Best Golf Course Architecture Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 38: A fresh perspective on Golf Course Architecture w/ Christine Fraser 1:07:43

2h ago1:07:43

1:07:43

In this episode James and Jasper are joined by Christine Fraser to discuss her unique perspective on golf course architecture. She began her career with Martin Hawtree in the South East Of England, and now runs her own company where she looks to use golf course architecture to drive meaningful change in communities. Follow Christine on Instagram: h…

1
Grading Performances in the 2024 Men's Majors 1:39:35

21m ago1:39:35

1:39:35

With the 2024 men's major season in the books, Andy Johnson is joined by Geoff Shackelford and Joseph LaMagna to hand out grades to both players and venues for their showings in the majors in 2024. The three touch on Xander Schauffele's historic performance, Scottie Scheffler's highs and lows, Bryson DeChambeau carrying the mantle for LIV golfers a…

1
Episode 88: Mike Cocking 1:29:48

28m ago1:29:48

1:29:48

Mike Cocking is the “C” in the Australian golf design firm OCM. His partners are former tour player and 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Ashley Mead. The trio have built courses in Australia and Asia and consult with some of the top historic clubs Down Under including Victoria and Kingston Heath. Over the last five years they’ve gained a fo…

1
Xander prevails at The Open and possibly wins the year 1:23:02

5h ago1:23:02

1:23:02

Xander Schauffele wins the Open Championship at Royal Troon amid a fantastic field of golfers that many weren't expecting to see on the leaderboard on Sunday. Kyle and Beige discuss all aspects of Schauffele's historic round on Sunday and what it means for his legacy and the other top players in 2024. The guys also discuss why links golf is the bes…

1
Takeaways from the 2024 Open Championship 59:00

1h ago59:00

59:00

After the final men's major of 2024, Garrett, Joseph, and Andy discuss their takeaways from Royal Troon and Xander Schauffele's second major win of the year. They start by evaluating where Xander stands amongst the top tier of stars in today's game, especially compared to Scottie Scheffler. The trio then cover how the golf course played all week an…

1
Final Insights into Royal Troon and a 2016 Open Lookback 1:05:50

6d ago1:05:50

1:05:50

Ahead of the year's final men's major, Garrett Morrison and Joseph LaMagna wrap up preparations for the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. The two discuss early insights from player press conferences and potential weather in the area overnight on Wednesday before diving into a re-watch of the 2016 Open's final round. With notes on Henrik Stenso…

1
2024 Open Championship Preview 1:18:17

6h ago1:18:17

1:18:17

Beige and Kyle talk all things Royal Troon and the 2024 Open Championship. They start by recapping the Scottish Open and what it means for the Open Championship. Then it's time to power rank the players they're most confident in, dream about how rolled back clubs would benefit this championship, discuss Ayrshire, Scotland as a golf destination, and…

1
Episode Fifty - Metro/Huntingdale merger, Five Mile Beach update & other news 52:07

1d ago52:07

52:07

We've made it to 50 episodes! Metropolitan and Huntingdale are planning to merge, the Aussie Open is back on the sandbelt, some news about the likely architect of Five Mile Beach, two more courses for King Island (?!) and Royal Sydney is taking shape... Shoutout Angus & Grace, shoutout Burley Brewing, shoutout Will Drew!…

1
Five Things About the 2024 Open Championship with Andrew Cotter 1:19:05

29m ago1:19:05

1:19:05

Andrew Cotter joins Andy Johnson to preview the 2024 Open Championsip at Royal Troon. The two dive into the biggest storylines going into the tournament, including the history of the golf course, how Rory McIlroy will bounce back after the U.S. Open, what to expect from Bryson DeChambeau, how Scottie Scheffler's week could define his 2024 season, a…

1
Episode 51: ODG Series #6 with Philip Truett on Herbert Fowler and related off piste golfing matters 1:31:03

1d ago1:31:03

1:31:03

A recent trip to Walton Heath afforded me an opportunity to meet with Philip Truett at his home at Walton on the Hill. Philip recently co-authored a biography on William Herbert Fowler, entitled 'A Matter of Course'. The book paints a brilliant picture of a life well lived, not without a modicum of drama. Fowler by all accounts was a by-product of …

1
A Preview of Royal Troon 1:10:41

2d ago1:10:41

1:10:41

Garrett Morrison is joined by Sam Cooper, an associate at architecture firm Clayton, DeVries & Pont, to take a deep dive into Royal Troon, the host of next week's 2024 Open Championship. Garrett and Sam discuss the history of the course, the evolution of the Postage Stamp and other standout holes. After wrapping up on Royal Troon, Sam talks about h…

1
Keegan Bradley is a Ryder Cup captain?! Plus a lookahead to links season 1:04:05

3d ago1:04:05

1:04:05

The guys react to Keegan Bradley being named captain of the 2025 United States Ryder Cup team. They attempt to figure out how we got here and if there were any underhanded motives behind his captaincy, along with what this means for future Ryder Cup teams and more. Then it's time to look ahead to the Open Championship and Scottish Open. Hosts: Stev…

1
Episode 37: Introducing The Editor Of Top100GolfCourses.com 1:02:48

4d ago1:02:48

1:02:48

In this episode, James is joined by the newest member of the Top100 team, Jasper Miners (AKA Evalu18Golf), to discuss the world of golf course architecture, and what is coming next for Top100. Listen in, and let us know in the comments what you would like to see next from Top100 Golf Courses ⬇️. Follow us on socials: On Instagram: @officialtop100 O…

1
Are 20-Year Careers a Relic of Golf's Past? 1:09:10

20d ago1:09:10

1:09:10

Andy Johnson and Joseph LaMagna return after the holiday weekend to check on where things stand in professional golf as we enter the second half of 2024. To start, they decide they're IN on both Scottish golf and vacations and OUT on the location of the majors on the golf calendar. As the two move on to recapping the first six months of the year, t…

1
A new bifurcation proposal that could unite mens professional golf 1:04:23

16d ago1:04:23

1:04:23

Kyle and Steve return to discuss the idea of bifurcation within mens professional golf, and how it could potentially unite the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. How would this be handled by golf's governing bodies? What does this mean for manufacturers? Would this make the experience of watching golf better or worse? The debate is on. Featuring: Kyle Surlow &…

1
036 - From Pinehurst to Hayling, and back again - Part 1. Graeme Roberts on managing a links in a changing climate 51:26

12d ago51:26

51:26

We are delighted to welcome Graeme back to the podcast for the third time. We discuss the challenges he faces with the weather at Hayling Golf Club and the trade-off between meeting membership expectations and managing the golf course ecosystem. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we talk more about his experience on the voluntary support team for the US …

1
What Is the Biggest Question in Golf? 1:02:06

12d ago1:02:06

1:02:06

Andy Johnson is wondering - what is the biggest question in golf right now? He's joined by CBS Sports' Kyle Porter, architect Brian Schneider and former PGA Tour pro Roberto Castro to discuss what's on the minds of some of golf's deep thinkers. With questions about the professional and amateur game, Andy and guests take a look at where golf may be …

1
Episode Forty Nine - Architecture listener questions 1:30:45

13d ago1:30:45

1:30:45

Following on from our previous episode examining why course architcture is an important part of the game of golf, we rip through 20 listener questions on the topic:Should short par threes have small greens or big wild ones?Where would an Aussie Pinehurst be located?What will the sandbelt look like in 50 years?Are there too many blind holes at Kings…

1
Episode 36: Wilma Erskine OBE - Bringing The Open to Royal Portrush 53:47

22d ago53:47

53:47

In this episode James Henderson is joined by Wilma Erskine OBE, BEM. Wilma was the manager at Royal Portrush Golf Club for 35 years, and played a key role in bringing the Open Championship back to Northern Ireland in 2019. Wilma shares some fascinating insights into golf club management, and explains how Royal Portrush has progressed from the dark …

1
Brett Hochstein on a (Potential) Sacramento Muni-ssance, Flat-Land Design, and California Golf 53:33

16d ago53:33

53:33

Brett Hochstein—a California-based golf architect who has shaped features for Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, Jay Blasi, and Jim Urbina, among others—joins Garrett Morrison to talk about his plans for two high-potential Sacramento municipal golf courses. Brett has just completed a master plan for a renovation of William Land Golf Course, a nine-holer in a cit…

1
Episode 50: Nathan Bennett - Superintendant @ Royal Adelaide Golf Club 1:43:28

17d ago1:43:28

1:43:28

Recorded 1/5/2024 Nathan Bennett comes from counrty Victorian farming stock, so he's not afraid of hard yakka ('hard work' for non Australians). His can do approach has seen him on a green keeping journey which started in Murray Downs and would go on to include Metropolitan, Moonah Legends, The Sands and finally Royal Adelaide Golf Club. We take a …

1
OB discontent, Bryson's Olympic snub, and Beige's notes from LIV Nashville 1:25:49

19d ago1:25:49

1:25:49

Steve is fed up with OB, so he and Kyle try to figure out if golf's out-of-bounds rules need updating. Afterwards, the dudes debate the selections for the United States olympic golf team, playing a nice round of golf under the influence, Tiger's lifetime exemption, and Beige gives a full pros and cons list from his experience at LIV Nashville. Feat…

1
Do 59s Still Matter? Plus: A Women’s PGA Recap 1:00:40

23d ago1:00:40

1:00:40

After another packed weekend of professional golf, Garrett Morrison and Joseph LaMagna first welcome on Meg Adkins for a round of In/Out following the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, won by Amy Yang at Sahalee Country Club. Then, Garrett and Joseph discuss the Travelers Championship and whether a sub-60 round still holds the same weight following Ca…

151
The State of Rory McIlroy with Shane Ryan 1:00:36

24d ago1:00:36

1:00:36

Garrett Morrison is joined by Shane Ryan, writer for Golf Digest, to discuss all things Rory McIlroy following last week's U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. The two break down Rory's Sunday and Shane's blow-by-blow article of the events that transpired. Moving on from the 2024 U.S. Open, Garrett and Shane then take a look back at Rory and where he was …

1
Northern Irish Golf Road Trip: Royal County Down 43:34

27d ago43:34

43:34

In the final episode from our NI Golf Road Trip, James chats to the legendary Kevan Whitson; The head professional at Royal County Down Golf Club. They talk Kevan's route to the game, the club's history and what makes the course so special. Check out the accompanying videos on our Youtube channel. Search 'Top 100 Golf Courses' on Youtube.…

1
Survivor Pinehurst - 2024 US Open recap 1:35:35

30d ago1:35:35

1:35:35

Kyle and Steve are back to discuss the 2024 United States Open at Pinehurst #2! Is Bryson what golf has been searching for? What does this mean for Rory? Did the golf course hold its own without becoming comical? Plus Steve's amateur tournament golf trials, a brief look ahead to the Open Championship, where this tournament stands in the major panth…

1
Takeaways from the 2024 U.S. Open 1:07:57

27d ago1:07:57

1:07:57

Following a historic weekend of golf, Garrett, Joseph, and Andy sit down to discuss takeaways and on-the-ground insights from an all-time U.S. Open. They start by debriefing Bryson's dramatic victory and the keys to his success. The conversation shifts to analysis of another close call for Rory McIlroy. The episode closes with a lengthy discussion …

1
On-the-Ground Insights from Pinehurst and a 2014 U.S. Open Rewind 48:52

1M ago48:52

48:52

Garrett brings on Joseph, who is covering this week's U.S. Open on site at Pinehurst No. 2, to discuss Joseph's early impressions of the course, including his sense of its difficulty and firmness level. In the second half of the pod, Garrett and Joseph discuss takeaways from their recent rewatch of the 2014 U.S. Open at No. 2, which Martin Kaymer w…

1
Pinehurst stories and prognostications ahead of the 2024 U.S. Open 1:32:27

1M ago1:32:27

1:32:27

Ahead of this 2024 United States Open at Pinehurst #2, we're talking all things Pinehurst, including stories from past travels, what's Donald Ross' deal, the golf course's rich tournament history, how it will play for the 2024 US Open, and how it stacks up against other top modern golf resorts. Hosts: Kyle Surlow and Steve Berger This episode is pr…

1
Episode Forty Eight - Why Does Golf Architecture Matter? 1:37:54

1M ago1:37:54

1:37:54

Following on from a listener DM regarding course design issues, we devote an entire episode to the topic of golf architecture. Why does it matter? Why is the Old Course important, and why is Alister MacKenzie revered? How is it so many people long for firm and fast course conditions? All this, analytics, the wind at Cape Wickham, and more in a long…

1
Feed the Ball Salon 28, ft. Lee Schmidt 2:05:40

1M ago2:05:40

2:05:40

Lee Schmidt’s lengthy golf architecture career began in the early 1970s working for Pete Dye and took many different detours through the decades. He worked closely with Landmark Land Company on numerous Dye projects in the 70s and 80s before taking a job with Jack Nicklaus’ design firm. In the late 1990s he created his own firm with Brian Curley, a…

1
Five Things About the 2024 U.S. Open with Shane Bacon 1:14:30

1M ago1:14:30

1:14:30

Shane Bacon joins Andy Johnson to preview the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. The two dive into the biggest storylines going into the tournament, including Scottie Scheffler's dominant form, Jon Rahm's injuries, and how the venerable course will fare against today's best players.By The Fried Egg

1
Episode 49: Digger Girl - Angela Moser of Moser Golf & Renaissance Golf Design 1:41:27

1M ago1:41:27

1:41:27

The stars finally aligned recently in providing me with an opportunity to spend some time with Angela Moser - golf course architect, shaper and world traveller! There was no sign of either a dozer or a digger.... although I am absolutely sure that one of those is undoubtedly in her immediate future. In this episode we take a deep dive on Renaissanc…

1
Northern Irish Golf Road Trip: Portstewart Golf Club 1:04:35

2M ago1:04:35

1:04:35

In the third episode of our new series, the Top100 Golf Courses team visit Portstewart Golf Club. James Henderson chats with General Manager, David MacLaren. Make sure to watch video reviews of each course on our YouTube channel, and keep an eye out for the rest of our Northern Irish Golf Road Trip series! Coming soon! Follow us on socials: YouTube…

1
A Preview of Pinehurst No. 2 1:10:51

1M ago1:10:51

1:10:51

Andy and Garrett convene to discuss the venue of next week's 2024 U.S. Open, the great Pinehurst No. 2. They touch on the skill sets that the course emphasizes, the short-game challenges it poses, the best aspects of Donald Ross's design and Coore & Crenshaw's 2011 renovation, and a few of the most interesting holes.…

1
An awesome golf trip idea, Toto solves putting, and why the LPGA is more compelling than the WNBA 1:30:26

1M ago1:30:26

1:30:26

Hosts Kyle and Steve congregate for the first episode of 2024! Steve discusses all the details from a fabulous golf trip he planned and executed last weekend and shares tips and tricks for how other can enjoy a similar golf sabbatical. Then Steve explains how he broke the art of putting with help from the band Toto, before the guys talk about last …

1
We're back baby! 3:17

1M ago3:17

3:17

Join us as we reboot the podcast where hosts Kyle and Steve talk golf, golf sabbaticals, architecture, love, bagels, hot sauce and much much more.By Nice Grass Nice People

1
Billy Horschel on Course Setups, Modern Equipment, and Global Golf 1:33:30

1M ago1:33:30

1:33:30

2014 FedEx Cup champion and former PGA Tour Player Advisory Council member Billy Horschel joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on hot-button topics in the world of professional golf. Andy and Joseph kick off the podcast with what they are IN and OUT on this week, including major championship venue selection and coordination across tour…

1
Northern Irish Golf Road Trip: Castlerock Golf Club 38:15

2M ago38:15

38:15

In the second episode of our new series, the Top100 Golf Courses team visit Castlerock Golf Club. James Henderson chats with Caddy Master Gordon Patterson, and Head Pro Robert Irvine. Make sure to watch video reviews of each course on our YouTube channel, and keep an eye out for the rest of our Northern Irish Golf Road Trip series! Coming soon! Fol…

1
Episode 48: Digger Girl :) Trailer - Angela Moser 4:47

1M ago4:47

4:47

Angela Moser has just completed the #10 Course at Pinehurst for Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf Design - she joined me recently for golf at St Patricks Links (no surprise, she's a baller) and a number of conversations, one of which we recorded for your enjoyment. Our full conversation takes a look at Angela's career to date, which includes significant …

1
The History of Pinehurst No. 2 (Great Courses 6) 1:02:34

2M ago1:02:34

1:02:34

For the sixth installment of our Great Courses series, historian Lee Pace joins Garrett for a deep dive into the history of the Pinehurst Resort and Donald Ross's Pinehurst No. 2 golf course. Lee and Garrett discuss the origins of James Walker Tufts's retreat in the unpromising environs of the North Carolina Sandhills, how golf was introduced to Pi…

1
Episode 47: Martin Ebert of MacKenzie & Ebert 1:01:06

2M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Royal Portrush hosted it's first Open Championship in 1951, with Max Faulkner triumphing over Harry Colt's Dunluce Course... at the time Bernard Darwin was minded to write that Colt's design of the Dunluce links was 'a monument more enduring than Brass'. As listeners will know the Open Championship returned to Royal Portrush in 2019. In advance of …

1
A Preview of the 2024 U.S. Women's Open 54:25

2M ago54:25

54:25

Gabby Herzig (@GabbyHerzig) of The Athletic joins Garrett and Joseph to discuss the 2024 U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club. First, Garrett and Joseph kick off the episode with what they are IN and OUT on in the world of professional golf. Then Gabby joins to discuss Lexi Thompson's retirement announcement and how her career will be rememb…

1
John Fields on NCAAs, the La Costa Redesign, and Coaching Spieth and Scheffler 49:30

2M ago49:30

49:30

John Fields, the longtime head coach of the men's golf team at the University of Texas, joins Garrett to discuss a variety of topics in advance of the NCAA D1 Men's Golf Championship. Coach Fields talks about the Longhorns' season so far and the story behind how UT became the host of the men's and women's NCAA championships at the Gil Hanse-renovat…

1
Northern Irish Golf Road Trip: Royal Portrush 54:38

2M ago54:38

54:38

In the first episode of our new series, the Top100 Golf Courses team visit the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club. This venue will play host to the 2025 Open Championship, and in this episode James Henderson chats with Gary McNeill (The head pro at Royal Portrush) about the preparation required to host such a prestigious tournament. Make sur…

1
Takeaways from the 2024 PGA Championship 1:09:11

2M ago1:09:11

1:09:11

Following an eventful weekend of major championship golf, Garrett, Andy, and Joseph offer takeaways from the 2024 PGA Championship. They discuss Xander Schauffele's win and how his career arc illuminates current dynamics in the professional game. They also discuss Valhalla Golf Club's performance as a tournament venue, with Garrett offering some de…

1
Restoring and Renovating the Great Dunes Course at Jekyll Island Golf Club | Episode 26 1:05:33

2M ago1:05:33

1:05:33

This episode features a recording of our Municipal Golf Network Webinar Series on the upcoming restoration and renovation of the Great Dunes Course at Jekyll Island Golf Club in Jekyll Island, Georgia National Links Trust Co-Founder, Will Smith, is joinred by thee panelists. Jeffrey Stein and Brian Ross - the course’s co-architects, and Noel Jensen…

1
Episode 46: F&F Spring Break #4 - Reimagining the County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point 1:04:27

2M ago1:04:27

1:04:27

County Sligo Golf Club celebrates 130 years of existence in 2024. Club members recently approved a course development plan, prepared by course designers M&E. In this episode we catch up with Council member David Dunne to hear about the scope of these plans, which will be implemented over the coming years. David has an interesting back story which w…

1
Valhalla Insights, Rory Diagnoses, and Other Lessons Learned from the 2014 PGA Championship 58:20

2M ago58:20

58:20

One day away from the start of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Garrett and Joseph jump on the pod to discuss the insights they gleaned from rewatching the 2014 PGA Championship, the last major held at Valhalla. They chat about how the tournament played in 2014 and how this week's PGA Championship may play similarly or differently. …

1
035 - Badger & Badger - some of our favourite things, from the trivial to the essential 1:32:34

2M ago1:32:34

1:32:34

Bledge and I do tend to agree on things. So much so one of you guys asked us to put it to the test. In reality, we tend to bicker and disagree on many things. But both value an other perspective and share many of the same philosophies that underpin golf (and, indeed, life). So Producer Harriet put us to the test. Here we discuss some of our favouri…

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