Sarah Stirk Sky Sports Golf presenter reflects on the journeys that shaped her, from discovering golf as an injured teen to playing Augusta National, travelling the world, and finding her favourite courses, cities, and unforgettable travel moments.

When did you first pick up a golf club

I was 17, a tennis player and I had a bad injury. I was studying at Millfield School in the sixth form and my housemaster, Mr Wilson, took me to the driving range one evening, we hit a few balls…I wasn’t addicted straight away, but it got me into the sport, and I started to play more and more.

Little did I know that evening would lead to presenting the biggest tournaments in the game. I currently play off a seven handicap.

What’s your favourite golf resort

There’s so many, I love Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, playing the 18th with the famous lighthouse, is memorable, it’s also a very playable golf course off the forward tees.

Quinta do Logo is my favourite place to golf, I’ve got a place there, I’ve spent a lot of time there over the past 20 years, I love Portugal the lifestyle, the beaches, and the people.

Old Head in Ireland also needs to get a mention, you can see the sea from every hole and is an experience like no other.

Who would be your ideal holiday golf partners

Rory Mcllroy, I’ve known him for years and would be great to play with him, Taylor Swift, because she’s amazing, funny, and brilliant for what she does for women and very empowering, and finally Michael McIntyre because he would be hilarious to play with, I think the four of us together would have a good crack.

Where did you go for your most recent holiday

The Algarve, I tend to go on short haul holidays, now having a family commitment, my plan is to retire over there.

Best memory in golf

Playing Augusta National, the day after the 2023 Masters, they have the media ballot, with Sky Sports being the rights holder, we get one golden ticket a year to play the course on the Monday, my boss handed me the invitation in an envelope on the Sunday as we went into work.

It was great to play with all the scoreboards up, getting up and down from 100 yards on the 18th for a Par was the highlight of my round, it was an amazing experience and I shot and 96 which I was very happy with using borrowed clubs.

Apart from playing Augusta, other great memories include shooting a 74 at Ruddington Grange Golf Club in Nottingham.

What’s your favourite golf course in the UK

That would be the Queens Course at Gleneagles, my uncle had an apartment next to resort and while I was at university, I did a summer season there… and as a staff member we got to play the courses through twilight rounds, so the Queens Course is where I learnt to play the game and it’s one of the prettiest courses in the UK.

I have a give Sunningdale Old a mention too.

What’s the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in

The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, I had a private butler service, sound proofed rooms, so you couldn’t hear any noise from the outside, everything about the hotel was exceptional.

It was through a work-based event working on the Gary Player invitational.

What’s your favourite city in the world

That has to be New York, I love the vibe and energy, I think it feels more intimate than London, I stayed with family and friends in Long Island and took myself off into New York for the day, that was my  first proper time travelling on my own.

I love The High Line, which is an elevated freight rail line which was transformed into a public park. I’ve been pre and post 9/11 and seen both the Twin Towers and Ground Zero. The whole city has so many cool areas.

Hosting a Nike event with Rory and Tiger was also memorable, it was at night at Liberty National GC and seeing Manhattan lit up in the distance will long live in the memory.

Most memorable meal

Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, it was a bit out there for me but very memorable, the whole meal was pure theatre, taking the lids of the glass bowls and seeing the smoke raising and wearing headphones as you eat, you hear chatter and laughter, waves crashing and seagulls squawking while you‘re eating a seafood course.

My favourite course was the chocolate fondant, that was pure heaven. I would go back there for this dessert alone.

My top travel tip

Is travelling light, I’ve also been so bad at packing, I used to use only a third of the clothes I took on trips, I now only use the cabin suitcase, but it’s taken me years to realise this.

Remember you can also pick up shampoo and toiletries when you get to your destination.

Sarah and Anton Du Beke’s golf podcast, Putt and Strut, is about to launch its second season in 2026 and will be available to download on all major podcast platforms.

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My first holiday was to… Pontins Holiday Camp in Wick Ferry, Dorset. We went every year, renting the exact same chalet and loved every minute.

They had a ballroom which in my head was incredibly glamorous. I entered a talent competition doing comedy for the first time. I finished second, which had a prophetic feel to it now.

I first picked up a golf club in… Too late is the honest answer – to be a good golfer, anyway. I used to caddie for my dad, who was a solid 24 handicapper. I hated it and always wondered why so many clubs were needed when none of them worked terribly well.

Recently we were discussing where we might scatter my dad’s ashes and Ealing Golf Club was mooted. I suggested in the rough, which I thought was funny, but my mum disagreed.

My favourite course in the UK… is Coombe Wood in Surrey, where I have been a member forever. It’s where I taught all my four boys to play the hardest game of all and, as it transpires, I am a better golf teacher than golfer.

In terms of signature courses, I think St George’s Hill is a gem and I’d also give a happy nod to Woburn’s Duke Course.

And let’s not forget Muirfield. I’ve only played the front nine, but it is where I set my golf-themed novel, Open Links, so I feel that I know it intimately. I loved writing the book, and so by association, I love Muirfield also.

My favourite holiday golf resort is… Boavista on the Algarve. It’s not fancy. Its ordinary in fact, but it’s where I played with my boys on holiday, so I have very fond memories of the place.

My hope is to one day for us all to revisit. My boys are all good golfers now, and it will be fun to see them conquering holes that used to torment them.

My ideal holiday fourball would include… I should say my boys, but to avoid repetition I will plump for Rory, Jack and Tiger. Only single names needed for these luminaries of the game.

My most memorable holiday round… was at Tecina Golf Club in La Gomera – an island off the coast of Tenerife, where my eldest son, Tom [Holland], was making a movie [In the Heart of the Sea] back in 2014.

The course clings to the edge of the island and has stunning views for all angles. Having paid the not inconsiderable green fees and hiring two sets of clubs, I was looking to make a saving on buggy hire, getting only one for my wife Nikki and Tom, with me walking.

My plan being to complete the first hole and then squeeze myself onto their buggy. But the pro saw through my plan and had other ideas.

I explained that I wanted to walk the course, but apparently buggies were mandatory as the first tee was too far away to walk to. I got another buggy and stuffed Tom 3up, which, come to think of it, was probably the last time I ever beat him.

My most memorable meal… My mum was an incredible home cook. She was a nurse but could have been a chef and so Christmas was even more memorable – but not the day itself. Boxing Day was when my mum wielded her culinary wand, making a pie with the Christmas Day leftovers – turkey, ham, giblets, vegetables, the lot.

It was the most delicious meal of the year. I’ve been lucky to eat in numerous high-end restaurants and usually struggle to reconcile the portion size with the lumpy bill. I prefer a hearty plate of tucker to a work of art. But that said, the best restaurant I have ever eaten is Grace in Berlin.

My worst experience on holiday was… was a golf tour to Turkey with a bunch of friends. Following a messy night out, with too much food and drink, I got caught short on the course.

I found a suitable bush and took up my downhill ski tuck position, hoping my thigh muscles would hold out. They did. But someone thought it would be a hoot to loosen the strap holding my golf bag to the buggy.

My bag hit the ground and it was funny when I recovered my bag but less so on the next tee when I discovered that the shafts of my driver, 3-wood and hybrid had all snapped. I lost my match, and no-one shook hands with me afterwards – which was fair enough I suppose.

The best hotel I’ve ever stayed in… is Gleneagles during the winter when they have the fires roaring and even the stone floors are somehow warm.

I was speaking at a big dinner in the ballroom, so the bill was thankfully not my concern. The place is sumptuous, and I slept even better because the audience had laughed raucously and in all the right places.

My son, Sam, worked here when he was training to be a chef, so it was lovely to visit him there and eat in the Strathearn restaurant, but we stayed elsewhere on this occasion as the tab was on use!

Whenever I’m on holiday I always… panic about not working and not getting paid to be on holiday, which is the life of a self-employed person in a gigging career.

On my golf holiday bucket list is… a six-week tour to take in the iconic courses of the UK and Ireland – Royal Dornoch, Kingsbarns, Old Head. This will have to wait until I have sufficient cash reserves to not worry about not working.

This tour appears to be some way off, but I live in hope. I’ve played golf all over the world – including Dubai, Hawaii, South Africa, Kenya and Florida – but we have the best courses on our doorstep, and all with amazing places to stay and incredible welcomes to boot.

My favourite city in the world is… a toss up between Edinburgh and London. Edinburgh has been very generous to me, and where I bagged most of my breaks in showbiz. But London is where I grew up and live.

As I have travelled the world, I realise what an amazing place London is. The best place to live that I have encountered, despite the expense and the meddling of our hapless politicians.

My most recent trip was to… Marrakech. A truly must-visit destination. It’s a city teeming with life and vibrancy. It literally throbs with people who are all up for it and working whatever angle they can to make ends meet.

Everyone is either selling something, making something, or doing something. There are no free lunches in this so-called third world city and the place bounces as a result. I played golf at a local course – just 9 holes – and I parred a long-par 3 over water.

My top travel tip is… don’t bother bringing tea bags on holiday – it just creates false hope and disappointment because you can never recreate the cuppa you enjoy at home.

Dominic Holland is the author of OPEN LINKS, a novel charting the travails of ficticious tour pro Ricky Randal as he tackles the final round of The Open Championship. The book, which was first published in 2014, has been re-released this year to help raise funds for Anthony Nolan, a UK-based charity that works in the areas of leukaemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. To purchase a copy of OPEN LINKS on Amazon, click here. 

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The Northern Irishman left it late as he birdied the last for a one-under-par 69 to win on ten under par, one stroke clear of Pádraig Harrington, after heavy rain had caused a two-hour delay with Clarke still having five holes to play.

The 53-year-old becomes the fourth man to win both The Open and The Senior Open, placing his name alongside greats of the game Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson, and he led from the front despite the weather attempting to hamper his progress.

The 2011 Open Champion carded nine consecutive pars before dropping his only shot of the day at the par-five tenth, however he bounced back with a birdie at the 12th to remain the man to catch.

The pars continued to roll either side of the rain delay, before his approach into the par-five 18th came up just short of the green, leaving him with an 80-foot up-and-down for victory. The 14-time DP World Tour winner opted for the putter and rolled an excellent effort to two feet, enabling him to tap in for a memorable victory.

Harrington’s closing 67 was enough to secure his third runner-up finish in Senior Major Championships of the season, in addition to his US Senior Open triumph, while six players shared third place on eight under par, including third round co-leader Paul Broadhurst and four-time Major winner Ernie Els.

Clarke said: “I’ve made no secret of the fact that I wanted to win the Senior Open more than anything. From when I turned 50, this is the one I wanted to win, so I could set it beside the other one, so I’m feeling pretty good right now. I feel very privileged to have my name on two such prestigious trophies and feel honoured and humbled to join some legends of the game who have achieved the double. Not that many people have done it before.”

He added: “This trophy doesn’t hold as much the one I won at The Open, but I’ll have a few celebratory drinks from it tonight. Fulfilling your dreams is a very lucky thing, and I’ve been able to do it a few times in my career.”

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Gleneagles, Scotland
While Gleneagles was a world-renowned destination long before it hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, its status as Europe’s most luxurious sporting estate reached rarer heights following the staging of golf’s most hotly contested team event.
While Rory et al tackled the Jack Nicklaus-designed PGA Centenary Course, the Perth-based five-star resort also offers two further impressive 18-hole tracks, in the shape of the King’s and Queen’s, which many astute observers rate even more highly. And there’s also the excellent 9-hole Wee Course on which to sharpen up your short game skills.
Whichever combination you play, you can be guaranteed a good night’s sleep afterwards in a choice of luxury accommodation. Guests can rest up in one of 232 suites in the hotel or rent one of the luxury lodges that are located on the estate.
Boasting Scotland’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant, three further dining options, and a 1920s-inpired art deco bar that has over 120 different whiskies to sample, there are plenty of reasons not to leave the hotel’s tartan-clad comfort, but with so many traditional Scottish country pursuits on your doorstep, it would be foolish not to venture out for a spot of huntin’, shootin’ and fishin’ on the 850-acre estate. Why not try your hand at gundog training, falconry or a spot of clay pigeon shooting or salmon fishing? For the less adventurous you could always have a go at pétanque or tennis, or simply relax in the award-winning ESPA spa.
The International Association of Golf Tour Operators named Gleneagles the 2019 European Golf Resort of the Year. This is in addition to its position as both the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup host in 2019. These are some of the biggest golf tournaments in the world and people all over the world watch and bet on these tournaments. A sports betting community called OLBG has compiled a list of their recommended betting companies should you wish to have an extra interest in the event.

Celtic Manor, Wales
Celtic Manor Golf Resort houses a golf academy that features a floodlit driving range, an AA Rosette restaurant, two health clubs, and two luxurious golf clubhouses, which serve as one of the largest clubhouses in Europe. Apart from offering three world-class championship courses, it hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup and has the first course to be built golf’s greatest team tournament – the Twenty Ten Course. Playing there implies that you want to tow the paths of Phil Mickelson, Rory Mcllroy, and Rickie Fowler.
After a long play, you can retire to the 5-star resort hotel that offers guests a stylish staying experience. You can always find almost everything you need to have a memorable stay – signature rooms, restaurants, bars, and spas. Though it was constructed during the 19th century, the rooms have been styled to modern needs and comforts. If you seek extravagance at its peak, the Celtic Manor Golf Resort is for you.

The Belfry, Warwickshire
Not one to trade on its past glories, the iconic venue for four past Ryder Cups has received a £26 million refurbishment in the last few years which has left no area of the resort untouched.
The changes are apparent from the moment you walk into the hotel lobby, where a unique golf club chandelier, featuring a mix of irons, wedges and putters, adorns the striking new entrance.  All 319 bedrooms and suites have also been renovated, while the open-plan Brabazon Bar, the Ryder Grill restaurant, and Sam’s Clubhouse, give golfers plenty of options on the wining and dining front.
The Brabazon Course, venue for those thrilling encounters between Europe and USA, thankfully remains largely unchanged, giving golfers the chance to relive some of the great shots that have been played, as well creating some history of their own. The resort’s other two 18-hole courses, the PGA National and The Derby, are both fine tracks in their own right, but only serve as supporting acts in such historic company.
No visit to The Belfry could be complete without a night out at the legendary Bel-Air nightclub, which has also received a major facelift. Other on-site facilities include a 12-room treatment spa, finishing studio, relaxation rooms, leisure club, as well as numerous bars and restaurants to kick back and relax.

Carnoustie Golf Hotel & Spa, Scotland
The Championship course on which Padraig Harrington enjoyed one of his finest hours in 2008 has been described as the ‘supreme test’ and was rated by Walter Hagan as ‘the greatest course in the British Isles’. At 7,421 yards off the back tees, it is the longest track on the Open rota, with one of the toughest closing stretches in the business, as hapless Frenchman Jean Van de Velde will no doubt testify.
The Championship course is just one of three courses on offer, with the Buddon and the Burnside combining to offer three superbly differing, yet hugely enjoyable, tests of true links golf.
Four-star accommodation can be found right behind the 18^th green at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel, which has 75 bedrooms and 10 suites, many of which offer stunning views over the courses, as well as an excellent Dalhousie restaurant serving a variety of locally sourced food. The hotel is owned and managed separately to the publicly-owned golf courses, but there are plenty of all-inclusive golf packages to choose from.
Other facilities available in the hotel include an extensive spa that features a heated swimming pool, sauna, whirlpool, steam rooms and treatment rooms.

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The visitors took a 7.5-4.5 lead into Wednesday’s singles session after drawing the foursomes 3-3 and then convincingly winning the fourballs 4½-1½ on Tuesday, and closed out the win when Brianna Navarrosa beat Mimi Rhodes 1up.

Earlier in the day, Hannah Darling, out first, grabbed a half point for Europe against Lucy Li, and wins for Annabell Fuller, Amalie Leth-Nissen and Pia Babnik, who birdied four straight holes to win 2&1, narrowed the gap.

However, Rose Zhang stemmed the tide in match two, and triumphs for Amanda Sambach, Briana Chacon and then Navarrosa took the USA to the all-important 12 points needed to retain the trophy, and Christine Wang made it 13 points when she beat Paula Shulz-Hanssen in match 10. Team USA has now won the PING Junior Solheim Cup four times in a row.

American captain Mary Bea Porter-King said: “‘It was quite the victory, very close, it went up and down all day, they were ahead, then behind. I’m exhausted and I didn’t hit a shot. I’m very proud of my team, there wasn’t a whole lot I could do to help them, these young ladies are so talented, on both sides. I am so impressed to see the golf swings and how they play the game, which makes me feel good about the future of the game.”

Mickey Walker, the European captain, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the European team. They’re very, very talented and we’ve had a wonderful time here. It’s been just amazing, one of the best experiences of my life. I think we were good enough to win, but we just missed out by virtue of a poor session in the afternoon yesterday. That’s what did for us. If you took the singles as a standalone competition, we won today. But we knew we needed to get eight-and-a-half points and we came up just short. It’s wrong to mention individuals, because we really are a team, but Pia Babnik is the first ever junior to play in this from Slovenia and beat Rachel Heck today – an incredible scalp. Rachel’s one of the best American golfers and Pia is relatively inexperienced. The same for Lucie Malchirand beating Alexa Pano in the final match. So it augers very well for the future, and a lot of our team will still be young enough to play in two years’ time.”

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As part of Gleneagles’ ongoing commitment to make its world-class facilities more accessible to everyone, beginner through to aficionado, it invited 20 enthusiastic females, many of whom were first-timers, to be part of an introductory session on the award-winning hotel’s Pitch and Putt Course.

Overseen by Head PGA Golf Professional Andrew Jowett, and guest love.golf coach from West Kilbride Golf Club, Linzi Dye, participants embraced the engaging approach, which is based on the academic study of award-winning Fellow PGA Professional and love.golf founder, Alastair Spink.

By adding social group coaching to the many routes golfers and enthusiasts can experience the game, Gleneagles continues to lead the industry by offering a range of innovative coaching programmes and events.

This is headlined by the Gleneagles Foundation, in its fourth year, that supports young and aspiring elite players. From six-years-old and upwards, the 850-acre Perthshire estate also stages Wee Eagles Camps in school holiday periods to inspire boys and girls into the game. These initiatives are supported by sell-out Junior and Women’s Open competitions, the latter attracting over 150 participants at each event.

Following the love.golf session, Andrew Jewett commented: “While many non-golfers may perceive golf to be difficult to learn, by using thelove.golfapproach, this introductory session was able to demonstrate how inclusive, informal and engaging golf can be when shared with friends or colleagues. love.golf is about learning together and getting out onto a golf course as soon as possible, not spending hours hitting golf balls on the range. Research shows that women who participate enjoy a sense of togetherness, a relaxed format, unexpected enjoyment and a boost in confidence.”

He added: “We are proud to introduce this concept to Gleneagles at a time when the female game is in the spotlight, and the Perthshire Estate gets set to welcome the biggest women’s golf team event in the world.”

Gleneagles, celebrating 100 years of golf this year, plans to stage a series oflove.golfsessions from the Autumn onwards and create a lasting legacy of introducing women to the game following its hosting of the Solheim Cup.

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