Written by Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.
Simon is also the founder of Media Drive, a leading digital golf marketing agency which he successfully directed from 2008 to 2024.
As a longterm student of the game, Simon takes an analytical approach to both equipment technology and swing mechanics—insights sharpened by two years working in a pro shop under the guidance of experienced professional, Rae Sargent, alongside 15 years in golf course and equipment marketing. His deep understanding of the elite and professional game is further reinforced by his role as the father of elite-level Surrey county player Henry Bale, and by the strategic partnerships he forged with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (DPWT) throughout his career at Media Drive.
He has now turned his full attention to covering all aspects of the sport for Golf Today, regularly attending tour events and visiting global golf destinations to deliver authentic, first-hand reviews and original imagery.
Lottie Woad Leads Amundi Evian Championship After Second-Round 64
The English world No. 4 overturned a four-shot deficit with eight birdies, taking a one-stroke advantage over Aki Iwai into the weekend at Evian Resort…
Gil Hanse to Restore Bermuda’s Mid Ocean Club as Rare Macdonald Film Surfaces
The all-18-hole project will recover Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor’s design, while a newly uncovered 1926 film may provide the only known moving images…
Lara Tennant and Bryan Hoops Complete American Double at Frilford Heath
Tennant overturned a three-shot deficit on the back nine, while Hoops produced the second-lowest round of the week to secure a commanding six-shot victory.
OGIO Launches 55-Litre Renegade Go Bag for Work and Travel
The new travel bag switches between backpack, shoulder and hand-carry configurations, with 10 pockets, a separate shoe compartment and weather-resistant panels.
Lucas Glover Birdies Final Two Holes for 63, Shares First-Round Lead at ISCO Championship
The 46-year-old posted his second consecutive opening-round 63 on TOUR, tying three others atop the leaderboard.
Marco Penge Calls Seve Ballesteros Award ‘Surreal’ at Genesis Scottish Open
The Englishman was presented with the DP World Tour’s player-voted honour after his opening round in Scotland, just weeks after returning from a health-related layoff.
Aki Iwai Shoots Bogey-Free 63 for Two-Shot Lead at Amundi Evian Championship
Japan’s Aki Iwai posted the lowest opening round at Evian since 2022, while France’s Perrine Delacour recorded her best major score on home soil to…
McIlroy Among Five Tied for Genesis Scottish Open Lead After Opening 65s
Former champions Rory McIlroy and Bernd Wiesberger among those tied at the top of a packed Renaissance Club leaderboard, with Brooks Koepka and Robert MacIntyre…
Ángel Ayora to Honour Seve Ballesteros at Royal Birkdale With Tribute Looks 50 Years On
The 21-year-old Spanish rising star will make his Open Championship debut at the same venue where Ballesteros announced himself to the world in 1976, wearing…
R&A Unveils The Open Commitment, a New Fan Code of Conduct Ahead of Royal Birkdale
The governing body has formalised spectator expectations into five principles for The 154th Open, with breaches potentially resulting in removal from the Championship grounds without…
Justin Rose Chases the Ultimate Storybook Ending at Royal Birkdale
Rose returns to the course where he burst onto the world stage as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998. At 45, with five major runner-up finishes…
Pula Golf Resort Launches New Garden Suites With Unlimited Golf on Mallorca’s East Coast
Seven new Garden Suites at the Olazábal-redesigned Mallorcan resort offer 40 sqm of living space, private terraces and unrestricted access to a course that has…
Amundi Evian Championship Increases 2026 Purse to $9.1 Million
The fourth women’s major of the LPGA season offers a $1.1 million increase on last year’s prize fund, with the winner set to collect $1.365…
Toptracer to Deliver Largest-Ever Open Championship Activation at Royal Birkdale
From traced TV broadcasts to first-time live shot data on practice-round tee boxes, Toptracer’s expanded presence at The 154th Open gives fans new ways to…
Loch Lomond Launches Golden Ticket Draw at The Open and AIG Women’s Open, With £25,000 Whisky as Prize
Spectators at Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes can buy a £10 on-site ticket for a chance to win one of 100 bottles…
Pádraig Harrington Defends US Senior Open Title, Ties Record With Third Win
The 54-year-old Irishman turned a one-shot deficit into a four-stroke victory at Scioto Country Club.
Chris Gotterup Wins John Deere Classic With Bogey-Free 62 as Ben Kohles Finds Water at 18
Gotterup erased a five-shot final-round deficit at TPC Deere Run for his third PGA TOUR victory of 2026.
Michael Hollick Wins BMW International Open With Eagle at the Last for First DP World Tour Title
The 39-year-old South African rookie was three shots behind with two holes to play before a dramatic finish at Golfclub München Eichenried denied compatriot Hennie…
Stewart Cink & Pádraig Harrington Set for Another US Senior Open Duel at Scioto
Cink’s third-round 64 gives him a one-shot lead over the defending champion, recreating last year’s final-group showdown with far bigger historical stakes on the line.
Glover & Hodges Tied at 16-Under as Crowded John Deere Classic Board Sets Up Wide-Open Sunday
Nine players sit within four shots of the lead at TPC Deere Run, with both co-leaders chasing improved PGA TOUR status and 50-year-old Zach Johnson…