533 Premium: Alister MacKenzie, one of the greatest golf course architects in history designed only one seaside public course, Sharp Park in San Francisco. Opened in 1932, the course’s closure is being threatened by the City of San Francisco. Attorney, author, photographer, and painter Bo Links joins us to discuss the legend of Sharp Park, Alister MacKenzie, and a group’s effort to save Sharp Park. Along with his final design, Augusta National Golf Club, other famous courses designed by MacKenzi...
Mar 30, 2016•50 min
532: Dave Johnson is the longtime Director of Instruction at Rooster Run Golf Course in Petaluma, CA. In this interesting conversation, Dave talks about how we can turn 3 shots into 2 around the green knocking 5-10 strokes off each round! By chipping using a putting stroke with your irons, the RULE of 12 will help you gauge how far the ball will roll once it lands on a level dry putting surface. Dave also talks about how being a contrarian has made him a better golf instructor, the lessons he’s ...
Mar 23, 2016•43 min
531 Premium: Dean Knuth is known as the Pope of Slope because during his years at the USGA he created the Rating/Slope system to provide golfers with more information about the difficulty of a course, other than yardage. With all his years working there, he was always an advocate for the amateur golfer. That’s why he’s currently designing and manufacturing a line of Drivers, Fairway Woods, and Hybrids designed to be much easier to hit and more forgiving than any other mass marketed club. In this...
Mar 16, 2016•52 min
Creating a new golf product is easy. Making it a success isn't. To get your great idea to the public you must convince the press you've developed something useful and worthwhile. Our guest this week is Mike Jamison who started out as a sports writer and ended up opening up a Golf PR Agency. Mike is also the brains behind an organization called ING (International Network for Golf) that for more than two decades has conferences connecting the golf industry and golf media. Mike also discusses the u...
Mar 09, 2016•39 min
529: Harvey Penick was a legendary golf instructor who was instrumental to the success of both Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw. Even though he passed away in the 90s, his Little Red Book is considered one of the more important golf instruction books ever published. The Harvey Penick Golf Academy has returned in his home town of Austin, TX and our guest this week is Director of the Academy Jim Hopkins. Jim was one of the first instructors at the original Academy and still considers Mr. Penick's teachin...
Mar 01, 2016•21 min
529 Premium: Harvey Penick was a legendary golf instructor who was instrumental to the success of both Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw. Even though he passed away in the 90s, his Little Red Book is considered one of the more important golf instruction books ever published. The Harvey Penick Golf Academy has returned in his home town of Austin, TX and our guest this week is Director of the Academy Jim Hopkins. Jim was one of the first instructors at the original Academy and still considers Mr. Penick's...
Mar 01, 2016•50 min
528: Our guest this week is Kelly O'Donnell, Director of Golf for the Wolfdancer Golf Club in Austin, TX. In this episode we discuss the all new Harvey Penick Golf Academy at the Wolfdancer Golf Club in Austin, TX and what made Harvey Penick one of the great golf instructors of all time. We also get into golf in Austin, his personal golf history including a great story about watching his first pro event, and his favorite holes of this beautiful yet challenging course designed by Pete Dye. Watch ...
Feb 23, 2016•53 min
527: Topgolf is the hottest concept in golf that caters to young and old, scratch golfers & first timers, and if it's not already there, it's coming to your area soon. Our conversation this week is the Director of Operations for Topgolf Austin, TX, Hunter Farris. My annual golf buddy trip is going to Austin this year, so I'll be showcasing this entertainment venue, a course or two, and some great golf instructors. Please visit the all new GolfSmarter.com and click on the Survey icon next to ...
Feb 17, 2016•52 min
526 Premium: Once again, Golf Smarter is first to bring you the latest innovation and clubs from Ben Hogan Golf. Our old friend Terry Koehler, CEO of Ben Hogan Golf returns to report on the PGA Merchandise Show and how the new PTx Irons and VCTR Hybrids were received in Orlando. Make sure to watch the video of the live Blabcast so that you can see these clubs for yourself. He also let's us in on a secret that they're adding a hollow option iron for the lower lofted clubs to compliment the Ft Wor...
Feb 09, 2016•56 min
525: Cheryl Fink of Bionic Gloves has been attending the PGA Merchandise show for many years and now that she's returned from Orlando, it seemed like a good time to get her back on the podcast to get her observations on the State of the Industry. Cheryl also shares her observations on which new products caught her attention, what a week is like at the show, and who to watch on this year's PGA Tour. This episode was conducted at Blab.im and the full video and a short video excerpt are both availa...
Feb 03, 2016•40 min
524: Ken Doherty, PGA, returns to discuss a recent article he wrote for the Marin Country Club Newsletter, “A Quiet Mind for Golf (I hope I don’t miss this shot)”. A quiet mind is important for increased performance in so many different sports, but for the amateur golfer, it could be the difference between a great round and disaster. Want to watch this entire interview? It was recorded on Blab.im and is now available on our homepage at http://GolfSmarter.com This is the last free Golf Smarter ep...
Jan 26, 2016•42 min
524 Premium: Ken Doherty, PGA, returns to discuss a recent article he wrote for the Marin Country Club Newsletter, “A Quiet Mind for Golf (I hope I don’t miss this shot)”. A quiet mind is important for increased performance in so many different sports, but for the amateur golfer, it could be the difference between a great round and disaster. Want to watch this entire interview? It was recorded on Blab.im and is now available on our homepage at http://GolfSmarter.com WOW, Fred has been nominated ...
Jan 26, 2016•41 min
523 Premium: Rory Hughes is a high-school teacher and golf coach in Metro Detroit. He’s also a contributor to Golf Chicago Magazine with an interesting theory as to why the number of golfers continues to decline. His article “The Internet is Killing Golf” is the topic of our Blab video conversation that also includes the Golf Magazine article (Feb2016) “59 Reason Why NOW is the Best Time to be a Golfer” and why they have business reasons for making those statements. Want to watch this entire int...
Jan 22, 2016•54 min
522 Premium: Because golf is steeped in tradition, most golfers wear a glove, but aren’t sure why. Keeping your hands dry is a good reason, but did you know that the correct glove can prevent fatigue and alleviate pain? Most golf gloves are equally equipped to do nothing more than just keep your marker attached. Bionic Golf Gloves are designed by a leading orthopedic hand specialist to give you more comfort, a better grip and still be twice as durable as a standard leather glove. The pads provid...
Jan 13, 2016•40 min
521: We kick off our 11th year with our very first guest. Dr. Joseph Parent, author of the most popular golf mental game book every written, "Zen Golf" makes his tenth appearance on Golf Smarter talking about working with LPGA Tour Pro Cristie Kerr, helping get golfers out of their own way, and his new book "The Best Diet Book Ever". Want to watch this entire interview? It was recorded on Blab.im and is now watchable with closed captioning on our homepage at GolfSmarter.com Please join me Wednes...
Jan 06, 2016•53 min
521 Premium: We kick off our 11th year with our very first guest. Dr. Joseph Parent, author of the most popular golf mental game book every written, "Zen Golf" makes his tenth appearance on Golf Smarter talking about working with LPGA Tour Pro Cristie Kerr, helping get golfers out of their own way, and his new book "The Best Diet Book Ever". Want to watch this entire interview? It was recorded on Blab.im and is now watchable with closed captioning on our homepage at http://GolfSmarter.com Please...
Jan 06, 2016•52 min
520: This is our 6th annual skewering of the PGA Tour & Players as the MattyB Awards takes center stage with comedian/actor/TV Personality Matty Blake. As he’s done in the past, these awards have a tendency to upset some PGA Tour fans, so this year we make it a drinking game! Each time Matty says something offensive, we take a swig (Matty:beer / Fred:vodka) so the show gets a little…OK, a lot out of hand. This year’s awards include the David Duval MattyB for Courage, The Hottest Wife, the be...
Dec 28, 2015•1 hr 19 min
520: This is our 6th annual skewering of the PGA Tour & Players as the MattyB Awards takes center stage with comedian/actor/TV Personality Matty Blake. As he’s done in the past, these awards have a tendency to upset some PGA Tour fans, so this year we make it a drinking game! Each time Matty says something offensive, we take a swig (Matty:beer / Fred:vodka) so the show gets a little…OK, a lot out of hand. This year’s awards include the David Duval MattyB for Courage, The Hottest Wife, the be...
Dec 28, 2015•1 hr 19 min
519: Starting on January 1, 2016 anchored putters will be banned from tournament use at all levels. It was no surprise to club designers that the USGA and R&A banned those long putters. It’s what they didn’t do that has club makers, retailers, and golfers confused and angry. Tom Wishon (wishongolf.com) the unofficial spokesperson of Custom Club Making Industry, and frequent Golf Smarter contributor explains what exactly the ruling means and whether or not it effects your game. Because of the...
Dec 22, 2015•35 min
519: Starting on January 1, 2016 anchored putters will be banned from tournament use at all levels. It was no surprise to club designers that the USGA and R&A banned those long putters. It’s what they didn’t do that has club makers, retailers, and golfers confused and angry. Tom Wishon (wishongolf.com) the unofficial spokesperson of Custom Club Making Industry, and frequent Golf Smarter contributor explains what exactly the ruling means and whether or not it effects your game. Because of the...
Dec 22, 2015•35 min
518 Premium: This week Jim Waldron of the Balance Point Golf Schools returns for a full hour to discuss his new video series and The Arm Swing Illusion. Jim breaks down in detail why so many of us are concerned that our consistency issues are not what we think. Episode 520 means it's our 10th Anniversary and we want to share it with you! Join us for our live Blab.im session with comedian Matty Blake for the 6th Annual PGA Tour MattyB Awards. We'll be live at 5pPT/8pET on Thursday, December 17 @G...
Dec 16, 2015•1 hr 7 min
517: John McGuire, CEO of Game Golf returns to introduce us to their newest product, Game Golf Live. Unlike the Classic model, LIVE allows you to track your shots, and view the hole via GPS on your smartphone while you’re playing. They even have a new tracking system for Android users that doesn’t require wearing a unit on your belt. We also discuss what has been learned from the data collected, which PGA Tour players are using Game Golf, and since we’re live on BLAB, answers questions from our ...
Dec 09, 2015•56 min
516Premium: John Abendroth is well known in the San Francisco golf community from growing up playing against guys like Johnny Miller, playing on the PGA Tour, and his two plus decades hosting the “Hooked On Golf” radio show. He makes his first appearance on GOLF SMARTER to share some wonderful stories of his three years on the PGA Tour playing against some historic figures. This episode was conducted at Blab.im and the full video is available at GolfSmarterTV. WOW, Fred has been nominated for th...
Dec 01, 2015•39 min
Here's just a taste from the live public BLAB event with Jim Venetos. You can watch the full interview at YouTube.com/GolfSmarterTV. To hear the entire hour, join Premium Access and take advantage of more than 500 episodes of golf improvement podcasts. WOW, Fred has been nominated for the 2025 Audiocaster of the Year by the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. Please vote for our founder as often as you'd like as the more you vote, the better his chances of recognition. Voting is open now through July 1...
Nov 18, 2015•4 min
515: Jim Venetos returns in a live video BLAB conversation to give increased clarity and details on how his method of weight shift and stillness will make every golfer better. One story he shares is about a celebrity who was on the Golf Channel complaining about his game. Jim found a way to get in touch with him knowing he could help. And he has. He helped me and can help you too! This episode was conducted at Blab.im and the full video is available at GolfSmarterTV. WOW, Fred has been nominated...
Nov 18, 2015•1 hr 4 min
514 Premium: Here's a little tease lifted from this week's Premium Episode featuring LPGA Tour Player Daniela Iacobelli on the importance of confidence. This segment is NOT in the free episode. Free Episode: 19:18 Premium Episode: 62:33 WOW, Fred has been nominated for the 2025 Audiocaster of the Year by the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. Please vote for our founder as often as you'd like as the more you vote, the better his chances of recognition. Voting is open now through July 1. Vote now at BA...
Nov 11, 2015•1 min
514: Golf improvement is so much more than hitting the ball farther. Compiling stats and using the metrics to lower your golf scores is a logical and scientific approach to becoming a better, happier golfer. In this episode we have two guests. Josh Marris is a former Touring Pro who is the founder of GRGS, or Get Real Golf Stats, which is both a website and mobile app. Our special guest is Daniela Iacobelli, who played on the Symetra Tour in 2015 and after compiling stats using the GRGS App for ...
Nov 11, 2015•19 min
514: Golf improvement is so much more than hitting the ball farther. Compiling stats and using the metrics to lower your golf scores is a logical and scientific approach to becoming a better, happier golfer. In this episode we have two guests. Josh Marris is a former Touring Pro who is the founder of GRGS, or Get Real Golf Stats, which is both a website and mobile app. Our special guest is Daniela Iacobelli, who played on the Symetra Tour in 2015 and after compiling stats using the GRGS App for ...
Nov 11, 2015•1 hr 3 min
Want a taste of this week's podcast episode? Check out this video with host Fred Greene and author Richard E. Todd WOW, Fred has been nominated for the 2025 Audiocaster of the Year by the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. Please vote for our founder as often as you'd like as the more you vote, the better his chances of recognition. Voting is open now through July 1. Vote now at BARHOF.org Thanks for your support and Good Luck Fred!! 🤞 Please welcome our new host of Golf Smarter, Josh Karp! Fred has ...
Nov 04, 2015•1 min
513: Author Richard E. Todd talks about the new golf rules for 2016, but in this edited episode, host Fred Greene is baffled to learn that there are actual rules that allow you to play 2 balls on a single hole. Richard's new book is called "Short Stories from the Long Links - A collection of golf related tales". He's also just published an adult golf coloring book. His other books include "The Golf Rules - Etiquette" and "The Golf Rules - Stroked Play". http://TheGolfRules.com Here's a link to a...
Nov 04, 2015•43 min
