Sam drives down to meet a fatigued Peter Handcock (aka @half_par_kid ) at the renown Beaconsfield Services to talk about his first foray back into top-level amateur golf since before Covid and his run at Open Qualifying. First up is The Tennant Cup — golf’s oldest open amateur stroke play event — followed by a bid at Open Qualifying at Kilmarnock Barassie, where he sadly came up just two shots short of securing a spot at Deal for Finals. We’ll continue the story next week on the road to The Open...
Jun 27, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 316
Sam and Tom sit down with Nigel Notley (archivist) & Michael Morrison (club historian) from Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club - affectionately refered to as 'the sacred nine' or simply 'Mildenhall' to discuss the history of one of the most unique clubs in the British Isles. As a course, it's simple, elegant and a monument to penal design at the hands of Tom Hood and Tom Dunn. As a club, it's synonymous with The Pink Jug, a concoction of just about everything in the spirit cabinet wh...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 315
Sam sits down with Iain Forrester to talk about his lifelong fascination with the history of the game, and in particular hickory golf. Iain is the 5th generation of a golfing family, who having learnt the game and becoming a professional in the UK, moved to The Netherlands at Hoenshuis Golf & Country Club where he is the resident professional. Iain has a staggering collection of golf books and hickory clubs, a frequent contributor to British golf collectors society journal 'Through The Green...
Jun 19, 2025•56 min•Season 1Ep. 314
With the US Open returning to Oakmont this week, only the players with the strongest mindset will have a chance come Sunday afternoon. This excerpt from episode 291 gives an insight into why he became one of the hottest players in Major golf post 2006. If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Website...
Jun 12, 2025•10 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Sam and Tom sit down to discuss the upcoming venue of the US Open. Oakmont has a fascinating history that is intertwined with the history of American golf. From Fownes to Hanse, the course has changed dramatically over storied history. If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Website...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 313
A new short series of podcasts we'll be running to commemorate the 2000/01 Tiger Slam where Tiger Woods claimed all four major trophies in a 12 month stretch. In part one we kick off with Pebble Beach. Starting the year off as the defending US PGA Champion, Vijay Singh would clinch the first major of the year, but Tiger was playing by far and away the best golf on tour. As such, it's no surprise he teed off at pebble on the Thursday as the bookies 3-1 favourite. In what would become dubbed 'Perf...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 312
Some exciting news from us this week as we extend our ‘stable’ of podcast from 1 to 2! We’re thrilled to be bringing the Golf Badgers podcast into Cookie Jar! For those that don’t know, Golf Badgers is a popular industry and greenkeeping podcast which has been going for over a year now. The show is hosted by James Bledge (Links Manager at Royal Liverpool) and Sam Cooper (Course Architect at McDonnell & Cooper) who bring an unrivalled passion for their industries on all matters around turf he...
Jun 03, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 311
Sam & Tom sit down with Anthony Wolfe, the club archivist of Royal Wimbledon Golf Club, to talk about its history in the game which dates back to 1865. It has had three separate golf courses and its now full time home on the other side of camp cottage from Wimbledon Common, is the product of Harry Colt which has recently undergone huge work by Mackenzie & Ebert in recent years. Some of the game's greatest names have travelled through Royal Wimbledon, and we sit down with Anthony to talk ...
May 28, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 310
Sam sits down with Scott Redman and John Morgan at The Bristol Golf Club who have in recent years acquired the Joe Powell Persimmon company. Scott is an equipment nerd and creative wizz who has spent decades around the game and John Morgan is a broadcaster for SkySports and played professionally on The PGA Tour. When the opportunity came up to acquire Joe Powell, they just couldn't say no, and their story, much like the company itself is a fascinating one. Huge thanks to The Bristol for having u...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 309
Sam and Tom are joined by Half Par to dive into the newly released GB&I Top 100 from Top100GolfCourses.com — plus the other big three UK rankings from Golf World, Golf Monthly, and National Club Golfer. We get into the work that goes into these lists, what makes each one unique, the biggest movers (both deserved and controversial), the new entries, and whether rankings really matter at all. We also chat about our updated Rank of Ranks , where we’ve combined all four lists to create the ultim...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 308
In part two of this podcast with Gary Wolstenholme, we talk about his amateur success since winning The 1991 Amateur, his Walker Cup stories, life on the road and more... Once again a huge thank you for allowing us to do this at Ganton, a place of huge significance in Gary's career and the perfect setting for our chat. If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Web...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 307
Sam & Tom sat down with Gary Wolstenholme at Ganton to talk through his stellar career in amateur golf. In Part 1, we talk through his early life in golf, being the son of a professional golfer, his journey from a 23 handicapper to winning the Amateur at Ganton Golf Club. The episode finishes with Gary talking through his first run out at Augusta National in the Masters playing alongside the great Arnold Palmer. Part 2 coming Friday If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 306
In part II from our conversation with commentator and broadcaster Tom Abbott, we talk about the art of being a great broadcaster, as well as the women's game, some career highlights and his plans ahead for the rest of 2025! A huge thanks to Tom Abbott, as well as Denham for looking after us back in March, & providing far too many calories for a set of middle aged men trying to keep their waistline in check! The course is really in sensational shape and the work by the club and Clyde Johnson ...
Apr 25, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 305
Sam and Tom sit down with commentator and broadcaster Tom Abbott. After a stint in college in America, Tom took up broadcasting with Golf Channel and the rest is history. We talk through golf in Surrey, the move to America and the art of broadcasting, along with who the goats of the commentary box are. If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Website...
Apr 22, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 304
Bruce & Tom sit down with movement expert and performance consultant Mark Bull at the stunning Cumberwell Park . From junior golf memories in Somerset to biomechanics labs and Ryder Cup insight, Mark takes us on a journey through his holistic philosophy on coaching, movement, and human performance. We explore why technique isn’t everything, how beliefs shape behaviour, and why the best swing thoughts might be no thoughts at all. There’s chat about caffeine, chaos theory, kinematic sequences,...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 303
Tom, Bruce and Sam unpack the emotional highs and lows of yesterday’s Masters, diving into Rory McIlroy’s performance and the ever-present Tiger Woods comparisons. They explore the crowd’s polarised support for Rory and Bryson, dissect key moments from the final round, and assess Rory’s pursuit of the career Grand Slam—plus Sam lets loose on Nick Faldo. If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram /...
Apr 14, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 302
To celebrate the Masters, here is a short excerpt from episode 124 with Peter Dawson. Peter talks through his first hand view of watching the famous chip in from Tiger Woods on 16 at Augusta National. If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Website...
Apr 12, 2025•5 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Bruce, Sam & Tom get together to talk through the pre-tournament coverage of the Masters. They discuss current story lines and the takes that seem to be far too worn in the build up to the tournament. If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Website...
Apr 10, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 301
Final call for those yet to complete the Tip Jar - our online survey which can be found here. Huge thanks to Nick Owen - Hon. Sec for The Halford Hewitt - for giving us his time for this special interview on 'the greatest of all truly amateur tournaments' as Nick Tremayne once said. Next week 64 independent schools will once again field their teams of 10 down at Royal Cinque Ports for this gruelling foursomes matchplay knockout event, with the hope of being immortalised on the boards of Deal. Ni...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 300
Link to complete 'The Tip Jar' - our survey can be found here . In this episode, Sam speaks to the founder and CEO of Cabot - Ben Cowan Dewar - about his early experiences with the game of golf and how he came to be one of the youngest developers in the business when we began work at Cabot Cape Breton at the age of 25. Since then, Cabot has become a powerhouse in the world of resort golf, with the portfolio of Cabot properties growing to Europe in Bordeaux, Scotland with Cabot Highlands which wi...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 299
Link to our newly announced survey, the 'Tip Jar' can be found here . We would be really appreciative if you can find ten minutes to fill this out, and will be extremely helpful for us in our quest to create better content for you in the future. *** Sutton Coldfield was founded in 1889, with golf played on the royal park of Sutton for years before. From a 9-hole course developed by our favourite roofer - David Brown - to an 18 hole MacKenzie layout, it's wonderful example of sustainable year rou...
Mar 19, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 298
Podding from Pizza Express in Beaconsfield Service Station, Sam sits down with Peter Handcock (aka @half_par_kid) to recap on the action at Sunnnigdale for the 91st instalment of the Sunningdale Foursomes. Huge congratulations to the victors in David Corben & Harry Crockett who prevailed after seven gruelling rounds of matchplay golf, narrowly beating the Walton Heath pairing of Oscar Lent & Monty Holcombe. For more on the Sunningdale Foursomes please head to our blog page where James Bu...
Mar 14, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 297
Looking back at one of our favourite episodes, Golf History Fails with Simon Haines (181), and the hilarious discussion on how clubs often celebrate their architects or golfing greats with portraits of entirely different people—proof that once a mistake makes it online, it can quickly become ‘fact.’ For a brilliant feed of historic course imagery, make sure you follow Simon on X: @Hainesy76 . If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow u...
Mar 14, 2025•15 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Sam and Tom catch up in the office to talk about the history of The Players Championship. First played in 1974 during Dean Beman’s first year as the PGA Tour’s second commissioner at Atlanta Country Club, it’s a fascinating story of how his vision for a flagship event for the tour became a reality, including the unveiling of the Stadium Course and refinements that would make it become what it is today. Be sure to check out our YouTube film from TPC Sawgrass, airing at 7 PM on Tuesday, 11th March...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 296
Part 2 of Bruce's chat with swing guru - Scott Cowx - taking a closer look at his philosophy on the swing and how it applies to the club player. For more on Scott, head to his website here or his social media . If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Website...
Mar 07, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 295
Bruce catches up with renowned swing coach - Scott Cowx - to dig into his philosophy on the swing, coaching, the evolution of the swing and how he works with players around the world. Not only that, but he has also been helping troubled souls like Bruce for several years now... For more on Scott, head to his website here or his social media . If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ! You can follow us along below @cookiejargolf Instagram / Facebook /...
Mar 05, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 294
Sam is joined by Mike Nuzzo - Course Architect, beer savant and aerospace engineer in a previous life - to talk about all things Cabot Citrus Farms. Mike was responsible for the Squeeze & the Wedge at the new cabot development, a 10 hole half par course ands the short illuminated par 3 course. Some of the most fun you can pack into 100 acres! We also talk about the history of World Woods, and the work on The Roost which Mike was responsible for. Mike's social can be found here If you've enjo...
Feb 28, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 293
From the mini-tours to the PGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoffs, Gary Christian's journey is one of perseverance, grit, and determination. Growing up near Croydon, England, Gary pursued his dream through the American college system before embarking on the grueling mini-tour circuit across North America. After years of coming agonisingly close to securing a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour, he adopted a fresh approach—focusing on mental toughness and incorporating tools like visualisation. This shift in mi...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 292
Sam and Tom sit down with Padraig Harrington. Three time major champion, winner of the Claret Jug in 2007 & 2008, the first successful defence of The Open Championship by a European since James Braid over 100 years ago, as well as the USPGA in 2008. Padraig was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2024, and his career arc, and ability to compete at the highest level of the game has endured for roughly 30 years is simply extraordinary. You can connect with Padraig with his channels be...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 291
Founded in 1787, Glasgow is among the oldest clubs in the world, and - uniquely - is the custodian of two courses 35 miles apart; Killermont in the city centre is its most recent site where the members play much of their golf, as well as the club's own links course on the west coast of Scotland, Glasgow Gailes. Sam is joined by one of the most revered historians of the game and winner of the Murdoch Medal - Nevin McGhee to talk about the last 237 years of history of Glasgow Golf Club - and his b...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 290
