Maybe it’s because the end of the year is approaching, but I’m in a reflective mood. It feels like a time for taking stock, and perhaps making a few decisions. Which could be why this month’s cover story resonated with me. It starts with one.
Eugenio Chacarra left LIV Golf because he wanted something different: majors, Ryder Cups, the PGA Tour and the chance to test himself on another stage. There were no guarantees. Now, after three DP World Tour victories in 2026, he heads towards the season finale at the top of the Race to Dubai.
What I like about his story is that Chacarra doesn’t pretend the first decision was a mistake. He remains grateful for his time at LIV, but recognised when it was time to take another route. There’s something refreshing in that. Changing direction doesn’t necessarily mean what came before was wrong – sometimes it simply means knowing when you want something different.
I think we can all relate to that feeling.
The timing couldn’t be better. The DP World Tour season concludes in Dubai this month, with the tournament title and Race to Dubai decided at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Chacarra knows what awaits, not least from three-time Earth Course winner Rory McIlroy.
That idea of finding your own way through golf runs through quite a bit of this issue.
Zach Bauchou’s story is perhaps the most remarkable. His game disappeared so completely that he was shooting in the 100s. He kept playing, slowly found a way back and eventually earned his PGA Tour card. It’s difficult to imagine a much longer journey between those two places.
Elsewhere, we look at how complicated the path to college golf has become. Smaller rosters and the transfer portal have changed the landscape, but perhaps the most useful advice is also the simplest: find somewhere you can play, develop and enjoy the experience.
There’s perspective for the rest of us, too. Will Robins argues that better golf is often less about controlling your thoughts than managing the emotions around them, including, surprisingly, hope. Get carried away by one good shot and optimism can quickly become poor course management.
And if all that sounds rather serious, there is always Golf Club Varese. Less than an hour north of Milan, its clubhouse occupies a Benedictine monastery whose origins trace back to 1129. Golf arrived much later, in 1929. It’s a wonderful reminder that sometimes the best thing about this game is simply where it takes you.
Perhaps, with year’s end nearly here, a bit of reflection isn’t such a bad thing. Golf rarely takes us exactly where we expect it to. Sometimes that’s the best part.
All this and plenty more in the November 2026 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.
The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download it to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your local golf club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.