Guests of the Pod
156 – Course Diaries: Corballis Links w/ Darragh Garrahy
Our latest Course Diaries episode takes us across the Irish Sea to Corballis. Golf has been played at Corballis Golf Links for over 100 years, and whilst its previous occupants may have moved onto to larger acreage further inland, its current use a local pay & play facility just 20 minutes from Dublin airport makes it the epitome of fun, affordable and provocative golf design within easy reach of the capital. Sam is joined by Darragh Garrahy, professor of pace putting and chairman of greens at Portmarnock in Dublin who has been enjoying this local course for many years and who Sam enjoyed playing with back in May 2022! I probably played it twice a year for six years like and it's a fun distraction but I first heard of it because guys from senior top team Jeff and James and would go and practice their shipping there and Bernard [...]
3 reasons why Castle Stuart 3rd is one of the great short par 4’s
words by Sam When I was about 11 or 12, I used to draw imaginary golf courses. Each would be a strong contender to host a Ryder Cup. Excessively long and littered with penal hazards, demanding one heroic shot after the next. There would scarcely be enough space between the trees to walk your dog, let alone play golf. Wind the clock on 20 years and I’m stood on the 3rd tee of Castle Stuart. It represented a watershed moment in my appreciation for golf course architecture. We weren’t actually meant to be there. We had been en route to Boat of Garten instead. As the rain continued to thunder down on the M6, we did wonder if golf that day was slightly ambitious. The Secretary at the appropriately named ‘Boat’ almost laughed when we asked if we were still on. The sheer volume of water that had fallen [...]
155 – Matt McLean: US Mid-Am Champion 2022
Sam & Tom catch up with recent mid-Am champion Matt McClean following his epic win over in Erin Hills a week ago. Matt now becomes one of only 4 Irish players to have won a coveted USGA title, adding his name to Graeme McDowell, Rory Mcilroy and Padraig Harrington. Matt played in an all Irish final with travel buddy, roomie and friend Hugh Foley who has also enjoyed a stellar season on the amateur circuit. The final was interestingly played over two days owing to a rain delay from earlier in the week which involved the finalists heading out for a steak dinner in the evening and no doubt discussing the day ahead. Matt now looks forward to a big year in 2023 with a spot in the US Open at LACC, no doubt an invitation for the 2023 Masters at Augusta National and selectors will find it [...]
154 – Course Diaries: Royal North Devon or Westward Ho! w/ historian Robert Fowler
Sam & Bruce re-live some of the fun from Devon a few weeks ago where they played in the Silver medal (the oldest medal in English Golf) and The Kashmir Cup. 2 parts of a legendary week of golf played at Westward Ho! annually. This is a 2-part podcast with Sam & Bruce talking about the course specifically and trying to figure out why the links split opinion so heavily, as well as our interview with club historian Robert Fowler who wrote the history book for Royal North Devon as part of their 150th anniversary year. Robbie is great fun, and someone who has been around RND for pretty much all of his life. Amazing to think he actually shook hand with JH Taylor back in the late 1950's! Royal North Devon is the oldest golf club in England that still occupies the same land it was built [...]
5 things… that will bring you back to Porthcawl time and time again
words by Sam I’ve been visiting Porthcawl since I was about 9 or 10 years of age, and there is a certain magic about any club that you see infrequently over what is sadly now more than a quarter of a century. Every time I return I find myself saying the same; ‘it’s the best I’ve ever seen it’ by which I do not mean just the course itself but the club as a whole. Royal Porthcawl which is situated in the small seaside town between Cardiff and Swansea happens to be famous the world over for their annual Elvis convention that they host. It turns out this is the largest Elvis convention outside of the USA, where pink Cadillacs, jet black wigs, novelty sunglasses and garments that are frankly far too spangly descend on the town at the end of September. The course at Porthcawl was originally laid [...]
153 – Course Diaries: Church Stretton
Church Stretton: Course Diaries Rugged, provocative and downright memorable. Three terms I would use to summarise a visit to Church Stretton. It’s a course that has been on the wish list for some time now, and a recent Instagram poll back in August, when we asked where people would like to see a future Course Diaries feature, made me get in the car and head out to Shropshire to see why. I came in anticipation of minute greensites stitched into the hillside and an abundance of quirk, and whilst Church Stretton didn’t disappoint in that sense, the quality of the architecture on offer far exceeded my own expectations. In Edwardian times, the town of Church Stretton was nicknamed ‘Little Switzerland’. It’ll take you all of about 30 seconds to realise why on the drive in (another club with the somewhat unimaginative road name of ‘Links Road’) and the [...]
