~ ~ It’ll come as no big surprise to my regular readers that the mad cabbie is a complete, total and utter golfing nut.
I play the game as often as I possibly can, and when I’m not on the golf course one of my regular hangouts is my local driving range, where I can often be found happily pounding little white balls long into the dark winter nights. (It’s floodlit)
When I’m not actually playing the game, then I’ll often be found either writing about it (here at Ciao and elsewhere) or else reading other people’s views about the sport.

~ ~ Golf World includes everything in its 160 to 200 glossy pages that a suffering golf addict could possibly need to assuage the twitches and withdrawal pangs they suffer when they are removed from their natural environment of the golf links.
It contains reviews of all the latest equipment, whether it be balls, bags, shoes or clubs, and gives you price guidelines so you can see whether or not they are within your budget. This month there’s a very interesting piece that warns players about new rules that have been introduced by the Royal and Ancient (golf’s ruling body) which will see many of today’s high technology drivers being outlawed on New Year’s Day 2008. So come 2008 lots of golfers will be running around with VERY expensive lumps of totally useless titanium in their golf bags, as the clubs will no longer be legal. (Not the mad cabbie, I’m glad to say!)

~ ~ As well as equipment reviews, Golf World have lots of features both about, and written by, some of the biggest games in golf.
This month’s edition has an excellent profile on Sergio Garcia, the young golfing superstar from Spain, and speculates whether or not this will be the year he finally makes the breakthrough and manages to win a Major tournament. (Like the US Masters or The Open Championship) Personally, I fancy him to do just that, and will be placing a modest wager on him to win the first Major of the year, the US Masters at Augusta. (Remember you heard it here first, and don’t moan if you don’t get your bet on in time. Heh, heh)
There are further profiles of some of today’s up and coming young golfing stars, the likes of Australia’s Adam Scott, England’s Paul Casey, and the latest golfing sensation from across the pond, (the USA) Charles Howell.

~ ~ At the back of the mag there’s a brilliant feature about taking a golfing holiday in a variety of different locations worldwide. My own beloved Ireland gets a good rating here, but it also includes information about golfing in countries less better known for their golfing pedigree, like Turkey and Italy.
The feature gives you the location of recommended golf courses, and I’ll be referring to this again once we finally decide where to take our family holiday this coming summer. (To make sure there’s a decent golf course to hand, naturally. Heh, heh)

~ ~ Anything I don’t like about Golf World magazine?
Well yeah. But it’s a small crib really. I don’t like the multitude of advertising inserts that you seem to get with each edition. I don’t mind the paid ads that are included in the magazine itself. But those damned loose leaflets about everything from credit cards to medical insurance are simply a blasted nuisance. Advertisers seem to ‘target’ golfers these days, as they seem to think we have loads of loose dosh lying about the place! (I’m saying nothing!!)