Guests of the Pod
Amateur Hour: The Race for the Silver Medal at Portrush
Words by Peter Handcock, the Half Par Kid While the best golfers in the world battle for the Claret Jug, there’s another prize worth paying attention to at The Open —especially in a Walker Cup year. In this blog, Half Par looks at the nine amateurs in the field and explains why the medal they’re playing for is such a big deal. Table of Contents Amateur Hour: The Race for the Silver Medal at Portrush Sure, Rory McIlroy’s bid to win the one he now wants most (bar a PGA at Frisco, of course) will grab most of the headlines this week. Scottie Scheffler’s red-hot form will also be tough to ignore as he aims to tick-off what is surely the hardest remaining leg of his career slam . But look beyond the big names, and there’s [...]
Royal Portrush – More enduring than brass
Ahead of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Sam and Tom dive into the Dunluce Course – from its early history as an Old Tom Morris design to Harry Colt’s masterpiece redesign. This film explores nearly every hole on the course, which has earned high praise not only as a great links course but as one of the greatest courses in the world. For more on Portrush, check out our social media channels and podcast. https://youtu.be/1uPODF3_P60
Playing 99 Holes at Durness in a day
Sam, Tom, Luke & Peter travel north to one of the most northerly clubs on the British mainland, and a course which we have been dying to visit for years now. Several trains, a few scary car journeys, 40 mph winds and lashings or rain didn't stop us. Huge thanks to Ali and the team at Durness for allowing us to do this and for making us feel so welcome! You can check out Durness on their socials @durnessgolfclub or their website: https://www.durnessgolfclub.org/ https://youtu.be/0chmis-NCMw
The Sacred Nine: Royal Worlington & Newmarket
Royal Worlington & Newmarket - often referred to as the 'sacred nine' is one of the country's most loved venues. A potent nine hole course. Exceptional simple on paper but endlessly fascinating. With its small traditional clubhouse, it can often feel like you're playing golf in someone house at times. We spent the day there back in the spring and filmed a podcast with Michael Morrison (club historian) & Nigel Notley (club archivist) to uncover a bit more on the history of the club and the course, as well as all of the other little facets of the club that make a visit here totally unique. Both Michael and Nigel are heavily involved in the British Golf Collectors Society, and do a huge amount of work in the UK and further afield to promote the importance in club's understanding their own heritage. Royal Worlington readily accepts visitors and we cannot [...]
321 – Course Diaries: Royal Portrush w/ Gary McNeill
Sam & Tom sit down with Gary McNeill, Head Professional at Royal Portrush, to talk about the club, the course, and his life in golf. Gary enjoyed a distinguished amateur career, winning several provincial and national events — including the Irish Boys Championship in 1987 and the Irish Amateur Championship at Ballybunion in 1991. He represented Ulster and Ireland at every level, as well as Great Britain & Ireland at both Boys and Youths level. Turning professional in 1993, Gary went on to lead the MacGregor Academy and serve as Head Coach to the Ulster teams before taking up his role at Royal Portrush. He’s a multiple winner on the Irish PGA circuit and famously played as a marker during the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019. Latest Products
320 – Colin Montgomerie (pt 2)
In part two of this cracking podcast, we talk to Colin Montgomerie about his exceptional Ryder Cup record and some of the iconic events he’s played in — from the War on the Shore in ’91, to Valderrama in ’97, the 'incident' at Brookline with Olazábal and Leonard, and much more. Huge thanks to Loch Lomond Whiskies for their help in arranging this wonderful two-parter. A link to their website can be found here. Latest Products
