Guests of the Pod
051 – Masters Round-Up
Whilst it wasn't the nail-biting final day we've seen in recent years, it was still a great spectacle! We get together to chew through the detail on the first ever Masters in November and talk about the big (and not so big) stories! From arty coverage to anchoring putters, did the course play longer or was it a legitimate par 67? It's all in here!
Story of a Golf Club: West Lancashire Golf Club
Our latest Story of a Golf Club episode, we stay put in England’s Golf Coast, this time at the historic and hallowed links land of West Lancs. This side of the Mersey, it is the oldest course you will find. Founded in 1873 by seven members of Royal Liverpool Golf Club, looking to expand the 'Scottish national game', as it grew in popularity and when you walk the fairways at West Lancs taking in the coastal views that are integral to its design, you quickly realise that mother nature is responsible for the layout we fundamentally enjoy. Whilst many architects over the years have changed the routing and its been adapted over time, including the likes of Tom Dunn, Harold Hilton & James Braid, the current layout is the work of CK Cotton in the 1960’s, when the club also installed its current clubhouse. Interestingly, Harold Hilton also [...]
050 – The Masters with TrottieGolf
This year, the wait for The Masters has been excruciating with set backs and lock downs, so who better to celebrate our 50th episode, a prelude to Augusta this week, than with friend of the pod - Chris Trott from TaylorMade. Inside the ropes and behind the scenes, talking about one of the most anticipated tournaments in history... what will the course look like, how do the players prepare for the event, and whats going in and out of the bag for the worlds best as we approach Thursday!
049 – Sam Cooper – @links_from_the_road
We got to catch up with Sam about van life and the first leg of his journey as he, his wife Harriet and the dogs travel the coast of the UK playing 192 of the best inks courses across the country. Battling against the never ending Covid-19 restrictions, hopping from town to town in search of the next adventure it's great to hear how his plans are always changing. Now over on the East Coast, having covered much of the West Coast of Scotland, namely Kintyre, Ayreshire and up over the North Coast 500 playing some lesser known courses, it's refreshing to hear about the courses that often fly under the radar or the areas that are less well travelled by the everyday golf tourist!
Lockdown to Lockdown…. Life in 2020:
With the prospect of another month without golf courses, with another period of lockdown announced by the UK government running through the month of November, I can’t help but reflect on what’s different this time around. We’ve become conditioned to it all, and this time it doesn’t feel quite so severe as it did back in March. I remember when golf courses re-opened back in May this year…. The excitement in seeing the update from England Golf that courses would finally be reopened…. Pacing round the house ringing everyone at the club, hatching a plan for the next 3 weeks golfing binge, limitations on tee bookings for 2-balls only with no refreshments or clubhouse was a fair trade off to be able to walk the fairways with your pals again. Entering lockdown 2.0, what’s changed…. Yes, handicaps have been turned on their heads with the introduction of [...]
Mark Broadie: Every Shot Counts
It’s hard to find a seminal book on the ancient game, written in the modern era, but Mark Broadie’s book, ‘Every Shot Counts’, is exactly that. As we moved into the ‘shotlink’ era from 2004, it shows the true power of data in the modern game and how it provides clearer insight and better management of the game for tour professionals, but also the amateur golfer. The concept of strokes gained is known to most golfers, but what it truly means is not always clear. Our guest of the pod, Lou Stagner put it best, when he said that it’s like asking someone how far they live from work. People usually answer with time taken, as opposed to kilometres or miles, and therefore if they take a 15 minute drive and it actually takes 20, there is a negative impact. That same thought process can be used with strokes [...]
