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The Fried Egg Golf Podcast

The Fried Egg Golf Podcast

682 episodes — Page 4 of 14

Ep 533Takeaways from the 2024 Players with Sean Martin

After Garrett and Joseph run through what they're IN and OUT on this week, they bring on Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin)—Lead, Editorial at the PGA Tour—to discuss takeaways from an excellent Players Championship. They go in depth on Scottie Scheffler, touching on his mental and strategic approach, his status within his generation of players, and even his swing technique. They also try to explain what makes TPC Sawgrass such a compelling tournament course. Garrett and Joseph then wrap up the episode with some recommendations.

Mar 18, 20241h 20m

Ep 532Michael Bamberger Reflects on To the Linksland

In 1991, Michael Bamberger took a leave of absence from his job at a newspaper to "search for the primal heart of golf." First he caddied for Peter Teravainen on the European Tour, then he set off on an exploration of the Scottish linksland. The result was the widely loved book To the Linkland, a 30th-anniversary edition of which is now available for pre-order. Michael joins Garrett to discuss the themes of the book, how the golf world has changed in the past three decades, and whether he thinks it would be possible to undertake a similar journey today.

Mar 14, 202450 min

Ep 531Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass, and Distinguishing a Great Test from a Great Course

Garrett and Joseph start off the episode with what they are IN and OUT on after an eventful weekend of professional golf. Then they move into a thorough discussion of Bay Hill, dissecting its strengths and weaknesses as both a test of professional golf and as a golf course. Looking ahead to the Players Championship, the two transition to a conversation about TPC Sawgrass including thoughts on what makes the golf course special and which players may find success there this week. They close out the podcast with Recommendations.

Mar 12, 20241h 2m

Ep 530How to Build a (Profitable!) Mom-and-Pop Golf Course

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As we've mentioned a number of times recently on the pod, golf course construction costs are rising. As a result, very few new (or newly renovated) courses are set up to be affordable to play. This is a major problem for the game—but it can be addressed. To discuss how to construct, maintain, and run a successful mom-and-pop golf course, Garrett Morrison sits down with Mike Young, the architect and owner of The Fields Golf Course in LaGrange, Georgia. Mike talks about the secrets behind building greens, bunkers, and even irrigation systems affordably. He also details the forces in the golf course industry that prevent operators from making smart, economical choices. Finally, Mike gives an update on Warmouth Sands, his new municipal design in Vidalia, Georgia.

Mar 7, 202459 min

Ep 529Ryan Fox on His Unique Path to Pro Golf and Playing on the World's Biggest Stages

Andy and Joseph kick off the episode by discussing what they are IN and OUT on this week. Then World No. 42 Ryan Fox joins Andy and Joseph to talk about his unique path into professional golf after not playing a competitive tournament until age 18. He talks about his experiences traveling the world to compete across multiple global tours, playing in his first Masters while fighting pneumonia, missing out on the Presidents Cup, playing in the Olympics, and more. Andy and Joseph close out the episode with Recommendations.

Mar 5, 20241h 22m

Ep 528Restoring a Seth Raynor Design in Minnesota

In the latest installment of our Superintendent Series, superintendent Mike Manthey joins Andy to discuss his role in restoring Seth Raynor's design at Midland Hills Country Club near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mike talks about how he found Raynor's original plans, his favorite stretch of holes post-restoration, how he navigated the removal of 2,000 trees, and the importance of trying to make Midland Hills the best version of itself rather than imitating other clubs.

Feb 29, 202455 min

Ep 527An Early Preview of the 2024 Masters

The Masters is just six weeks away. Andy and Joseph give their thoughts on the golf course, the skills required to succeed at Augusta, and major storylines entering the tournament. Before getting into the Masters, Andy and Joseph discuss what they are IN on and OUT on for this week, including expectations for a former star's return to professional golf this week. To close out the episode, they give Recommendations.

Feb 27, 20241h 16m

Ep 526David Cannon on Capturing Seve and the Euro Tour's Glory Days

Decorated Getty Images photographer David Cannon joins Garrett to talk about his career, which has spanned more than 40 years and nearly 200 men's and women's golf majors. David tells Garrett about his early years as a competitive golfer—when he played with Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, and Seve Ballesteros, among other European legends—before getting into his experiences, techniques, and philosophies as a photographer of golf tournaments. He talks about capturing a couple of particularly famous images of Seve (one at the 1984 Open and the other at the 1993 European Masters), learning how to get in the right positions at a golf tournament, documenting raucous post-Ryder Cup parties, making the transition from film to digital, and much more.

Feb 22, 202454 min

Ep 525The Good and the Bad of This Year's West Coast Swing

After starting with what they're IN and OUT on this week, Andy and Joseph bring on Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) to discuss the state of the West Coast Swing. They touch on what was good and bad about each of this year's West Coast events, why many of them fell flat, and how to incentivize players to create a more compelling product. They also ask whether there are any PGA Tour courses that truly test the pros outside of Riviera, and whether the schedule can be restructured to give the West Coast tournaments a better chance of avoiding poor weather and turf conditions. They then name some players they think have a good chance at The Masters before Andy and Joseph wrap up with recommendations.

Feb 20, 20241h 25m

Ep 524Jay Blasi on Golden Gate Park and Hot Topics in Golf Architecture

Jay Blasi, the golf architect behind the exciting redesign of Golden Gate Park Golf Course in San Francisco, joins Garrett for a wide-ranging chat. First, they discuss the subtle virtues of this week's PGA Tour venue, Riviera Country Club. Then they dig into the Golden Gate Park story: the origins of this municipal short course, the issues it had until recently, and Jay's role in reviving and improving it. Jay and Garrett close out the episode by talking about a few hot topics in golf architecture, including rollback and AI.

Feb 15, 20241h 14m

Ep 523A Chat with the PGA Tour's Setup Czar

After starting the episode with what they're IN and OUT on this week, Andy and Joseph bring on Gary Young, the Senior Vice President of Rules & Competitions at the PGA Tour. They discuss how Gary became a PGA Tour rules official, what a "PGA Tour setup" entails, how he balances difficulty and fairness in presenting a golf course, his favorite venues to work with, his dream tour course, and the general evolution of championship setups in the modern game. They also touch on the hot-button issues of TIO (temporary immovable obstruction) relief, preferred lies, and pace of play. Andy and Joseph then wrap up the episode with recommendations.

Feb 12, 20241h 25m

Ep 522Reactions to LIV Mayakoba and the State of Men's Pro Golf

Andy and Joseph kick off the pod with what they are IN on and OUT on for this week. Then Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) of CBS Sports and Normal Sport joins to discuss the state of professional golf on the heels of LIV Golf's increased public attention during LIV Mayakoba. The three discuss where LIV is succeeding, where it falls short, and how the league's potential growth impacts the professional golf landscape. To conclude the episode, Andy and Joseph each offer a recommendation.

Feb 5, 20241h 29m

Ep 521Anthony Kim's Past Exploits and Possible Future in Golf

Andy and Joseph start off with what they are IN on and OUT on for this week. Shane Bacon then joins the two to reminisce on Anthony Kim's career in golf, from his teenage years to his pro career to his subsequent injury struggles and exit from the game. The trio then discuss what Kim's best options are for a return to professional golf and the practicality of it all. To round off the episode, Andy, Joseph, and Shane each give a recommendation. Frequently cited in this episode: Tom Callahan's 2009 profile of Anthony Kim for Golf Digest

Jan 29, 20241h 32m

Ep 520Is It Possible Nowadays to Renovate a Golf Course on a Tight Budget?

With construction costs rising, the pricatag for renovating a golf course has gotten disturbingly big in the past couple of years. For low-budget public facilities, the dream of a transformative renovation has begun to seem out of reach. But in certain situations, good work can still be done on the cheap. Our guest today, Clay Payne, is the head superintendent at Buffalo Dunes, a municipal course in Garden City, Kansas, which is in the midst of a six-year renovation project. Clay talks with Garrett about how he and his crew have made a relatively small amount of money go a long way. They also discuss Clay's childhood on the sand-green courses of southwestern Kansas, his early-career jobs at Dismal River and Ballyneal, and how he has gotten the local community involved in his efforts at Buffalo Dunes. This episode of our Superintendent Series is brought to you by the Toro Company.

Jan 25, 20241h 3m

Ep 519How to Construct a World Tour

This episode tackles one of the hottest topics in golf today: if, after an infusion of funding from private equity and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the PGA Tour were to create a global schedule of elite events, what should this "world tour" look like? Andy, Joseph, and Garrett each give their proposals. First, though, they participate in a new opening segment, "In and Out," in which they discuss, among other things, Justin Thomas's reemergence, Scottie Scheffler's putting, and the proper pronunciation of "amateur."

Jan 23, 20241h 19m

Ep 518NFL-Golf Comps with Kevin Clark and Hawaiian Swing Review with Sean Martin

ESPN's Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) joins Andy and Joseph for some comparisons between NFL franchises and pro golfers. Each gives three comps, along with rationales. Sean Martin (@PGATOURSmartin)—Lead, Editorial at the PGA Tour—then joins (57:25) to recap all that happened in Hawaii to start the 2024 season. Sean, Andy, and Joseph review the winners of the Sentry and the Sony Open and identify some standard players. The second half of the conversation delves into the recent fad of broomstick putters and why more young players have started using them.

Jan 16, 20241h 36m

Ep 517The Business Side of the PGA Tour Has Gotten Weird

A lot has been going on with the business side of the PGA Tour recently, all of it pretty weird. The Tour is trying to form a for-profit entity, supposedly called "PGA Tour Enterprises," with the backing of various investors, including commissioner Jay Monahan's frenemies at the Saudi Arabian PIF, which funds LIV Golf; purse sizes are spiraling out of control, and title sponsors are being asked to bear some of the burden; and in general the proudly non-profit Tour is moving awkwardly toward a for-profit model. To get some clarity on these matters, Garrett sits down with Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) of Sports Business Journal. Garrett and Josh discuss the PGA Tour's recent adventures in business, including its battle/partnership (?) with LIV and the PIF, the effect of Jon Rahm's departure, Rory McIlroy's world tour dreams, and the Tour's increasingly precarious relationship with its own tournaments and title sponsors.

Jan 11, 202455 min

Ep 516Michael Clayton Talks Royal Melbourne (Great Courses 4)

To wrap up the initial run of our Great Courses series, Garrett brings on the doyen of Australian golf Michael Clayton (@mikeclaytongolf) to discuss the brilliant courses at Royal Melbourne. Garrett and Mike discuss Mike's personal history with Royal Melbourne, the architectural history of Alister MacKenzie's West Course and Alex Russell's East Course, the impact of these designs on the Australian game, and the finest rounds of golf Mike has seen played over Royal Melbourne's famed Composite Course. We loved making the first four episodes of the Great Courses series, and we hope you enjoyed listening to them. Let us know if you'd like more (and if you have suggestions for topics)!

Jan 9, 20241h 9m

Ep 5152023 Memories and 2024 Predictions with Shane Bacon

Our first episode of the year brings Andy and Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) together to reminisce on 2023 and offer predictions for 2024. They look back on Wyndham Clark and Lilia Vu's breakout seasons, Viktor Hovland's evolution, and the feel-good story of the year in Hayden Springer's Q-School success. Looking ahead, Andy shares who he thinks will fall out of the OWGR top 10, and Shane offers makes a bold prediction about how will play in the Presidents Cup. Enjoy a lengthy discussion about New Year's Resolutions and the benefits of stretching at the top, and stay to the end to hear what Andy and Shane think about the still-vacant analyst seat at NBC.

Jan 3, 20241h 18m

Ep 514Top 10 Golfers in the World Going into 2024 and a Chat with the Grass Whisperer

Andy kicks off our final episode of 2023 with a monologue on the top 10 players in professional golf going into 2024. He is then joined by Steve McDonald of Turfgrass Disease Solutions to discuss Steve's unique career in turf. They talk about what it's like to work with 150-250 courses per year, distinguishing between important and trivial agronomic concerns, how expectations have changed with advances in greenkeeping equipment, and where Steve sees turfgrass maintenance going in the future.

Dec 29, 20231h 12m

Ep 513The First Modern Golf Course? (Great Courses 3)

Built (truly "built," not just "laid out") by Willie Park, Jr., in 1900 and 1901, the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club was, to that point, the most expensive construction project in golf history. It was also more functional, systematically designed, and artful than golfers of the 1890s would have imagined an inland course could be. It marked a major advance in golf architecture and the beginning of the period we now call "the Golden Age." This third installment of our Great Courses series starts with an extended introduction from Garrett on the state of golf course design in the late 1800s and the turning point that Sunningdale represented. To further explore the course's design and influence, Garrett brings on Adam Lawrence (16:26), the editor of Golf Course Architecture magazine and the author of an upcoming biography of Harry Colt. Garrett and Adam discuss Sunngindale's origins, Colt's important role in refining its design, and much more.

Dec 27, 202355 min

Ep 512National Golf Links of America: C.B. Macdonald's Big Swing (Great Courses 2)

In the second installment of our Great Courses series, we dive deep into the story of National Golf Links of America, C.B. Macdonald's masterpiece on Long Island. Garrett speaks with Chris Millard, the co-author of a 2016 history of NGLA, about Macdonald's background and personality, how he developed his idiosyncratic design philosophy in the first decade of the 20th century, his hugely important partnership with Seth Raynor, and the monumental effort he put into funding, building, grassing, and promoting National Golf Links.

Dec 21, 20231h 14m

Ep 511How the Old Course Became the Old Course (Great Courses 1)

Over the next couple of weeks, we'll release the first few installments of what we're calling our "Great Courses" series. These episodes will tell the stories of some of the best and most influential golf courses in history. And where else could we start but with the Old Course at St. Andrews? Our guest is Scott Macpherson, a golf architect and historian, who recently published a revised edition of his fascinating, extraordinarily well-researched book St. Andrews: The Evolution of the Old Course. Scott joins Garrett to dispel some myths about the Old Course's history (no, it wasn't created solely by wind and sheep) and discuss how the links took on their modern form through a combination of natural and human influences. You can order your own copy of Scott's book on his website: St. Andrews: The Evolution of the Old Course.

Dec 19, 20231h 9m

Ep 510The Best New Courses We Saw in 2023

It has been the busiest, most exciting year in golf course development since Fried Egg Golf has existed, so Andy and Garrett sat down to talk about the best of what they saw in 2023. They discuss courses in three categories: 1) best new builds; 2) most exciting course renovations; and 3) most memorable older courses they played for the first time this year. Andy and Garrett wrap up with some chat about the golf course projects they're looking forward to seeing in 2024.

Dec 14, 20231h 5m

Ep 509With Rahm Gone to LIV, What's Next for the PGA Tour?

Last week, Jon Rahm announced that he had signed a massive contract with LIV Golf. This is by far the most consequential signing yet for the Saudi-backed breakaway league. Andy is joined by Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) and Joseph LaMagna (@JosephLaMagna) to discuss what Rahm's departure means for the PGA Tour, how it affects the Tour's framework agreement with LIV, what the Tour needs to do to succeed going forward, and whether LIV will become significantly more interesting to watch. Andy, Shane, and Joseph wrap things up with a little rollback talk.

Dec 12, 20231h 26m

Ep 508The USGA's Mike Whan and Thomas Pagel on Universal Rollback

The USGA and R&A announced today (Wednesday, December 6) that they plan to adjust their testing standards for golf balls, resulting in a small rollback across the game. To discuss this decision, Mike Whan and Thomas Pagel—the USGA's CEO and Chief Governance Officer, respectively—join Garrett to talk about the governing bodies' switch from bifurcation to universal rollback, why they expect the impact on average players to be minor, the feedback they've received from equipment manufacturers and professional tours, and what they hope the overall effect of the rule change on the game will be.

Dec 7, 202356 min

Ep 507Rollback Is (Reportedly) Coming—Let's Discuss

Don't call it an "emergency pod": Andy and Garrett throw out their plans for the week and sit down to discuss the late-breaking news that the USGA and R&A will soon announce a future universal rollback of the golf ball . Andy and Garrett talk about the events that have led to this juncture and address a number of common concerns, misapprehensions, and points of debate around the issue.

Dec 4, 20231h 13m

Ep 506Tiger's Return and the Status of the Framework Agreement

Golf Channel senior writer Ryan Lavner joins Andy for some professional-golf chat. They check in on the status of the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian PIF, and they discuss how the Tour might need to change going forward. Then they offer some thoughts on Tiger Woods's presser at the Hero World Challenge and the state of his game. After going through some of their favorite memories from the 2023 season, Ryan and Andy finish up with some grill talk.

Nov 30, 20231h 4m

Ep 505Golf and Music with Drew Holcomb

Acclaimed musician Drew Holcomb joins the podcast to talk about music, golf, and the intersection between the two. Drew tells Andy about how he got into golf later in his life, the way his career in music progressed in relation to his golf game, and the new courses he has played this year (along with some musical artist comps for those courses). They also touch on music on the golf course, the holiday-music genre, and which major could use a theme song.

Nov 28, 202358 min

Ep 504Yolk with Doak 41: Sedge Valley, Pinehurst No. 10, Difficulty vs. "Fun," and Blind Shots

For the second of our two Thanksgiving-week Yolk with Doak installments, Andy and golf course architect Tom Doak tackle some more listener questions. Among other topics, they discuss Doak's recent Sedge Valley and Pinehurst No. 10 projects, designing short par 4s and shot courses that challenge elite players, difficult vs. "fun" courses, a wild idea for an Olympic course, and the pros and cons of blind shots.

Nov 22, 20231h 14m

Ep 503Yolk with Doak 40: High Pointe, Lido, and Playing His Own Designs

Tom Doak is back for the first of two new episodes. In this first one, Tom addresses a variety of listener questions. He talks about the revival of his original High Pointe design outside of Traverse City, Michigan, and how it has been a unique project for Renaissance Golf Design. Andy and Tom then discuss the takeaways Tom has from Lido after a few days on site in October.

Nov 21, 202346 min

Ep 502Roberto Castro on the TGL and the Direction of the PGA Tour

Former PGA Tour pro Roberto Castro joins the podcast to discuss the TGL, the indoor, tech-infused golf league featuring the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that will launch in January next year. Roberto has been helping the TGL design its gameplay, and he provides information and perspective on the league's genesis, format, and potential. Before digging into this topic, however, Roberto and Andy discuss Roberto's recent experiences playing with retro equipment. Toward the end of the episode, they talk about the direction of the PGA Tour in the "Framework Agreement" era.

Nov 16, 20231h 9m

Ep 501The Evolution of Modern Golf Architecture with Bruce Hepner

Bruce Hepner, former Vice President of Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf Design, was at the forefront of many current trends in golf architecture, from the Golden Age restoration movement to the revival of the design-build method. So we figured he would have an interesting perspective on the evolution of modern golf course design. Bruce and Garrett start by chatting about Bruce's passion for music and his recent renovation of Percy Warner Golf Course, a municipal nine in Nashville. They then discuss Bruce's epoch-spanning career, touching on his work in the early 1990s with Ron Forse, his experiences on Doak projects like Pacific Dunes and Ballyneal, and his thoughts on how the golf course restoration game has changed in recent years.

Nov 14, 20231h 22m

Ep 500Gil Hanse Talks Municipal Golf

A couple of weeks ago, Garrett spoke with architect Gil Hanse in front of an audience at the Pearl Street Warehouse in Washington, D.C. Their conversation was part of the National Links Trust Symposium on Municipal Golf, so they focused on Gil's résumé of municipal designs, from Rustic Canyon and Soule Park in the early 2000s, to the recently opened Park in West Palm Beach, to his ongoing projects at Maggie Hathaway in Los Angeles and Rock Creek Park in D.C. Garrett and Gil touch on a variety of larger topics, such as the importance of architectural minimalism to affordable golf course development and the recent changes in both the golf architecture industry and Gil's own workload. Many thanks to the National Links Trust for asking Garrett to be involved in this year's symposium, and for letting us share this conversation with our listeners. Find out more about the NLT's work HERE.

Nov 9, 20231h 0m

Ep 499Dream 18: Sand Valley

Garrett joins Andy, aka "Sheddie Hackett," in the Fried Egg Golf Shedquarters for the first multi-person pod recorded entirely within the four uninsulated walls of Andy's backyard shed. They celebrate this momentous occasion by picking a "Dream 18" for Sand Valley in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. They select their favorite holes at each number (1 through 18) from the resort's five existing courses: Coore & Crenshaw's Sand Valley, David McLay Kidd's Mammoth Dunes, Coore & Crenshaw's Sandbox, Tom Doak and Brian Schneider's re-creation of C.B. Macdonald's Lido, and Tom Doak's Sedge Valley. Andy also gets in a few digs at large flagsticks.

Nov 7, 20231h 28m

Ep 498Mike Cocking of OCM on Breaking into the U.S. Market and Remaking Medinah

Australian golf architect Mike Cocking returns to the pod for the first time in five years. Along with OCM design partners Geoff Ogilvy and Ashley Mead, Mike has been working more in the U.S. recently, so he and Andy have a lot to catch up on. They cover a variety of topics, including the best Ben Hogan story Mike heard while renovating Shady Oaks Country Club in Texas, how to design and build site-specific bunkers, the differences between Sandbelt golf and American golf, and some off-the-wall design concepts he'd like to try . Mike and Andy also dig deeply into two of OCM's current projects: an ambitious renovation of Course 3 at Medinah Country Club, which will debut at the 2026 Presidents Cup; and a 36-hole new build in Georgia, which will feature both a heathland-style and a Sandbelt-style course.

Oct 31, 20231h 7m

Ep 497Reviewing 2023 in Golf with Shane Bacon and Kyle Porter

With the Ryder Cup in the rearview mirror and the competitive season winding down, Andy brings on Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) and Kyle Porter (@kyleportercbs) for a rollicking discussion of the year in golf. They rank the top five people and things that golf has been best to in 2023, and the conversation veers in a variety of directions, touching on playing Augusta National, coaching vs. parenting, and of course Blockie.

Oct 26, 20231h 40m

Ep 496Building a Career in Golf Architecture with Dan Hixson

Dan Hixson is a golf architect based in Portland, Oregon, who has designed and built several excellent golf courses in the Pacific Northwest, including Bandon Crossings, Wine Valley, the reversible Craddock/Hankins layout at Silvies Valley Ranch, and the new Bar Run. Sitting in his home office, Dan tells Garrett about his varied career in golf course design. He begins by talking about his ongoing renovation of Lake Oswego Golf Course, a municipal facility in the Portland suburbs. He then delves into how he got interested in golf architecture as a kid, his foray into international competitive golf, his time as a club pro, and his sudden transition into golf course design. In the second half of the episode, Dan and Garrett touch on some of his most significant design projects—all of which are open to the public.

Oct 24, 20231h 14m

Ep 495The Uncertain Future of LIV Golf and the Framework Agreement

The interest and intrigue in season two of LIV Golf has waned throughout the year and in the aftermath of the bombshell that was the “Framework Agreement” with the PGA Tour. As its season winds down, LIV is front and center again and Golfweek’s Adam Woodard, who has been on the LIV beat the last two years, joins Fried Egg Golf’s Garrett Morrison to discuss the recent denial of OWGR points and how interest has dropped off severely in its second year. They also discuss the tenuous nature of that framework deal with the PGA Tour and the potential consequences if it does fall through at the year-end deadline. Will we see another round of player movement and defections between the two leagues? And how is that deal uncertainty impacting LIV and its future? They also catchup on the league’s season ending events for both team play in Miami this week and individual play in Saudi Arabia last week.

Oct 17, 20231h 5m

Ep 494Mat Goggin on Contending for the 2009 Open and Building 7 Mile Beach in Tasmania

Mathew Goggin has had one of the most interesting careers in golf and he's not yet old enough to play on the Champions Tour. Growing up in Tasmania as the son of legendary golfer Lindy Goggin (née Jennings), Mat played frequently at Royal Hobart Golf Club, which is close to the Hobart International Airport as well as a strip of sand dunes and pine trees called Seven Mile Beach. Mat often wondered why there wasn't a course on this landmass, amid the spectacular dunes. Future Tassie golfers will no longer have to wonder: with the help of architects Mike Clayton and Mike DeVries, Mat is developing a new public golf course at Seven Mile Beach, set to open in late 2024. In addition, he has already begun to plan a second course next door, this one called 5 Mile Beach. Matt gives Garrett the lowdown on these projects and also talks about his outstanding competitive career, highlighted by a victory at the 1995 Australian Amateur, five wins on the Korn Ferry Tour, and a very close call at the 2009 Open Championship. (Yes, that Open—the Tom Watson vs. Stewart Cink one.) Mentioned in the episode: Mat's excellent essay "10 years and counting...," a reflection on his late grandfather's influence on his life in golf

Oct 10, 20231h 14m

Ep 493Takeaways from the 2023 Ryder Cup

Another European Ryder Cup, another "surprising" loss for Team USA. In this episode, Garrett offers some analysis of Europe's 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome as well as a few big-picture takeaways. First he is joined by Joseph LaMagna, a Fried Egg Golf contributor and the author of the Finding the Edge newsletter, to perform an autopsy of the U.S. team's performance. For a discussion of the European squad's successful week, Garrett brings on Ben Coley (39:38), the deputy head of content at sportinglife.com. Both Joseph and Ben touch on players who thrived at Marco Simone, players who faltered, and the strategic decisions that led to Sunday's result.

Oct 2, 20231h 19m

Ep 492Ryder Cup Predictions... Plus a Little History

Happy Ryder Cup Eve! As the first day of action in Rome approaches, Garrett checks in with three members of the Fried Egg Golf team—Andy Johnson, Brendan Porath, and Joseph LaMagna—to get their predictions for which team will win at Marco Simone, what the final score will be, and who will prove the most and least valuable players. For the second part of the episode (34:15), Garrett is joined by Shane Ryan, author of The Cup They Couldn't Lose, to discuss how the Ryder Cup has changed over time. Garrett and Shane provide historical context for this week's event by exploring how Europe gained the upper hand on the U.S. team starting in the late 1980s, and how Team USA has only recently begun to match its opponent's level of organization and leadership.

Sep 28, 20231h 26m

Ep 491A Preview of the 2023 Ryder Cup with Trevor Immelman

CBS lead golf analyst Trevor Immelman joins Andy to preview this week's Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy. The two discuss the big storylines heading into the Ryder Cup, including top-tier European players, the depth of the U.S. team, Justin Thomas's prospects, and Team USA's predictable pairings.

Sep 24, 20231h 25m

Ep 490Starting a Golf Tour and Playing on the APGA

This episode focuses on the APGA Tour, which seeks to bring greater diversity to golf by helping African Americans and other minorities to gain access to careers in the game. First, Andy speaks with APGA founder Ken Bentley about how he started the tour, what his original goals were, and what the tour has become. They also touch on some stories of APGA players. For the second half of the episode, APGA Tour and PGA Tour Canada member Aaron Beverly joins Andy to discuss his life in golf (57:45). Aaron talks about how his years of experience in ballet helped his game, and about his path from watching Tiger Woods every weekend as a kid to winning the Charlie Sifford Award and joining Tiger on a panel.

Sep 21, 20231h 39m

Ep 489A Chat with the Designer of the Ryder Cup Venue

Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, outside of Rome, Italy, is this year's Ryder Cup host. In preparation for this rather high-profile gig, Marco Simone underwent a redesign by European Golf Design, in cooperation with Tom Fazio II. European Golf Design's lead architect for this project was Dave Sampson, and in this episode, Dave joins Garrett for a deep dive into the course. Dave talks about the most attention-getting holes at Marco Simone, the thought that went into building the spectator and hospitality infrastructure at the venue, whether he believes the course will actually favor the Europeans over the Americans, and some of the criticism Marco Simone has received from European Tour players. Garrett also asks Dave about his general philosophy of championship course design, including his take on the role of narrow fairways and thick rough in challenging elite players.

Sep 19, 202347 min

Ep 488A Ryder Cup Draft with Shane Bacon

Shane Bacon joins Andy to draft their own Ryder Cup teams: Team Egg vs. Team Bacon. They do a schoolyard pick, drawing from the pool of American and European pros who will compete in the Ryder Cup later this month, ranking them 1-24, and offering insights and critiques on individual players. Banter ensues.

Sep 14, 20231h 16m

Ep 487Golf Architecture Mailbag Redux and How to Do a Low-Cost Muni Renovation

First, Andy and Garrett cover some mailbag questions they didn't get to in last Friday's pod. They try to decide whether upcoming Ryder Cup venue Marco Simone is "good," list some of their favorite fairways in golf, and discuss the importance of tee-box design. In the back half of the episode, Garrett is joined by Will Benson (40:52), the facility manager and golf superintendent at Laurelwood, a nine-hole municipal course in Eugene, Oregon. Over the past several years, Will has carried out significant design upgrades at Laurelwood, and he tells Garrett about how he made these projects happen efficiently and cheaply.

Sep 12, 20231h 19m

Ep 486Golf Architecture Mailbag: Most Exciting New Courses, The Lido, and More

Mailbag time! Andy and Garrett address a bunch of golf architecture-related questions from listeners. Among the topics covered: this year's most exciting new-build golf courses, the best courses Andy and Garrett saw for the first time recently, the virtues of the Lido, whether more "Harbour Town-style" courses should be built, why Pete Dye is not "VERY overrated," and whether template holes are lazy and uncreative. Also, Garrett gets a headache trying to answer the following question: If you could play one architect's body of work for the rest of your golfing life, whom would you choose and why?

Sep 8, 20231h 13m

Ep 485Sizing Up the U.S. Ryder Cup Team

Zach Johnson made his six captain's picks on Tuesday, so the U.S. Ryder Cup team is now complete. In this episode, Andy and Fried Egg Golf contributor Joseph LaMagna (@JosephLaMagna) discuss the merits of the ZJ's selections, evaluate Team USA in detail, and give some preliminary takes on the European squad.

Sep 1, 20231h 0m

Ep 484Takeaways from the 2023 PGA Tour Season with Kyle Porter

The 2023 PGA Tour season is in the books, so Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) joins Garrett to discuss a few big-picture takeaways from the past year's action. First, though, they touch on Viktor Hovland's dominance in the last two legs of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the hugely promising arc of his career so far. After running through their season-long takeaways, Kyle and Garrett briefly chat about Zach Johnson's upcoming captain's picks for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Aug 28, 20231h 9m