March 2026

367 – Alister MacKenzie (part 1)

2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00March 31st, 2026|Podcasts|

Sam is in the chair this time to bring to life the good Dr - Alister MacKenzie - considered by many to be the most influential golf course architect in history. In part 1 we discuss MacKenzie's childhood, his education, going to Cambridge and serving in the Boer war. We also discuss the formation of Alwoodley and his golfing career leading into that, as well as Moortown and through to 1914 and the outbreak of WWI having finished designing Sitwell park.   Latest Products

366 – Course Diaries: Wallasey Golf Club

2026-03-24T05:00:00+00:00March 24th, 2026|Podcasts|

Ahead of our Story of a Golf Club film over on YouTube, Sam & Tom sit down with Wallasey club archivist Simon Coombs to talk about the fascinating history of the club. Starting with the foundation of the club, to the design of Old Tom Morris and the golden age greats that followed him, Bobby Jones' round in Open Qualifying on his march to completing The Grand Slam, as well as Wallasey member Dr Frank Stableford's defining contribution to the club game with the invention of the Stableford scoring system on the second tee just a year later. Simon [...]

365 – Ian Baker-Finch

2026-03-17T05:00:00+00:00March 17th, 2026|Podcasts|

Sam sits down with 1991 Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch. A player whose name is woven into both the history of the game and the soundtrack of its most memorable moments.Best known for his remarkable victory at Royal Birkdale, Ian’s story extends far beyond that week in 1991. After his playing career, he became one of golf’s most recognisable and respected broadcasters, spending more than 25 years behind the microphone calling some of the sport’s most dramatic moments for audiences around the world.In this conversation, Ian reflects on his journey through the professional game, from the pressure and triumph [...]

364 – 92nd Sunningdale Foursomes

2026-03-13T20:00:00+00:00March 13th, 2026|Podcasts|

Sam & Peter sit down to discuss this year's Sunningdale Foursomes. Peter was our man on the ground following all the action. Congratulations to Jamie McGeoch and Ellie Lichtenhein on surviving seven rounds of match play to win the 92nd Sunningdale Foursomes.Ellie is the first Sunningdale member to win the event since 2009 - a fitting finish to one of the finest weeks in the British golfing calendar. Latest Products

362 – Pete Dye (pt 1): ‘The Kid Who Played With Clay’

2026-03-03T05:00:00+00:00March 3rd, 2026|Podcasts|

Pt 1 of our 2 part special on the life and legacy of Peter Dye: 1925 - 2020. In part one, Tom takes us through the first 38 years of the life of Pete Dye, beginning with his early years in Ohio and growing up on a course built by his father Paul. Pete would go on to quite school early, enlist in the Army and take a career defining trip to Scotland with wife Alice. This is part of an exciting series we are running this year where we explore the life and legacy of the architects that have [...]

February 2026

361 – Course Diaries: Conwy Golf Club

2026-02-27T09:40:15+00:00February 24th, 2026|Course Diaries, Podcasts|

Sam & Tom sit down to review their visit to Conwy Golf Club on the north coast of Wales. With a history stretching back to 1869, and Hoylake professional Jack Morris the man behind the initial design, Conwy is a breathtaking piece of land on which to play golf. We had a great time here, settling a club championship match in a four-club wind.In more recent years, Frank Pennink re-designed much of the course following the two World Wars in the first half of the 20th century. Most recently, Mackenzie & Ebert’s work with the club has seen [...]

359 – 652 Courses in 365 Days – Josh Simpson

2026-02-24T07:17:19+00:00February 4th, 2026|Podcasts|

Josh Simpson joins the podcast (a.k.a 'the Ginger Golfer') to talk about his world record breaking effort over the last 12 months playing 652 courses in a year, eclipsing the previous 581 World Record. We talk about Josh's introduction to the sport, and how he turned a tragic chapter in his life into a force for good, raising nearly £100,000 for two wonderful charities: Macmillan Cancer Support and Tapping House. We've put the link for further donations here so you can contribute to the money raised. We also discuss the trials and tribulations of life on the road, some of his favourite courses [...]

January 2026

358 – Richard Pennell on ‘Common Grounds’

2026-01-28T16:10:11+00:00January 28th, 2026|Book Reviews, Golf Course Architecture, Podcasts|

Sam sits down for a catch-up with friend of the pod, West Byfleet membership secretary and exceptional writer Richard Pennell. Together, they cover a wide range of topics, including Richard’s latest book, Common Grounds, which chronicles his journeys to some of the rawest and purest forms of the game. Building on the success of his first book - Grass Routes - you can secure a copy through the wonderful folks over at Grant Books here. Latest Products

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