Musings from the Jar
February 2025
1971 Walker Cup – When David beat Goliath
With just over six months until the golfing world shifts its focus from the pro game to the Walker Cup—one of the game's purest events—at the legendary Cypress Point, the countdown is well and truly on. Walker Cup expert and friend of the Jar, Darragh Garrahy, looks back on the 1971 match at St Andrews, where Michael Bonallack led a supposedly tame GB&I (or just GB, according to Golf World) to a stunning victory over a star-studded US side that hadn’t lost the cup since 1938. ''1971, when David beat Goliath'' words by Dr Darragh Garrahy Table of Contents The 1971 Walker Cup was notable insofar as the American star studded team (Kite, Wadkins et al) were expected to run roughshod over GB&I, yet the hosts pulled off their first victory since 1938, against all odds over [...]
January 2025
Rugby, Golf, and the Six Nations: A Grand Slam Tour with Clubs in Tow
There’s something poetic about the Six Nations. For me, the six nations always starts in the depths of the cold, dark winter. But as the weeks go by and the ever dwindling possibility of Wales winning the six nations fades, a new excitement arises. The dawning of the golf season. For whilst the six nations begins in February in Winter, it ends in April and the shoots of Spring emerge - indicating the beginning of grass growth, the longer days and the start of the golf season. The six nations also brings the clash of rugby titans, the pilgrimage to hallowed stadiums and the camaraderie of fans spilling out of pubs in the chill of early morning. But what if you packed your golf clubs alongside your match-day scarf? What if, between tries and tackles, you teed it up at some of the finest golf courses near each Six [...]
A penny for your thoughts, £30 for a round
In the post-Covid world, where green fees are soaring due to golf's popularity boom and an ever-growing appetite among Americans to turn once-in-a-lifetime UK golf pilgrimages into twice-a-year rituals, the era of reasonably priced rounds at Britain’s best courses is, sadly, often a thing of the past. To help combat this, Half Par Kid has compiled a list of Britain’s 20 best value green fees for the year ahead - 10 under £50 and 10 between £50-£100. From off-the-beaten-track 9-hole gems to Top 100 courses that refuse to follow their competitors into eye-watering territory, there’s plenty to explore. Plan your next trip around some of these beauties—you won’t regret it, and your wallet will thank you. Words by Peter Handcock, aka Half Par Kid A penny for your thoughts, £30 for a round Ah, green fees. Once upon a time, you could [...]
December 2024
Our Daily Bread
Travelling the length and breadth of the UK, wearing out the British motorway network is tiring work, but someone has got to do it. Our content producer - Luke - has done this as much as anyone in CJG in 2024 shooting golf courses and indulging in the culinary delights of clubs up and down the land. In this editorial, Luke reflects on his year of ‘eating beige’ and shares the culinary highlights that stood out, much of which is sandwiched between some form of bread. words by Luke Davies Q: For those who know more about Sam, Tom, and Bruce, could you give a short introduction to yourself and explain what makes you qualified to talk about golf club food? Luke: I'm Luke, and I’ve been the Content Producer at Cookie Jar since March '24. My role involves working with various golf [...]
Secret Diary of a Club GM: vol. III – Course Closures
He's at it again. Our mystery General Manager has found some time to tap out some musings on a sensitive topic... Course Closures! Winter Golf: Course Closed? Table of Contents Winter Golf: Course Closed? Ah, winter golf in the U.K. The days are shorter, the temperatures are lower, and the courses? Well, let’s just say they’ve entered “hibernation mode.” For the avid golfer, it’s like being handed a box of Ultras at Christmas when you asked for Pro V 1’s. Disappointing. But before you toss your clubs into the garage and resign yourself to endless reruns of It ain’t half hot mum, let’s explore the peculiar beauty of this season and why it’s not just a time for grumbling but also for embracing the soul of the sport. A Golfer’s Nightmare The signs of winter golf are unmistakable: shortened [...]
November 2024
The Berrie Portrait, words by Dr Steven Reid
Dr Steven Reid is a lifelong member of Royal Lytham & St Anne's Golf Club, an author and historian with more than a slight interest in the life of Bobby Jones. After our podcast discussing the 1926 Open Championship (brilliantly chronicled in his book; 'Bobby's Open', talk turned to the famous Berrie portrait which was commissioned by Wallasey member and ex-captain Sir Ernest Royden, and painted by John A.A.Berrie. In this excellent article, Steven takes us closer to how a portrait from 1930 came to become the most iconic image of Bobby Jones and one that we all recognise from Butler Cabin at Augusta National. 'The Berrie Portrait' words by Dr Steven Reid Table of Contents The Wallasey Portrait When Bobby Jones played at Wallasey Golf Club in 1930 in order to qualify for the Open to be [...]
Ocean’s Thirty Eight – The 38th Walker Cup at Ocean Forest
Following our recent podcast with Walker Cup legend Nigel Edwards, our very own Walker Cup correspondent and self-proclaimed Professor of Pace Putting - Dr Darragh Garrahy - took to his library and did some more digging on the 38th playing of The Walker Cup at Ocean Forest. 'Ocean's Thirty Eight' words by Darragh Garrahy A.K.A 'Dr Lag' Table of Contents The Lindy Effect Something called the Lindy Effect theorizes that the longer a non-perishable item is around, the more sure their future is- if a golf course has been around 50 years it is likely to survive another 50. Maybe The Old Course at St. Andrews is the best example of this- it doesn’t feel like the land will be returned to grazing anytime soon. The most celebrated championship sites in golf are also the most venerable. The [...]
Secret Diary of a Club GM: vol. II – Annual Subscriptions
Amidst huge speculation among the golf community as to the identity of our mystery General Manager, our secret agent behind the desk has found time to tap out some more thoughts on a timely and particularly thorny topic… Annual subs as we head into Annual General Meeting (AGM) season here in the UK! Annual Subscriptions - The Elephant in the AGM. Table of Contents Members & Consumers Golf Club Committees and General Managers across the land will be in the process of drawing up their annual subscriptions for their respective clubs over the coming months, and will no doubt be painstakingly pouring over the proposals in preparation for the Annual General Meetings approval. Annual subscriptions are always a spiky subject amongst any membership, and can often cause friction between those who see themselves as “members” and those that are [...]
Christmas Party 2024
A tradition unlike any other... With Christmas once again fast approaching, we’re proud to be hosting our fourth Christmas Party with Urban Golf for some festive fun in London! An evening of music, refreshments and competitive fun with our good friends at Urban Golf has become the perfect way to cap off the golfing year for us. This event is a big thank you for all of your support throughout the year, and we’d really like it if you can attend. If you are interested in attending please fill in the form below. We expect the event to be fully subscribed, so if you later realise you are unable to make it, please notify us so that your spot can be made available. Key Info: Date: Friday, 13th December Cost: Free Venue: Urban Golf, London, EC1A 9LA Arrival: 5:30pm Bring my golf Clubs? Definitely not… Dress Code – Smart Casual [...]
October 2024
Holes that No Longer Exist – Eclectic 18 w/ Simon Haines
Simon Haines sat down with us to record this epic two-part Eclectic 18 special with us, chronicling some of the most interesting holes which ‘no longer exist’. We are enormously grateful for the research and time taken to pull this together, especially these archive images which he has kindly shared with us for publication. The podcasts can be found on this page, and on all major podcasting platforms. Simon Haines is a Midlands-man, a good friend of ours and one of the most respected golf course historians out there, who - over many many years now - has compiled an incredible library old course imagery. Without further ado, here is is Eclectic 18. 'NLE' Eclectic 18 - Holes that No longer Exist... Table of Contents 1 - Prestwick - Par 5 - 578 yards [...]
