This Golfing Life

Rosie Bailey and Karen Crum arrived at golf from almost opposite directions. Rosie was a reluctant junior who became an elite player, represented Scotland and earned a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where the late Nancy McDaniel and Anne Walker, who now coaches the all-conquering Stanford women's golf programme, became hugely influential figures in her life.

Karen grew up immersed in sport and music in Northern Ireland, played competitive football and didn't seriously discover golf until her thirties. Nine years later, she plays off seven and describes it as the greatest sport on earth.

Their paths crossed through Tuesday Links, the golf travel company Rosie founded with broadcaster Iona Stephen to create experiences designed around women rather than simply adapting the traditional golf trip.

Karen joined its inaugural Scottish adventure as one of eight women aged between 36 and 70. What followed – culminating in an emotional walk up the 18th on the Old Course – reinforced something both women believe: golf's greatest gifts aren't necessarily found on the scorecard.

In this episode, Rosie and Karen join Dan to talk about golf as friendship, adventure, meditation and belonging; why walking alongside someone for four hours can create extraordinary conversations; and why golf still struggles to make women feel that the game belongs to them.

They discuss motherhood and the women golf loses, badly designed clubhouses, women's golf clothing – and the scandal of inadequate pockets – and whether golf has a branding problem or a product problem. Plus, Karen discusses her other obsession, music, and her forthcoming album Fault Lines, recorded under the name Von Burl.

Chapters

00:00 – Introducing Rosie Bailey and Karen Crum

02:19 – Rosie: from reluctant junior to Scotland golfer

04:01 – California dreaming: college golf at Berkeley

06:00 – “How you do anything is how you do everything”

08:31 – Karen's unlikely route into golf

11:18 – Illness, Wanstead and becoming obsessed

14:56 – Why are there still so few women?

17:15 – Rosie builds a career in golf

23:01 – Karen's other obsession: music

28:27 – The birth of Tuesday Links

32:38 – What do women actually want from a golf trip?

35:08 – Why four hours of golf creates friendships

38:13 – Golf as meditation

40:59 – The magic of St Andrews

42:09 – Eight women, eight stories

45:11 – Where does golf lose women?

49:08 – The stranger on a plane who inspired Tuesday Links

51:00 – Why does golf still feel uncool?

52:57 – Does golf have a branding problem or a product problem?

59:37 – Being allowed in isn't the same as belonging

1:03:25 – The unexpected power of belonging

1:05:43 – Tears on the 18th at St Andrews

1:07:58 – Walking in the footsteps of your heroes

1:09:29 – What is golf actually for?

1:12:25 – A golfing life

Links

Get 20% off you next Sounder Golf purchasewith the code Pod20

Find out more about Tuesday Links, the women's golf travel company founded by Rosie Bailey and Iona Stephen

Read Karen Crum on Substack at Von Burl

Read Dan Davies on Substack at The Sacred Acre

Follow RNGC, Dan's backyard golf course, on Instagram

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In this special archive edition of This Golfing Life, we travel back to the spring of 2014 and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, where I sat down with three-time major champion Padraig Harrington ahead of that summer’s Open Championship at Hoylake.

Harrington had already established himself as one of the great links players of his generation, winning consecutive Opens at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale in 2007 and 2008 before adding the PGA Championship just weeks after his second Claret Jug. Our conversation became a fascinating exploration of what links golf really demands: imagination, strategy, ball flight and the ability to manufacture shots rather than simply make technically perfect swings. Harrington explains why growing up on links courses teaches you to become a player, recalls the extraordinary way Tiger Woods conquered a baked-out Hoylake in 2006, and explains why even the world’s best golfers can take years to understand how links golf should be played.

We also revisit Harrington’s own major championship career: the moment he realised he really could win one; the extraordinary 48-yard pitch at Carnoustie after twice finding the Barry Burn; getting himself back into “the zone” when he thought he had thrown the Open away; the famous five-wood at Birkdale; and the strange experience of trying to defeat Greg Norman while almost everyone around him was willing the great Australian towards one final triumph.

And then the conversation turns to my own notoriously fragile short game. Padraig makes me a promise: if I do exactly what he tells me, he guarantees he can teach me to chip. So we head outside, surrounded by around 100 spectators, for a chipping lesson with a three-time major champion. It does not go according to plan.

Chapters / timestamps

00:00 — Introducing a 2014 encounter with Padraig Harrington at Royal Liverpool — and one of Dan’s more embarrassing experiences in golf

.02:15 — 2006: when Hoylake became almost unplayably fast02:45 — The genius of Tiger Woods at Hoylake

04:30 — Harrington's perfect links conditions

05:59 — Growing up on links golf

06:39 — What makes a golfer a “player”?

08:06 — Why great American golfers can still play links golf

10:05 — How Phil Mickelson learned links golf

11:04 — Harrington's first Open Championship

11:38 — Nothing like the 18th at The Open

12:09 — The major that changed Harrington's thinking

14:00 — The Carnoustie wedge shot in 2007

14:18 — “I think I've choked” - disasters in Barry Burn

15:05 — Getting back into the zone

15:35 — “Watch this” - Harrington’s gutsy up and down at Carnoustie to make the playoff17:25 — Why Harrington doesn't regard his 2008 5-wood at Birkdale as his greatest shot

19:12 — Trying to spoil the Greg Norman fairytale at Birkdale in 2008

20:26 — Padraig guarantees he can fix Dan's chipping

21:04 — The Harrington cure for bad chipping22:00 — Time to put the theory to the test...

Follow RNGC, Dan's backyard golf course, on Instagram

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From Walker Cup heartbreak and Q-School pressure to European Tour glory, Richard Finch reflects on the highs, lows and near-misses of a life in elite amateur and professional golf. Plus the famous Irish Open plunge, Rory McIlroy at 15, Chubby Chandler, and rediscovering the fun of the game at RNGC.

Richard Finch’s route to the European Tour began on a municipal course in Hull, where an obsession with getting better once led him to spend the night in the junior room practising his putting. He became one of England’s leading amateurs, winning the Spanish Amateur, English Amateur and St Andrews Links Trophy, but his amateur career ended with the bitter disappointment of missing out on a Walker Cup place at Ganton.

Turning professional at 25, Finch initially came under the wing of a young Eddie Hearn before earning his European Tour card in dramatic fashion at Q-School. But by 2007 his career was in serious danger. In this episode, Richard revisits the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship where he first met Dan, the extraordinary final round in Mallorca that saved his card, and the remarkable transformation that followed when he won in New Zealand just weeks later.

Five months after that first victory came the moment for which he may always be best remembered: winning the Irish Open at Adare Manor despite falling waist-deep into the water beside the 18th fairway. Richard also recalls playing with a 15-year-old Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods renaming him “Robert Finch”, the difficulties that eventually brought his Tour career to an end, and the joy of rediscovering uncomplicated, competitive golf at this summer’s RNGC Invitational.

00:00 — Introducing Richard Finch

01:49 — Growing up in Hull

03:52 — The junior who slept at the golf club

06:48 — Scratch golf and Yorkshire county days

08:16 — Deciding to become a Tour professional

09:26 — Family, expectation and Richard’s mum

11:17 — Dave Jagger, Pete Cowen and golfing mentors

14:01 — England golf and winning the Spanish Amateur

16:18 — English Amateur glory and Walker Cup heartbreak

20:00 — Turning professional with Eddie Hearn

22:26 — An 81 at Q-School — and somehow earning a card

25:52 — Discovering he belonged on the European Tour

28:58 — Characters, Chubby Chandler and life inside ISM

32:02 — Losing confidence in 2007

36:09 — The 2007 Dunhill Links

38:27 — Mallorca: “Just don’t shank it”

42:09 — From survival to victory in New Zealand

44:25 — Winning the Irish Open — from inside the river

48:35 — Wet shoes, police outriders and a Ryanair queue

52:14 — Rory McIlroy at 15 and “Robert Finch”

53:52 — Winning twice, Ryder Cup talk and trying to improve

56:55 — Injury and the end of Tour life

1:00:36 — Rediscovering the fun at RNGC

1:02:16 — Why golf remains a great game

Links

Follow Richard Finch on Instagram

Follow RNGC, Dan's backyard golf club, on Instagram at @rngc2021

Read Dan Davies on Substack at The Sacred Acre

Get 20% of your next purchase from soundergolf.com with the code Pod20

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few people have enjoyed a better seat from which to watch the story of modern professional golf unfold than Gordon Simpson.

A sports journalist from the age of 17, Gordon became golf correspondent of the Press & Journal in Aberdeen aged 21 — and promptly found himself walking every yard of the final two rounds of legendary 1977 Open at Turnberry as Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus fought out the Duel in the Sun. From there came football World Cups, Masters Tournaments, Ryder Cups and encounters with many of sport's biggest personalities.

In this episode of This Golfing Life, Gordon recalls the old newspaper world of hot metal, being desperately ill on his first morning at Augusta in 1996, watching Nick Faldo dismantle Norman six days later and then winning the press ballot to play Augusta National himself the following morning. A year later he watched Tiger transform the sport — and heard Earl Woods make predictions about his son that initially seemed preposterous.

Gordon later crossed what he calls the "Great Divide", becoming Director of Communications for the European Tour and seeing professional golf from the inside looking out. He shares memories of flying over North America on 9/11, Darren Clarke's emotional Ryder Cup at the K Club, Paul McGinley's obsessive attention to detail — and the excruciating moment Gordon invited Hunter Mahan to speak after the 2010 defeat at Celtic Manor, only for Mahan to burst into tears.

Finally, Gordon explains how a story told to him by a European Tour colleague provided the ending for his debut crime novel, Four Deadly Swings, which is set around a professional golf tournament at Wentworth, Gordon's professional home for many years.

Chapters

00:00 — Introducing this week’s guest and his connection to Wentworth

03:21 — Growing up surrounded by sport

05:43 — From junior reporter to golf correspondent at 21

10:13 — Drinking, smoking and hot metal: a different time for newspapers

17:52 — Turnberry 1977 and The Duel in the Sun

19:59 — Tom Watson: triumph, heartbreak and enduring class

25:00 — World Cups, Kenny Dalglish and an airport security scare

30:06 — Gordon's unforgettable first Masters34:24 — Playing Augusta National

38:39 — 1997: Tiger Woods changes everything

42:16 — Crossing the Great Divide

47:03 — The golfers behind the public personas

50:48 — Seve destroys Gordon's interview in two questions

54:36 — Flying over America on 9/11 and getting stranded in Canada

57:48 — The Ryder Cup press conference from hell01:00:47 — Darren Clarke and the K Club

01:06:06 — What makes a great Ryder Cup captain?

01:09:10 — ‘Four Deadly Swings’, Gordon’s new crime thriller set at Wentworth

01:15:13 — What golf has given Gordon Simpson

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In Part Two of our extended conversation with John E Morgan, we pick up one of golf's most extraordinary career trajectories. Within months of turning professional, Morgan wins on the Challenge Tour, earns his European Tour card and then heads to America, where — inspired by watching Tiger Woods at close quarters — he emerges from PGA Tour Q School with a second Tour card. Suddenly the docker's son from Bristol is sharing ranges with Ernie Els and meeting his childhood heroes, while still sufficiently starstruck to sprint across a golf course for Adam Sandler's autograph.

We hear about life in America, electric-blue hair, meeting Seve Ballesteros and the loneliness behind Morgan's relentlessly exuberant exterior. Then comes the extraordinary final round of the 2004 John Deere Classic: a back-nine charge, increasingly wild fist pumps and a 30-foot birdie putt at the last to force a playoff that could have changed his life. Morgan reflects candidly on what victory might have meant — and whether his personality could actually have coped with everything that would have followed.

But just a week later Morgan suffered a serious seizure on a plane, and epilepsy became an increasingly destructive presence in his career. He tells us why he eventually had to walk away from professional golf, how broadcasting gave him another way into the game he loves, and why, despite everything he achieved, he remains convinced there was a Ryder Cup player inside him. It's a story of talent and what-ifs, but also enormous gratitude: as Morgan puts it, “At least I had a piece of the pie.”

Key quotes

“I definitely felt there was a Ryder Cup in me.”

“I was more starstruck than I was intimidated.”

“Whatever cloud I was on, I was on it and I felt like Monkey Magic.”

“It’s not just about me, it’s about everyone else.”

“At least I had a piece of the pie. At least I tasted it.”

“Do I think I'd be alive to tell this tale if that putt would have gone in? That's the truth.”

Chapters

00:00 — Coming Up: The John E Morgan Story Continues

01:12 — Turning pro and tearing up the EuroPro Tour

04:01 — Bowood: The tournament that changed everything

06:37 — The 40-footer that became “absolute fruit bat”

09:29 — From Challenge Tour winner to European Tour Player

11:04 — Taking a wild shot at PGA Tour Q School

11:50 — A seizure with four holes to play

13:20 — Watching Tiger and finding his swing

17:44 — Two tour cards in eight extraordinary months

20:42 — Hawaii, the PGA Tour and chasing Adam Sandler

22:28 — Starstruck but never intimidated

24:16 — Meeting Seve Ballesteros

26:13 — Why John dyed his hair electric blue

28:15 — Money, Miami and loneliness in America

29:42 — The 2004 John Deere Classic

31:57 — Going mental on the back nine

33:25 — Fist pumps and a clutch 30-footer at 18

35:11 — The playoff that could have changed everything

39:33 — “Would I be alive if that putt had gone in?”

41:03 — When epilepsy took control

45:22 — Finding a second life in broadcasting

46:00 — What's been lost from modern pro golf?

47:55 — The happiest days of his golfing life

49:19 — “I had a Ryder Cup in me”

50:48 — No regrets, gratitude and treating people well

Links

⁠John E Morgan on Instagram⁠

⁠RNGC, Dan Davies' backyard golf course⁠

⁠Dan Davies on Substack⁠

⁠Get 20% of your next Sounder Golf purchase⁠ with code POD20

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on This Golfing Life, we begin a special two-part interview with former PGA Tour and European Tour pro John E Morgan — one of the game’s great characters, and a golfer whose rise was as unconventional as the man himself.

In Part 1, John takes us back to a working-class childhood in Portishead, growing up as the only son of a Bristol docker and falling hopelessly in love with golf. He talks candidly about dyslexia, bullying at school, the obsessive competitive streak that drove him on, and why his larger-than-life personality never quite fitted the blazer-dominated culture of elite amateur golf.

He also opens up about the epilepsy diagnosis that would shape his career, the moment he considered walking away from golf altogether, and the brutally simple advice from his father that changed his mind. The episode ends with an extraordinary twist in Spain: a £50 golf commercial, two holed shots, and a chance encounter with the man who would bankroll his professional dream.

Key quotes

“It’s hard to feel vulnerable when you feel invincible.”

“I had to be the jester. I had to be the one that brought the laughs. I had to be the crazy one that would do something off the wall.”

“I didn’t play ball. I was the jester and the menace. You told me to go that way, I’d go the other.”

“I was just loud and proud golf, mate. Loud and proud.”

“You’ve been given a chance, John. Go and use it.”
Chapters

00:00 — Introducing this week’s guest, John E Morgan:

Part 102:28 — Where golf first entered John’s life

03:11 — Growing up the son of a Bristol docker

04:40 — His sporting father and an unusual golf education

06:28 — A hole-in-one aged 10

08:32 — Seve, Sandy, Faldo and his childhood heroes

10:16 — Always looking for the outrageous shot

11:07 — Dyslexia, bullying and school

12:43 — The teacher who told him to stop talking about golf

13:48 — The scrapper and the will to win

15:24 — The making of his short game

18:42 — What separates the very best players

24:20 — Tiger, Vijay and life among the greats

29:09 — England golf and when your face doesn’t fit

32:44 — The jester, the menace and the night that changed everything

37:24 — Epilepsy and feeling vulnerable

44:00 — Dad’s reality check: golf or the docks?

46:56 — Spain, the buggy boys and a £50 commercial

49:39 — Two hole-outs and finding the golden goose

53:04 — Coming in part two: the meteoric rise

Links

John E Morgan on Instagram

RNGC, Dan Davies' backyard golf course

Dan Davies on Substack

Get 20% of your next Sounder Golf purchase with code POD20

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when you become the coach of an NCAA Division I college golf team with no coaching experience, only two golfers, and a season that has to be completed? For Harry Stokes, the answer was to recruit a triple jumper, a cheerleader and a football team manager, none of whom had ever swung a golf club, give them a crash course in the game and somehow get them through a college golf season.

What followed is one of the funniest — and ultimately most uplifting — stories we’ve featured on This Golfing Life.

A fourth-generation golf professional from Florida, Harry Stokes had become disillusioned with the game and stepped away from the golf industry altogether when an unlikely opportunity arrived: coaching the struggling women’s golf programme at Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Harry recalls the team's first match that took seven-and-a-half hours to complete, a player taking over 20 shots on a hole, another becoming stranded in a bunker, and Renijah Howard hitting the opposition coach’s pushchair (with her toddler in it) with her opening tee shot — before later being forced to withdraw from the Conference Championship because she ran out of golf balls.

But underneath the comedy is a remarkable story about perseverance, perspective and what sport is actually for. Harry explains how players who could barely hit a golf ball learned to celebrate tiny victories, how he became determined that Bethune-Cookman would be remembered for its attitude rather than its scores, and why getting one of his players around the end-of-season Conference Championship in four-and-a-half hours while shooting 287 for 18 holes remains one of his proudest achievements as a coach.

The experience changed Harry, too. Once a player who allowed his score to define his relationship with golf, coaching beginners gave him a completely different understanding of the game. Golf stopped being something that validated him and became something to be enjoyed, shared and used to bring people together.

He also reveals just how important that seemingly hopeless first season was: Bethune-Cookman needed the women’s team to complete its eight events to help the university maintain NCAA sports sponsorship.

And, having initially wondered whether the experience had “broken” him, Harry stayed. He began rebuilding the programme, saw Bethune-Cookman start competing again and discovered that his real ambition as a coach was about far more than producing professional golfers or winning trophies.

For Harry, success is creating a team whose players will still be friends decades from now — connected by the experience of having worked, struggled and competed together.

This is a conversation about one of the worst teams in college golf — and why being terrible at golf might have taught their coach more about the game than being good at it ever did.

Chapters

00:00 Introducing this week’s guest, Harry Stokes

01:28 Two golfers in a team requiring five players to complete the season

04:14 Building a golf team overnight. A triple jumper, a cheerleader and a football coach

07:54 The first tournament: “I had no idea what was coming”

11:30 A first tee shot into the opposition coach’s pushchair

15:30 “Maybe we should set a limit here”

17:12 Huge scores, swarms of bugs and an ordeal the opposition had not anticipated.

19:20 Did somebody shoot 360?

21:41 Learning how to be bad at golf

23:08 The SWAC Championship. The team’s first proper multi-school championship.

25:00 Shooting 287 in four-and-a-half hours27:45 “I ran out of balls”. Renijah’s SWAC Championship comes to a premature end

29:03 “We were bad and had a great time”31:32 Celebrating the smallest improvements.

34:06 Get 20% of your next purchase at Sounder Golf

34:24 The toll on Harry

36:42 Rediscovering his love of golf

38:30 “You might have broken me”. Why Harry almost walked away

40:00 The conversation that changed everything

41:00 Another novice arrives but Bethune-Cookman at last has foundations

44:21 Why the team embraced its weakest player

46:34 What terrible golfers taught Harry about golf

47:33 Falling back in love with the game. How coaching beginners changed Harry’s relationship with golf.

51:57 “We’re really not a bad team. ”The moment Bethune-Cookman begins to compete

54:30 The season that helped save Bethune-Cookman athletics

55:07 Rebuilding a university and a team56:30 What success really looks like — friendships and memories that last longer than scores.

58:58 Harry and Dan reflect on what this extraordinary team ultimately reveals about golf, coaching and belonging.

Links

Bethune-Cookman's women's golf team

Dan Davies on Substack

RNGC, Dan Davies' backyard golf course

Get 20% of your next purchase at Sounder Golf using code POD20

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former European Tour winner and Sky Sports Golf commentator Robert Lee joins Dan Davies for a warm, funny and deeply reflective conversation about a lifetime in the game.

Robert traces his journey from a 10-year-old discovering golf on a pitch-and-putt course in Bournemouth, through his formative years at Richmond Park and Royal Mid-Surrey, to competing against legends including Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam during one of the strongest eras in European golf. Along the way, he explains why he trained as a watchmaker before turning professional, how he learned to survive the brutal Monday qualifiers of the early 1980s, and why winning on Tour required a complete change in mindset.

Robert also shares colourful stories from Tour life, including the truth behind his famous love of "discos", why he couldn't bear sitting alone in hotel rooms, his mischievous friendship with Mark Roe, and how he ended up winning the Cannes Open after a night out that finished at 2am. He reflects on his memorable Open Championship debut at Royal St George's in 1985, falling foul of the R&A in 1987, the pressures of keeping a Tour card, and why the real stress in professional golf isn't winning tournaments – it's simply surviving.

The conversation concludes with Robert's second career behind the microphone, his philosophy on broadcasting, the joy of family life, and why, after more than 40 years in the game, golf still remains his greatest passion after his wife and daughters.

Key Topics

•

Discovering golf through pitch-and-putt

•

Richmond Park and Royal Mid-Surrey's remarkable golfing culture

•

Choosing golf over a career as a watchmaker

•

Learning from Seve, Faldo, Langer, Woosnam and the great European Tour generation

•

Winning twice on the European Tour

•

The famous "discos" story and life on Tour in the 1980s

•

The 1985 Open Championship at Royal St George's

•

The pressure of Monday qualifiers and keeping a Tour card

•

Golf, confidence and the psychology of performance

•

Fatherhood, family and life after competitive golf

•

Becoming one of Sky Sports Golf's leading commentators

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to this week’s guest, Robert Lee

01:17 Robert Lee’s early golf memories

05:05 Rob’s journey through junior golf

13:27 Going low and knowing he was good enough to turn pro

16:05 Finding his feet on the European Tour

18:15 The class of '83: Rob's circle of close friends on tour

19:23 The lure of nightlife and Rob's dislike of hotel rooms

23:16 Why the DP World Tour gives players a better grounding

25:34 Get 20% off your next Sounder Golf order

26:26 1985: Rob's breakthrough year

30:28 His first win on tour and a big night out in Cannes

33:31 The shots that remain in Rob's heart and mind

35:26 Shooting a 61 en route to win number two

36:53 Drawing the ire of the R&A and Honorable Company at the ‘87 Open

42:42 The players Rob loved to watch

45:29 The lean years, resilience and learning about himself

52:04 Rob's second career as a TV golf commentator

56:37 The importance of offering a player's perspective

59:13 The most interesting characters he's met on tour

Links

Robert Lee on Instagram

Robert Lee on Twitter

Get 20% off your next Sounder Golf purchase with code POD20

Dan Davies on Substack - The Sacred Acre

RNGC - Dan Davies' backyard golf course

Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club

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Broadcaster, journalist and lifelong golf fanatic Gordon Smart joins Dan Davies for one of the most entertaining and revealing conversations yet on This Golfing Life.

From hosting Jon Rahm and Tom Grennan at The Open to following Scotland at the World Cup, Gordon shares remarkable stories from a life spent at the heart of sport, music, broadcasting and Fleet Street. But beneath the laughter lies a deeply personal story of resilience.

Gordon reflects on growing up in the golfing heartland of Fife, learning the game with his grandfather, the magical pull of St Andrews, and why golf remains unlike any other sport. He also opens up about the devastating period that saw him lose his voice, his radio career and much of the life he'd built during the pandemic — and how walking the fairways of Kinross Golf Club became the therapy that helped him rebuild.

Along the way, there are tales of Sean Connery and Michael Caine's legendary clubhouse nights, Alan Hansen's house at Royal Birkdale, playing The Old Course in reverse, Fleet Street excess, Scotland's unforgettable World Cup adventure, and why golf is ultimately about far more than the scorecard.

This is a conversation about friendship, identity, resilience and why the game we love has an extraordinary ability to heal.

In this episode

• Hosting Jon Rahm and Tom Grennan during Open Championship week
• Why Tom Grennan fell in love with golf
• The magic of The Open at Royal Birkdale, Portrush and St Andrews
• Growing up between Gleneagles and St Andrews
• Childhood golf in Fife and the influence of family
• Hidden gem Scottish golf courses
• Golf and mental health during the pandemic
• Losing his voice—and rebuilding his life
• Fleet Street, celebrity journalism and life at The Sun
• Playing The Old Course backwards
• Scotland's World Cup journey and the spirit of the Tartan Army
• Why golf remains the greatest game of all

Chapters

00:00 Introducing this week’s guest, Gordon Smart

01:43 Hosting Jon Rahm and Tom Grennan at The Open

03:03 Tom Grennan's extraordinary journey to golf

04:47 Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish and Open week at Birkdale

07:21 Why The Open is golf's greatest championship

08:13 Growing up between St Andrews and Gleneagles

10:25 The magic of St Andrews and unforgettable Open memories

12:56 Jim Leishman, the R&A and golfing royalty

15:40 Why elite sportspeople become obsessed with golf

18:31 Learning the game in Kinross

22:45 Scotland's hidden nine-hole gems

24:12 Golf tours, Jimmy Nesbitt and surviving Portrush

26:12 Losing everything during the pandemic

30:42 Golf as therapy, memory and healing

35:18 Football dreams and choosing journalism

38:09 Fleet Street, celebrity culture and life at The Sun

43:41 The impossible balance of celebrity journalism

49:37 Playing The Old Course... backwards

53:08 Scotland, the World Cup and the Tartan Army

57:54 France '98, football memories and what sport means

Links

Gordon Smart on Instagram

Dan Davies on Substack

RNGC - Dan Davies’ backyard golf course

Kinross Golf Club

Get 20% of your next purchase at http://soundergolf.com with code POD20

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A far-reaching and candid conversation with American author Jim Hartsell, who talks about his profound love for Scottish golf, his personal journey from playing with generations of his family in Alabama, the tragic loss of his son Jordan, and how the people, the golf culture and the less-heralded courses of Scotland provided sanctuary n his darkest times. Jim discusses how these experiences have shaped his writing and also shares stories behind Tennessee's cult 9-hole course Sweetens Cove, his books, and the deep cultural ties that make Scottish golf uniquely special.

Key Topics
The significance of the 1977 Open Championship to Jim

The connection between family and golf across generations

The story behind Sweetens Cove and its architectural philosophy

Jim Hartsell's books: The Secret Home of Golf, When Revelation Comes, and A Round of Scottish Courses

The importance of small, historic Scottish courses and their preservation

Chapters

00:00 Introducing this week's guest, Jim Hartsell

01:42 1977 Open at Turnberry: Jim’s first Scottish golf memory

04:50 Growing up playing golf in Alabama

08:12 First Scottish golf trip with Dad in 1994

14:45 The spiritual pull of Machrihanish and Dunaverty

19:35 The Secret Home of Golf: Sweetens Cove

27:08 King Collins - Golf architecture philosophy

32:26 Get a 20% discount on your next Sounder purchase

32:39 Family tragedy and Jim's second book

39:51 The kindness and empathy of the Scottish people

44:22 Author Stephen Proctor and The Duffers' Literary Podcast

45:19 Jim's latest book on the "tiny chapels of Scottish golf"

52:29 Recapturing the joy of childhood play on Scottish courses

55:47 Dan invites Jim to Royal North Devon, The Cradle of English Golf

01:00:17 Jim Hartsell's deepening connection with Scotland through golf

01:02:58 A shout out to Jim at Back Nine Press

Links

Jim Hartsell on Twitter

Jim Hartsell’s website

Sweeten's Cove Golf Course

The Secret Home of Golf by Jim Hartsell (Back Nine Press)

When Revelation Comes by Jim Hartsell (Back Nine Press)

A Round of Scottish Courses by Jim Hartsell (Back Nine Press)

Dan Davies on Substack

RNGC backyard golf course on Instagram

Get 20% of your next purchase with Sounder using code POD20

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, veteran golf journalist Bill Elliott shares his colourful experiences covering the game's biggest names in the '80s and ‘90s. Host Dan Davies dives into Bill’s many stories about the most iconic golfers of the era – Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, players and people that Bill got to know well. The conversation includes thoughts on their different personalities, the dynamics between them, and how the landscape of professional golf has changed.

Main Topics

• Bill Elliott’s first Open Championship in 1969
• The rise of the European Tour, led by Seve Ballesteros, and the impact on golf’s global popularity
• The transformation of golf journalism from in-person access to today's more controlled environment
• Behind-the-scenes anecdotes about legendary players such as Seve, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Ian Woosnam, and Bernhard Langer
• The influence of faith, personal struggles, and friendships in Bernhard Langer’s life
• The emergence of Tiger Woods and his impact on the cultural perception of golf
• Greg Norman’s legacy and his turbulent attempts to create a global pro tour
• Bill’s “truly horrendous” experience with Nick Faldo

Chapters

00:00 Introducing this week's guest, Bill Elliott

01:48 Bill Elliott's first Open Championship in 1969

04:52 The impact of the Big Five on European golf

11:16 Balancing friendships in pro golf with the job of being a reporter

14:32 Bernhard Langer: the toughest nut to crack

18:00 The importance of faith to Bernhard Langer

25:23 Get a 20% discount on Sounder with this code

25:40 Similar types: The dynamic between Seve and Langer

30:29 Getting to know Seve and a memorable James Bond stunt

36:55 The British connection: Faldo, Lyle and Woosnam

39:40 Was Nick Faldo “socially awkward”?

41:58 All change in the Tiger Woods era

44:35 First meeting Greg Norman and the seeds of a long friendship

49:55 Greg Norman's first war with the PGA Tour

56:18 Falling out with Kenny Dalglish and Nick Faldo

01:04:19 Ian Woosnam: A spiky character

Links

Get 20% off your net purchase at http://www.soundergolf.com with code POD20

Follow Dan Davies on Substack: The Sacred Acre

Follow RNGC on Instagram

Watch this episode on YouTube at SounderGolf

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Six Open Championships. Countless battles. One unforgettable story.

This week on This Golfing Life, you're about to hear one of the most candid, emotional and inspiring conversations we've ever recorded.

In a few days, Matthew Southgate will tee it up in The Open Championship for the seventh time after once again battling his way through Final Qualifying. But this story is about so much more than golf.

It's the story of a little boy who fell in love with The Open because of his father. A father who taught him to shape golf shots in the woods before school, who drove him hundreds of miles to Carnoustie because he believed it was the greatest golf course on earth, and who passed on a lifelong obsession with links golf and the Open Championship itself.

Matthew speaks with extraordinary honesty about surviving cancer, losing that father far too soon, the grief that followed, and the battle with alcohol that almost consumed him.

He relives the unforgettable Open moments that have defined his career, explains why he believes links golf still brings out the very best in him, and reveals why, as he heads to Royal Birkdale, he genuinely believes he can remind the golfing world exactly what he's capable of.

This isn't just the story of one of Britain's finest links golfers. It's a story about family, loss, resilience — and a lifelong love affair with The Open Championship.

Welcome to This Golfing Life with Matthew Southgate.

Key topics

• Why The Open Championship means more to Matthew Southgate than any other tournament
• How his father shaped his love of links golf — and the remarkable Carnoustie connection
• The story behind six successful Open Final Qualifying campaigns
• Fighting testicular cancer, coping with grief and overcoming alcohol dependence
• Inside his unforgettable Open Championship performances, including Royal Birkdale
• Why links golf rewards imagination, creativity and courage over power
• Why Matthew believes he can once again challenge at this year's Open Championship

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to this week's guest, Matthew Southgate

01:56 Why the Open is so special to Matt

07:08 Thorpe Hall GC and giving back to his home club

10:01 Influences and mentorship in his early days

15:05 Qualifying for another Open - Matt's journey to Birkdale

20:09 The role of Carnoustie in Matt's life and development as a golfer

24:51 "He was born to play links golf": The role of Matt's Dad

28:02 Matt’s links golf heroes

30:17 The unique challenge of links golf

35:03 Tom Watson - taking his Dad to watch his hero at Turnberry

38:47 Learning from great Open champions - Woods, Nicklaus, Watson, Trevino

41:14 Matt's love of the Old Course and successes at St Andrews

45:41 A shared passion: Matt's fondest memories of his Dad

52:27 Being diagnosed with testicular cancer and being inspired by the Open

56:19 Success in the 2016 Open at Troon

57:38 Tying for 6th in the 2017 Open at Birkdale

01:00:19 Playing at Birkdale in 2026, plus Billy Foster on the bag

01:03:05 Finding form and feeling confident in his game

01:03:29 Battling grief and acknowledging his drink problem

01:09:22 Golf is for nutters — all golfers are crazy!

Links

Matthew Southgate on Instagram

Matt on Twitter/X

Dan Davies on Substack

RNGC - Britain's premier backyard golf course

Get 20% off your next purchase at SounderGolf with code POD20

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Film, TV and stage actor JJ Feild shares his eclectic golf journey, from sneaking onto courses as a kid to playing at some of the world's most prestigious venues. Discover his humorous takes on golf culture, playing in the Dunhill Links Championship, and why he feels like an imposter every time he drives through the gates of a golf club. Hear about his ill-fated trip to Pine Valley, how Simon Farnaby was his golfing mentor, and why JJ’s instinctive rebellion against authority has landed him in hot water on the golf course.

Key topics

JJ Feild's early golf experiences and sneaking onto courses

Memorable golf tournaments and encounters with celebrities

The impact of his acting career on his physicality, golf swing and mind set

Humorous and controversial golf stories and incidents

Insights into exclusive golf clubs and courses around the world

Chapters

00:00 Introducing this week’s guest, JJ Feild

02:08 Golfing Identity: From Imposter Syndrome to Club Membership

06:28 Navigating Golf Etiquette: Tales from the Course

07:14 The Anti-Establishment Golfer: A Clash of Cultures

10:07 Breaking into Golf: The Early Days of a Golfer's Journey

15:36 Start in golf - playing at Skull in Ireland

18:25 Joining The Stage Golfing Society

23:19 Playing in the Dunhill Links - every golfer's dream

32:27 Rivalry with his golfing mentor - Simon Farnaby

34:52 Bulking up for roles and how it affects the swing

35:46 Meeting his golfing Fairy Godfathers

37:44 Playing some of America's most exclusive courses

39:24 JJ's imposter syndrome in golf

42:17 Links golf and playing in all weathers

46:09 Talent vs Mental Game

48:24 Rebuilding the Swing: Lessons from Injury

51:05 Being mistaken for Jude Law and Tom Hiddleston

54:12 Reflections on the opportunities provided by golf

56:00 Visiting Pine Valley and losing his new suit

01:00:02 JJ's Crans Montana envy

Links

Highgate Golf Club

Queen's Park Pitch & Putt

Pine Valley Golf Club

Dunhill Links Championship

Sean Quinlivan (Golf Pro at Shinnecock Hills)

Guest links

JJ Feild on Instagram

Get 20% of your next purchase at SounderGolf.com using the code POD20

Follow Dan Davies and RNGC on Instagram

Read Dan Davies on Substack at The Sacred Acre

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Respected sports journalist and author Brian Viner joins Dan Davies to discuss a lifetime spent covering sport, his love affair with golf, and the remarkable characters he's encountered along the way.

From growing up in Southport among some of the world's greatest links courses to interviewing legends such as Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, George Foreman, Richie Benaud and John McEnroe, Brian shares unforgettable stories from both inside and outside the ropes.

The conversation ranges from following a teenage Seve at Royal Birkdale in 1976, to studying at St Andrews, witnessing Jack Nicklaus's legendary 1986 Masters victory, and pulling off one of the greatest golfing pranks in Open Championship history.

Brian also reflects on golf's biggest personalities, the changing landscape of televised golf, the enduring magic of links golf, and why St Andrews and Southport will always hold a special place in his heart.

Key themes

Growing up in Southport's golfing heartland

Watching Nicklaus, Watson and Seve in the 1970s

Following Seve Ballesteros at Royal Birkdale in 1976

Interviewing Seve in Spain and discussing his views on modern golf

Brian’s legendary St Andrews Open prank

Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and golf's greatest rivalries

Witnessing Nicklaus's 1986 Masters triumph

The art of interviewing sporting legends

The challenges of golf on television

LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy and the future of the game

Why Tom Watson at Turnberry remains one of golf's greatest stories

Brian's favourite courses and golfing happy places

Chapters/timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Brian Viner

02:00 Growing up in Southport's golfing culture

04:30 The Open Championship heroes of the 1970s

07:10 Following Seve Ballesteros at Royal Birkdale in 1976

08:50 Interviewing Seve Ballesteros in Spain

10:20 Seve's ideas for changing golf and his gamesmanship

12:30 The charisma and legacy of Seve

14:45 Why Brian chose St Andrews University

15:45 Playing St Andrews for £15 a year

16:20 The famous Open Championship impersonation prank

20:00 Becoming "David Ridley" at The Open

24:00 The sequel: repeating the prank at Carnoustie

26:00 Interviewing sporting legends for The Independent

27:00 George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard and John McEnroe

28:30 Why older sporting greats make the best interviewees

29:30 Collecting answerphone messages from famous commentators

32:00 Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill

35:00 Palmer's impact on The Open Championship

37:00 Understanding golfers through their fathers

38:30 Palmer vs Nicklaus: golf's great rivalry

42:15 Jack Nicklaus and the 1986 Masters

44:00 The greatest unseen shot in Masters history

46:00 Turning down Augusta with Jack Nicklaus

47:00 A date with Jack Nicklaus's daughter

48:00 Golf as a television sport

49:00 LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy and modern golf coverage

52:00 Tom Watson's near-miracle at Turnberry in 2009

56:00 Why following one player reveals golf's true genius

58:00 Lee Trevino and entertaining the galleries

59:15 Royal Birkdale's redesign and preserving golf history

1:01:10 Who Brian wants to win The Open

1:03:30 Brian's golfing happy places

1:04:00 Kington Golf Club and St Andrews

1:05:00 Why links golf is the ultimate golfing experience

1:06:00 Closing thoughts

Links

Brian Viner’s greatest sports interviews

Sounder - Use Code Pod20 for 20% off your next purchase

The Open Championship Official Site

Dan Davies - The Sacred Acre on Substack

Brian Viner links

Twitter

Website

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Ryder Cup hero and Sky Sports commentator David Howell joins Dan Davies for a wide-ranging conversation about a pro golf career spanning three decades, the advantages of a ‘joyful’ mindset, playing in Ryder Cups, battling and beating peak-era Tiger Woods, and formative experiences alongside legends such as Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal. Across the episode, Howell reveals how a self-made but super smart mental approach helped him compete at the highest level, why joy and a love for the game shaped his career, and how his passion for team golf—especially the Ryder Cup—became his defining motivation.

Key Themes

•

How David Howell built a long DP World Tour career from an unconventional junior background

•

Mental strategies used to handle pressure against world-class players

•

Inside stories of Ryder Cup preparation and team-room dynamics

•

Competing against peak Tiger Woods and simplifying performance goals

•

Early career breakthrough in South Africa and self-belief development

•

Playing with and against Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal

•

Evolution of the DP World Tour and global professional golf

•

The secrets, sounds and sensations of elite putting

Chapters & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to this week’s guest, David Howell

02:05 – Broadcasting with Sky Sport and the 2025 US Open at Shinnecock

03:39 – Turning pro in 1995 & South African breakthrough

05:08 – Playing alongside Ernie Els & early belief moment

08:37 – First DP World Tour wins & career progression

09:16 – Peak Tiger Woods at HSBC Champions

11:43 – Strategy against Tiger & mindset of control

13:01 – Amateur background & peers on the rise

15:08 – No obsession with heroes: the focus on enjoyment

17:19 – Seve Trophy memories & beating Seve and Olazábal

23:09 – Ryder Cup inspiration & childhood memories (1985–1989)

25:44 – 2004 Ryder Cup debut at Oakland Hills

29:58 – Team strategy with Paul Casey

34:34 – Thoughts on Ryder Cup captaincy

37:53 – European Tour identity & Ryder Cup “DNA”

41:41 – The challenges facing the DP World Tour

52:09 – Life on tour: friendships, dinners & social culture

54:54 – Walker Cup memories & early Tiger Woods encounters

59:33 – The art of putting & short game philosophy

1:02:19 – When was David Howell happiest in golf?

About the Guest

David Howell is a former European Ryder Cup player with multiple DP World Tour victories and over 700 career appearances. He is also a respected golf broadcaster with Sky Sports and a senior figure within the DP World Tour. Known for his affable personality, deadly short game and fund of great stories, Howell offers one of the most candid and thoughtful perspectives in modern professional golf.

Links

David Howell on Twitter

David Howell on Instagram

Sounder Golf - use code POD20 for a 20% discount

RNGC - Britain’s premier backyard golf course

Dan Davies on Substack

The Mini Masters in aid of Leukaemia UK

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Discover how Jigger Thomson, the tallest tour pro in world golf, burst onto the scene at the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s having overcome childhood leukaemia to reach the DP World Tour. Hear how he has recently survived his most recent battle with blood cancer and now has his sights set on a return to top-flight golf. This is an inspiring story of faith, perseverance, and a remarkable love for golf, and not to be missed. You can join Jigger at the 2026 Mini Masters in aid of Leukaemia UK on Friday June 26th at Sunningdale Heath. Details below and in the podcast.

Key Topics:

His breakthrough performance at the 2021 Open Championship

Jigger Thomson’s early life and battle with leukaemia starting at age 7

The emotional journey through diagnosis, treatment, and remission

How golf helped with mental healing during illness

The significance of family support and community engagement

The role of faith and spirituality in overcoming hardship

His goals for returning to professional golf after his most recent battle with leukaemia

The upcoming Mini Masters fundraising event for Leukaemia UK

Record-breaking moments, including nine consecutive birdies

he ongoing fight for a cure and advances in leukaemia treatment

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introducing this week’s guest, Jonathan ‘Jigger’ Thomson

02:52 - Key moments from the 16th and 17th holes at the 149th Open

03:41 - How Jigger managed focus after the hole-in-one

04:50 - The crowd’s support and the walk down the 18th on Friday

05:53 - Walking in a surreal moment, feeling like part of a fairy tale

06:22 - Focus and mental resilience on the course during critical moments

07:41 - Jigger’s experience with backing from the crowd and his supporters

09:27 - Emotional walk on the 18th and the connection to past struggles

11:11 - Challenges on the Challenge Tour before the Open

13:45 - Family story and how childhood illness shaped his love for golf

15:01 - Recalling the diagnosis at age 7 and the emotional toll

16:02 - The return of leukemia in 2024 and its emotional impact

17:42 - The spiritual awakening and faith helping Jigger through adversity

18:53 - The physical toll of treatment and weight loss post-therapy

19:49 - The ongoing battle and future hopes for health and golf

22:07 - The importance of family, support, and faith in overcoming illness

32:14 - Physical condition after treatment and rebuilding strength

37:16 - Involvement with fundraising for leukaemia research (Mini Masters)

38:46 - Childhood influence and the importance of golf as a mental escape

40:33 - His rapid development in golf from age five onward

41:41 - Competitive amateur career highlights and early achievements

44:29 - Meaningful experiences with the England amateur team

45:28 - Fast start on the Euro Pro Tour and breakthrough victory

46:48 - Nearly winning in his first season on the DP World Tour

48:44 - Record for nine consecutive birdies

50:35 - His amateur successes and how they set the stage for professional growth

54:07 - Current health status, treatment, and golf goals for the future

57:12 - The confidence inherited from childhood perseverance and recent battles

58:50 - The desire to return to the Open and the DP World Tour

59:12 - Upcoming participation in the Mini Masters supporting leukaemia research

Resources & Links:

Leukaemia UK

Mini Masters Golf Event

Jigger Thomson on Instagram

Sounder Golf Gear – Use code POD20 for 20% off

Follow Dan Davies & RNGC on Instagram

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, European Tour veteran and two-time winner Robert Rock reveals how investing in his swing — and gaining an intimate understanding what goes into making it look effortless — helped him beat Tiger Woods in Abu Dhabi in 2012 and achieve a lifelong dream.

We apologise for the sound quality on this episode but hope you’ll stick with it to discover how Robert’s fascination with historic players like Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Nick Faldo shaped his approach to technique and competition, even when the spotlight was off.

We also break down how an obsession with precision and simplicity helped him craft one of the game's most admired swings — and why even the best struggle with basic putting. And beyond the tournaments and trophies, Robert’s journey uncovers his obsession with swing mechanics and aesthetics, the evolution of golf equipment, and why the game’s true mastery lies in the process, not just the outcome.

Robert Rock’s candid stories explore the shifting landscape of professional golf — from equipment innovations to the decline of long irons and traditional course architecture. He shares how the modern game’s power and technology are reshaping how pros approach tournament play, and why this might be diluting some of golf’s timeless artistic challenge.

Chapters

00:00 Introducing this week's guest, Robert Rock

01:22 Robert's early connection with golf

04:16 The uninhibited joy of junior golf

05:41 Europe's greats and early idols

07:01 Evolution of technique and equipment

08:57 The era Robert would liked to have played in

11:56 The competitive edge: What sets pro golfers apart?

13:59 Studying Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones

17:30 The differences between scratch players and tour pros

18:49 Process over outcome

20:36 The Journey to his first tour win

24:30 Memorable shots

29:53 Mixed experiences at the US Open

34:01 Head to head with Tiger Woods in 20212

38:04 Reflections on playing with and beating Tiger Woods

40:01 Hat tans: the scourge of pro golf

42:03 Supporting his son, a pro footballer

45:25 Finding a cure for his putting woes

46:23 Transitioning to Senior Golf

51:37 Lessons Learned from a distinguished career

53:48 The current state of professional golf

57:17 Happiest times in golf

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A journey into the world of elite greenkeeping and golf course management with James Bledge, Links Manager at Royal Liverpool GC and one of Britain’s finest greenkeepers. From hitting balls over a school building as a kid to Kingsbarns, Deal and preparing Royal Liverpool’s historic links for the Open Championship, this episode reveals the dedication, mentorship, ecological care, and passion for the game - and the land - that informs the presentation of one of the world’s greatest golf links. Plus, as a bonus, a fantastic story about a man who created a golf club in a shed!

In this episode:

An introduction to James Bledge, renowned greenkeeper and Links Manager, with a highlight on his roles in major tournaments like the Open Championship and the Amateur at Hoylake.

Insights into the differences and similarities between preparing a course for the Open and the Amateur Championship.

Behind-the-scenes tales of managing teams, volunteer coordination, and course setup strategies to challenge top players.

The importance of ecology, nature, and sustainability in golf course maintenance, including innovative projects at Royal Liverpool.

Personal stories about career beginnings, mentorship, and life-changing sliding doors moments that shaped his journey.

Unique traditions and community antics, such as Ken Hannah’s legendary golf club in his garden at Deal, and the charm of courses like Royal Cinque Ports and Kingsbarns.

Practical insights into greenkeeping techniques, from soil microbiome testing to cutting-edge turf technology, and how automation might shape future course maintenance.

Reflections on the significance of camaraderie, education, and passing on knowledge within the industry.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introducing this week's guest, James Bledge

03:00 Managing Major Championships: Open vs. Amateur

07:01 Briefing from the R&A and Course Preparation

08:19 Watching US majors: Insights and comparisons

09:40 The RNGC and Royal Liverpool relationship

13:48 The importance of education and mentorship

17:35 Early mentors and Bledge's start in greenkeeping

22:04 Working abroad and international experience

25:21 Building and maintaining links courses

27:03 Working at gWest - the greatest course nobody has ever played

31:33 How to create great greens

37:11 Bledge's team at the 151st Open Championship

40:18 The best thing about being a Links Manager

43:41 Nine years of working at Deal, aka Royal Cinque Ports

54:36 Getting the job as Links Manager at Royal Liverpool

59:52 Discovering a WW2 bomb on the 14th at Hoylake

01:03:42 Forged by Nature: the importance of ecology

Resources & Links:

•

Golf Badgers Podcast

•

Royal Liverpool Golf Club

•

Kingsbarns Golf Links

•

GWest Golf Course

•

BIGGA Association

•

The Cookie Jar Film: Bledge’s Open Journey

•

RNGC on Instagram

•

Sounder Golf

Special Offers & Promotions:

•

Get 20% off your next golf product atSounder Golf with code POD20

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In this episode of This Golfing Life, Dan Davies sits down with Jaz Athwal, the first Sikh to be appointed captain of a British golf club and a co-founder of the British Asian Golf Society. We celebrate the recent success of Aaron Rai, the first British Asian golfer to win a major, exploring how role models from diverse communities can reshape the future of the game. Jaz also reflects on his journey from inner-city Bradford, rugby league and prejudice to the upper echelons of West Yorkshire society, as well as the challenges he faced breaking into a traditionally exclusive sport, and the lasting impact of initiatives like the Asian Open in inspiring British Asian golfers.

Highlights

Introduction: Dan Davies welcomes Jaz Athwal to This Golfing Life and highlights the significance of Aaron Rai’s major win for British Asian golf.

Early Sporting Life: Jaz shares his experience growing up in Bradford, his love for rugby league, and how early sporting experiences shaped his outlook.

Discovering Golf: From picking up golf as a summer pastime to joining his first club, Jaz details the challenges of being one of the few British Asians in a predominantly white golfing world.

Founding the British Asian Golf Society: Jaz explains how the British Asian Golf Society (BAGS) came to be, the vision behind the Asian Open, and efforts to introduce golf to inner-city schools.

Breaking Barriers: The journey to becoming the first Sikh captain of a UK golf club and overcoming cultural and institutional barriers.

Community Impact: How BAGS fostered networks and mentorships, helping nurture more British Asian golfers.

Golf as a Social Glue: Jaz reflects on the inclusive nature of golf, lifelong friendships, and the social aspects that transcend the sport.

Life Lessons: The values Jaz holds from Sikh culture, sportsmanship, and the role of integrity in golf and life.

Closing Thoughts: Jaz shares his happiest moments on the golf course and his enduring ambitions, including a dream to play at Queenwood.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and context: Introduction to Jaz Athwal and Aaron Rai’s historic win in the PGA Championship.

02:00 – Early sporting life in Bradford: Rugby league and childhood experiences that shaped him.

05:30 – First steps into golf: Discovering the game and joining clubs in a non-inclusive environment.

10:00 – Founding the British Asian Golf Society & Asian Open: From small gatherings to nurturing a generation of players.

15:00 – Family, culture, and role models: Parenting, Sikh values, and supporting Aaron Rai.

25:00 – Facing barriers and building networks: Overcoming prejudice and fostering inclusion in golf.

35:00 – Hotbeds of British Asian golf: Geographic and social perspectives.

43:00 – Inclusive golf today: Changes in club culture and the evolution of British golf.

46:00 – Becoming a club captain: Jaz’s experience as the first Sikh club captain in UK golf.

51:00 – Civic recognition & legacy: Jaz’s Deputy Lieutenant role representing King Charles in West Yorkshire, and long-term impact of BAGS.

57:00 – Role models & inspiration: Aaron Rai’s humility and influence on the next generation.

59:30 – Happiness on the golf course: Reflections on friends, family, and the joy of playing golf.

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In this episode, actor James Nesbitt and host Dan Davies enjoy a wide-ranging conversation that covers Cold Feet, Bloody Sunday, Royal Portrush, Rory McIlroy, Sir Alex Ferguson, mental frailties on the golf course, and a whole lot more. From his formative years in Coleraine to his experiences of playing with golfing greats, Nesbitt offers a candid and humorous perspective on the game, his friendships, and his role as an ambassador for Northern Ireland, now acknowledged as one of golf’s greatest destinations. It’s an entertaining and heartfelt deep dive into golf, life, and everything in between.

Key Topics

The role of golf in fostering community and healing in Northern Ireland

James Nesbitt’s cultural roots, career highlights, and the significance of Bloody Sunday

Portrush and the impact of The Open Championship

Insights into his close friends, including Rory McIlroy, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Kenny Dalglish

The importance of lifelong friendships, golf trips and shared experiences

Sir Alex Ferguson’s mentorship and the power of honest leadership

James’s charitable work with WAVE Trauma Centre and the families of the disappeared

Mental meltdowns on the golf course

Chapters

00:00 Introducing this week's guest, Jimmy Nesbitt

02:34 What Portrush means to Jimmy Nesbitt

05:57 What the Open means to Portrush and Northern Ireland

11:57 Jimmy's views on the Americanisation of pro golf

13:54 Getting to know Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland's new George Best

20:46 The importance of lifelong friendships

24:30 Jimmy's late start in golf

27:09 Jimmy's early golfing heroes - Watson, Nicklaus, Seve

32:18 The mental challenges of playing golf

34:23 Jimmy's close relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson

43:53 The significance of TV drama Bloody Sunday

49:51 Working with WAVE Trauma Centre in Northern Ireland

56:50 The Mini Masters - "the best competition in the world"

58:25 Meltdowns on the golf course

01:01:54 New TV projects and the power of Netflix

Resources & Links

•

James Nesbitt’s Official Website

•

WAVE Trauma Centre

•

Rory McIlroy Foundation

•

Sounder Golf

•

Dan Davies on Substack

•

RNGC, Britain’s premier backyard golf course

Connect with James Nesbitt

•

Twitter

•

Instagram

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