Golf Course Architecture
August 2024
245 – Course Diaries: Golf De Fontainebleau
Sam and Tom recap their magical day spent south of Paris at the enchanting Fontainebleau. The club is situated on a sprawling hunting estate which is home to one of the biggest palaces in all of France, and pre-dates Versailles by over 500 years. Originally founded in 1909 and laid out by Julian Chantepie, Tom Simpson reworked the course in 1920 and is responsible for much of what remains. Only a few modifications to the routing took place in the early '60s by Fred Hawtree, and the club have recently partnered with Clayton DeVries and Pont to further help develop the course and bring back some more of the Simpson magic. It's a fascinating club, a sensational course, and has a clubhouse that could quite possibly be one of the best in golf! Latest Products [...]
233 – The Old Course Reversed with Clyde Johnson
Bruce, Sam, and Tom were accompanied by Clyde Johnson on the unique occasion they had the chance to play the Old Course backwards. Playing the Old Course is invariably a memorable experience, yet the opportunity to traverse it in reverse is truly unparalleled. Latest Products
229 – Gil Hanse on Ohoopee Match Club & Les Bordes
Sam & Tom are joined by Gil Hanse to talk through his design work at Ohoopee Match Club and Les Bordes New Course. Gil talks about his fantastic relationship with Jim Wagner and their design philosophy. Latest Products
227 – America Tour Diaries part 2 w/ Ryan Noades
Tom & Sam are joined by Ryan Noades, the managing director of the Addington to talk through their recent trip the USA - part 2. We cover all things from Ohoopee to Tree Farm, travel to America and stories that follow us around. Latest Products
226 – Old Barnwell pt II w/ Brian Schneider & Blake Conant
In this second part of our course diaries from Old Barnwell we catch up with the lead designers on the project, Brian Schneider and Blake Conant. These two disciples of Tom Doak share their experiences on acquiring the right piece of land in Aiken, South Caroline, routing the course, construction, shaping and what inspired them to push this design to the extreme. Old Barnwell pushes the envelope of golf course design with extreme strategy, bold shaping and enormous contours which serve only to match the profile of the land the course sits in. Its a fascinating conversation and we hope you enjoy! Latest Products
225 – Course Diaries: Old Barnwell w/ Nick Schreiber
Sam sits down with founder and owner of Old Barnwell in Aiken, Nick Schreiber. Nick shares his personal story which lead him to building a golf course in South Carolina with the help of Brian Schneider & Blake Conant which has opened recently to enormous praise. Whilst the course is spectacular, in this episode we talk about the mission behind Old Barnwell in having a positive influence on the golf comunity. This two-part Course Diaries will see us resume the conversation with Brian & Blake on Tuesday to hear more about the course! Latest Products
224 – America Tour Diaries part 1 with Ryan Noades
Tom & Sam are joined by Ryan Noades, the managing director of the Addington to talk through their recent trip the USA. We cover all things from Peach Tree to Old Barnwell, travel to America and stories that follow us around. Latest Products
223 – Course Diaries: Tree Farm w/ Zac Blair
1st up from our travels in America is a course diaries episode with the man behind The Tree Farm - Zac Blair. How Zac finds time to develop a course and club with Kye Goalby & Tom Doak around a busy schedule playing on thePGA Tour is a mystery, but what he and the gang have built on the outskirts of Aiken, South Carolina is incredible. Great episode on the construction process, what he has learnt throughout the process and of course.. the secret to playing ‘the Thai spinner’. Latest Products
October 2023
Top Hat Tens
Tom Simpson used to say the best holes were the ones that caused the tiger (scratch man) pain and the rabbit (bogey golfer) pleasure. I play my golf at Portmarnock Golf Club (PGC) in Dublin and when I play alone, I often start on the 10th, my favourite hole on the course. Royal St. George’s (RSG) 10th hole has often been my starting hole in matches at RSG. Walking up the 10th at RSG I remember admiring the magnificence of the green with my opponent Dr. Alistair Wells (uncle of Nicola - 5* podcast guest) which falls off mostly on all sides, with some reprieve on the right. The green is hard to hit - cold and blustery conditions are the staple accompaniments of holes like this and make the hitting of the green a celebration. Both holes are an allegory for links golf really - freedom is achieved when [...]
July 2023
Hoylake to Hong Kong: Two Clubs Intertwined
Words by Charlie. In December of 1857, in Greenock, on the south bank of the River Clyde, a boy was born who would etch his name into the history of Hoylake and who would play a pivotal role in the transporting of the Royal and Ancient game to Asia. His name has understandably been overshadowed by the greats that line the oak-panelled walls at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, but he was a golfing pioneer, nonetheless. That bonnie lad was Gershom Stewart. The young Gershom’s stay in Scotland was to be a mere sojourn for he was moved to Merseyside, on the Wirral Peninsula early in his boyhood. It was during this period that he first picked up a set of brass-heads and wandered the linksland around the racecourse at Hoylake. From a young age, he was characterised as a ‘stranger in a foreign land’, a facet, perhaps, of [...]
