Guests of the Pod
Top Hat Tens
Tom Simpson used to say the best holes were the ones that caused the tiger (scratch man) pain and the rabbit (bogey golfer) pleasure. I play my golf at Portmarnock Golf Club (PGC) in Dublin and when I play alone, I often start on the 10th, my favourite hole on the course. Royal St. George’s (RSG) 10th hole has often been my starting hole in matches at RSG. Walking up the 10th at RSG I remember admiring the magnificence of the green with my opponent Dr. Alistair Wells (uncle of Nicola - 5* podcast guest) which falls off mostly on all sides, with some reprieve on the right. The green is hard to hit - cold and blustery conditions are the staple accompaniments of holes like this and make the hitting of the green a celebration. Both holes are an allegory for links golf really - freedom is achieved when [...]
Portstewart Golf Club and a Dance with Dunes
“I think the golf course is amazing. It’s probably one of the most beautiful golf courses I’ve ever seen, if not the most.” – Jon Rahm I’ve often heard that Portstewart Golf Club is a ‘hidden gem’. Yet having had the privilege to play at this magnificent golf course twice this year, there is absolutely nothing ‘hidden’ about it. Sam’s feeling that it was miles away from Portrush may be a common misconception, however in reality it is a mere 10 minute drive up the road. Indeed, it’s one vertex of the colloquially known ‘Triangle’ – made up of Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine. For us, the journey to Portstewart Golf Club was a quick hop across the county border from Portrush into County Londonderry, an area replete with holiday homes and hugely popular with visitors, surfers and golfers throughout the year. The arrival at Portstewart is nothing short of breath-taking. [...]
207 – Course Diaries: Portstewart
On a recent visit to Northern Ireland, Sam, Tom & Charlie dropped by Portstewart. Often known as something as a 'hidden gem', the club now sits firmly in the itinerary for the travelling golfer only 10 minutes from Royal Portrush. Regarded as having the possibly the most dramatic opening nine in golf, Portstewart is a club with a lot of history, 3 courses and has played host to The Irish Open in 2017 when a cleanly shaven Jon Rahm won. For more on Portstewart head over to our website for a recent blog article. Shoutout to our official unofficial sponsor of todays episode: EasyJet for their antics at the departure gate! Latest Products
Premium Inclusive: The Family Experience at Sunningdale Heath
Since 2018, when Wentworth professionals Kristian Baker and Tom Reid had a bright idea to revitalise and transform this charming plot of land adjacent to Sunningdale Golf Club, I have often heard about its remarkable inclusivity and warm atmosphere. Such an image, for many, might seem surprising considering its proximity to its revered and distinguished neighbour. Yet, originally formed in 1902 as Sunningdale Ladies Golf Club, this Harry Colt design has been providing golf in a shorter format for over a century. A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time up at Sunningdale Heath for the very first time, and took with me my mum, Elaine, who’s relatively new to the game. Playing off a handicap of 23, I was really interested to find out more about what Sunningdale Heath can offer to the golfer that is looking to improve and sharpen their game. There is no doubting that [...]
206 – Building a Retro Bag w/ James Day from Sounder Golf
As part of the lead up to our collaboration event at West Byfleet on the 19th October with SounderGolf, we sit down with James Day to run through the iconic clubs from the last 40 years. eBay and used club retailers can be over-facing at times with the vast array of equipment from yesteryear, so this episode is a great peak behind the curtain on what to keep an eye out for online and why building a set of pre-loved clubs is not just rewarding, but often more beneficial for your game than you might think. Latest Products
Cookie Crumbs #7 – Ronan Rafferty on the Ryder Cup
With the recent fun of The Ryder Cup at Marco Simone, it got us thinking about this episode with one of our favourite all time guests. One of our anecdotes from an early episode with Ronan Rafferty, sharing just how nervous he was when he hit the opening tee shot at The Belfry in 1989. Ronan was a brilliant guest of the podcast and someone we need to get on again! Stories for days, a decorated European Tour player and someone who has spent a lifetime around the game of golf and still loves it as much as he did when he was a kid. Head over to episode 065 for more on Ronan. It's linked herehttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-cookie-jar-golf-podcast/id1493651992?i=1000507794540 Latest Products
