dhabi events happen, and there are stops in the Middle East. Golf in the desert is a kind of test for everybody’s patience. The wind can change fast. The ground may look nice and clean, but it’s devious. If you are not careful, it can hurt your game. Most of the games can look like nothing is happening, but the emotional turmoil golfers are experiencing is palpable. Sandy terrain does not forgive, and one mistake can change the whole outcome.
Then we have the American Express in California. The American Express still has a three-course rotation. This rotation includes the PGA West Stadium Course. The PGA West Stadium Course is over 7,100 yards. Also, within the Chatham Hills, the Pete Dye course will be the first LIV Golf event. Plenty of new and exciting things are already happening, signalling 2026 as a very good year for golf.
The scores at The American Express can be really low. Sometimes they are below -20. This happens when the mornings are calm in the desert. The American Express lets amateurs play in the rounds. This can make the game slower, disrupt the rhythm. The veterans are better at handling this. It is not because American Express is hard. It is because American Express feels too easy. The small things are important, that detail really matters.
The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines is the tournament of the PGA Tour in January. The Torrey Pines South Course is really long; it is around 7,765 yards. This course demands that the players be strong and have a lot of discipline. The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines usually has winning scores between -13 and -15.
The rough at the Torrey Pines South Course gets really thick; the greens get really firm – so players need to be patient. The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines shows the players’ weaknesses away. The players who do well at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines are the ones who can get out of trouble and are okay with making par. The Farmers Insurance Open, at Torrey Pines, is a tournament where players who try hard to make birdies often end up doing worse. You really learn a lot about how competitive you are at Torrey.
January tournaments are not about finding the champions of the year. But they are a test to perseverance, and nothing can delay them unlike the Alfred Dunhill Championship mishap. They show us the people who worked hard to get ready and the people who think they can just get by because of who they are. The January tournaments reveal the habits of the players. If you pay attention to the January tournaments, you can see the answers are there. By the time February arrives, the tone has already been set. January golf rewards those willing to pay attention, even when the spotlight feels dimmer.
