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So far Claude has created 151 blog entries.

August 2026

392 – US Amateur & GB&I Walker Cup Team Announced

2026-08-18T09:00:00+00:00August 18th, 2026|Podcasts|

With Jack Whaley becoming on the third Englishman to win the coveted Havemeyer Trophy on Sunday evening at Merion (behind Matt Fitzpatrick & Harold Hilton), Sam, Tom & Peter wax lyrical about his performance, the venue, the event and what feels like an increased level of attention the golf world is paying to elite amateur golf. As well as his exemption into both the US Open, Open Championship, and an invitation to the Masters (provided he behaves himself between now and April), Jack Whaley also picks up a Walker Cup selection. The news comes with the announcement of the [...]

083 – Firm, Fast & Dry

2026-08-20T18:27:49+00:00August 13th, 2026|Golf Badgers|

In this episode, we speak about Bledge’s return to golf after struggling with serious back problems. He explains how gym work and a different treatment approach have helped him recover, and how much better he feels both physically and mentally after being able to play again.We also discuss his summer golf trips, starting with visits to Ganton and Alwoodley in Yorkshire. We talk about the character and conditioning of both courses, the sand-based ground at Ganton, and the heathland style and historic design influence at Alwoodley, including Alister MacKenzie’s role there.A major part of the conversation focuses on [...]

391 – Jamie Van Wyk: English Amateur Champion

2026-08-11T04:00:00+00:00August 11th, 2026|Podcasts|

Jamie reflects on winning the England Golf Men’s Amateur Championship (as well as being part of back to back success in the Home Internationals). He talks about the week after the English Amateur, where England won the men’s event, as well as his walk-off hole-in-one he made in matchplay against Wales, on the 17th hole to secure the match. We talk about his English Amateur win, the importance of conservative play in the strokeplay qualification rounds, as well as his course strategy and mental appraoch. We also discuss his background, from starting golf around age 13 after playing cricket, into county [...]

Titleist Wedge Fitting: Understanding Grind

2026-08-04T18:00:11+00:00August 4th, 2026|Video|

Tom visits the Titleist Performance Centre at Woburn Golf Club for a complete custom wedge fitting with Will Harvey, the Vokey Wedge Representative on the DP World Tour. The fitting explores the differences between wedge loft, bounce and grind, and demonstrates how the correct sole configuration can transform the shots available around the green. Golf equipment conversations often focus on the latest drivers, golf balls and distance technology. This fitting offered a fascinating look at the craftsmanship behind Vokey wedges and showed why choosing the correct grind can have such a significant impact on performance. Learn more about custom golf [...]

390 – Course Diaries: Royal Ashdown Forest w/ Colin Strachan

2026-08-04T04:00:00+00:00August 4th, 2026|Podcasts|

In this episode we speak with Colin Strachan, club historian and author of "Fair Ways at Ashdown Forest", about the history of Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club and its place in early golf in England. We discuss how golf was played in Brighton as early as 1817, and how that activity links to the later development of the club at Forest Row.We talk about the railway connections that helped shape the club, including the role of people connected to the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. Colin explains how the club drew in members from different backgrounds, and [...]

July 2026

389 – The Golfing Year of 1926 w/ Richard Fisher

2026-07-28T04:00:00+00:00July 28th, 2026|Podcasts|

In this episode we are joined by Richard Fisher (3-peat on the pod) looking back at 1926 as a pivotal year in golf, tracing the season from winter through autumn. We focus on the amateur game, the professional events, and the way golf fit into the wider sporting and political landscape of the year.We begin with the early amateur season, including the shared President’s Putter at Rye and the Varsity match at Burnham & Berrow, where Cambridge win. We also discuss how much golf's leading amateurs play, the importance of caddies, and the many club and society matches [...]

083 – gWest

2026-07-31T18:28:12+00:00July 23rd, 2026|Golf Badgers|

Bledge and Sam begin by discussing the current state of the golf course. After some mixed weather, it’s in good condition. The rough is more defined, the playing surfaces are firm and fast and preparations for the season’s key events are well underway.Next, they focus on the Amateur Championship coming to Royal Liverpool. They explain the qualifying and match play format, practice and championship dates and mention that the event will be open to spectators and televised.  They also discuss how amateur golf differs from other major events due to the pressure, format and need to play several [...]

388 – Open Championship Roundup

2026-07-19T21:00:00+00:00July 19th, 2026|Podcasts|

We look back on a dramatic finish at Royal Birkdale, where Ryan Fox closed with a strong Sunday round and won on the 72nd hole. We say he stayed composed under pressure, kept executing shots, and handled some very unlucky breaks on the closing holes without letting them affect him.We also discuss how the course played over the week. We say it was firm, dry and much harder in the afternoon, while the morning wave had the best scoring conditions. We note that the changes to the course produced strong championship golf, with several holes forcing players to [...]

387 – Open Championship Preview

2026-07-16T03:00:00+00:00July 16th, 2026|Podcasts|

This episode we discuss the setup for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, with particular focus on the firm, fast conditions and how much water the course is losing each day through high wind and heat. We talk about how the greens are being monitored and adjusted with modern technology, and how the course presentation is being kept under control.We also look at how players may adapt their strategy, with many expected to leave driver out in favor of irons, mini drivers or three-woods. The discussion covers wedge bounce, firm fairways, bunkers, and how the course conditions create [...]

386 – The Price is Wrong

2026-07-15T04:00:00+00:00July 15th, 2026|Podcasts|

In this episode we play a price-guessing game based on merchandise and food from the Open Championship site. We set up the rules, use a match-play style scorecard, and compare the prices of items the listeners would not have seen.We start with some reference prices, then move through a yellow Open mug, a boxed Vice golf ball, and a small navy pen holder shaped like a tall bag. We also price a Malbon quarter zip and a Malbon bucket hat, which lead to some of the larger early swings in the score.We continue with a silver claret jug-style [...]

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