Ken Nice, Senior Director of Agronomy at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, joins Andy Johnson to discuss… basketball, of all things! Once the hoops chat is over, Ken shares some stories from his experience as the assistant superintendent during the construction of David McLay-Kidd's Bandon Dunes. Ken and Andy then talk about the evolution and growth of the resort, how he's handled overseeing the unique maintenance challenges at each course, his favorite spots on the property, and how he deals with the r...
Dec 07, 2021•45 min•Ep. 324
For the latest installment of our audio documentary series, Garrett Morrison heads out to the Oregon coast for the 2021 U.S. Hickory Open. At this event, players must use wooden-shafted clubs either made before 1935 or faithfully based on those models. Garrett spends the day walking around Gearhart Golf Links, talking to a variety of characters, including John Henry Williams, a club repair specialist who has set up a workshop on site; Tad Moore, a renowned club builder and a co-founder of the So...
Dec 03, 2021•41 min•Ep. 323
After a six-day stint at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, a trio of tired Eggs ( @the_woke_yolk , @gfordgolf , @willknightsTFE ) sit down to hash out their "Dream 18": a composite course consisting of their favorite holes from the five 18-hole courses on the property. For each hole number, they choose a winner and an honorable mention, and some lively debate ensues. This discussion should provide an accessible introduction to our upcoming deep dives into each course. The Fried Egg’s trip to Bandon Dune...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 322
Our series with golf architect Tom Doak continues as he and Andy Johnson catch up in Washington D.C., where they attended the National Links Trust Symposium on Municipal Golf. In addition to discussing sustainability and course maintenance in the municipal golf world, they talk about the few golf course restorations left that would interest Tom, how his design style has evolved over the years, and the origins of the Renaissance Cup. Lastly, Apache Stronghold Golf Club, a course of Tom’s that has...
Nov 23, 2021•57 min•Ep. 321
George C. Thomas Jr. is the golf architect behind Riviera Country Club, Bel Air Country Club, the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club, and the classic 1927 book Golf Architecture in America . To learn more about Thomas, Andy Johnson sits down with Geoff Shackelford (@geoffshac), who is the author not only of the Substack newsletter The Quadrilateral but also the book The Captain: George C. Thomas Jr. and His Golf Architecture . Geoff and Andy discuss various aspects of Thomas’s compelling a...
Nov 16, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 320
Trevor Immelman is the 2008 Masters champion, a TV analyst, and the incoming captain of the International Presidents Cup squad. In this episode, he chats with Andy Johnson about what it takes to be a winner on the PGA Tour today, his experience as an assistant captain at the 2019 Presidents Cup, and how things are looking for the International team going into 2022. Trevor also looks back at the beginning of his golf career in South Africa and the role Ernie Els played as a mentor-turned-competit...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 319
Ryan Tuxhorn ( @r_tuxhorn ) joins Andy Johnson for the latest edition of our Superintendent Series. Ryan went straight from college to working as an intern and making his way through the ranks at Merion Golf Club. He shares how his experiences there shaped his philosophies on everything from course maintenance to green speeds, and prepared him for his job as superintendent at Somerset Hills Country Club, where he has been for the past 13 years. He and Andy discuss the restoration work at Somerse...
Nov 05, 2021•59 min•Ep. 318
Wayne Morrison is the author of The Nature Faker , a monumental biography of William Flynn. It’s safe to say that no one on earth knows more about Flynn, the architect behind Shinnecock Hills and many other great courses. In this episode (which is the first of a few we have planned on specific architects), Wayne goes in depth with Andy Johnson on Flynn's life and work during the Golden Age of golf course design. Wayne talks about how he became interested in Flynn and how his massive book came to...
Nov 02, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 317
Sara Mess joins Garrett Morrison to discuss her involvement in the Glenway Golf Park renovation in Madison, Wisconsin. This unique project, spearheaded by Michael Keiser and his wife Jocelyn, will both revive the Glenway course and engage the Madison community in a number of creative ways. Sara also discusses her time working at Renaissance Golf Design, her collaboration with Tom Doak on his recent books, and her insights on how access and inclusivity (and proper tee placement!) can help create ...
Oct 29, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 316
Andy Johnson’s recent travels have taken him to two municipal golf courses with A-1 architectural pedigrees: Donald Ross’s George Wright Golf Course near Boston, Massachusetts; and A.W. Tillinghast’s Swope Memorial Golf Course in Kansas City, Missouri. In this episode, Andy sits down with Garrett Morrison to reflect on what makes these courses special. They discuss Ross’s clever drainage methods at George Wright and Tillinghast’s adventurous use of hilly land at Swope Memorial. They also debate ...
Oct 26, 2021•54 min•Ep. 315
Korn Ferry Tour player Vince India ( @vince_india ) catches up with Andy Johnson and discusses the grind that is the Second Stage of Q-School. Vince has made it through every level of Q-School for six years running. He shares some of his favorite stories and explains how his mindset going into qualifying has changed over the years. Andy and Vince also discuss the rising importance of physical conditioning in pro golf and how to actually improve your weaknesses. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
Oct 19, 2021•56 min•Ep. 314
Rodney Hine got his start in the turf industry as an assistant superintendent at Winged Foot Golf Club. He then moved into golf course design, serving as the grow-in superintendent at Tom Doak's Stonewall and eventually as a designer and agronomist for Hanse Golf Course Design. After helping Gil Hanse build Boston Golf Club in 2003, Rodney decided to stay on as the course's first superintendent, and he has been there ever since. In this installment of our Superintendent Series, he and Andy Johns...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 313
This past weekend, Team USA won the Ryder Cup in dominant fashion, beating the European side 19-9. To get a handle on what this victory means, Garrett Morrison called up three different people—Ben Coley of Sporting Life , Joseph LaMagna of the Finding the Edge newsletter, and Shane Ryan of Golf Digest —and asked each for one big takeaway from the action at Whistling Straits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 27, 2021•54 min•Ep. 312
Lawrence Donegan ( @lawrencedonegan ) is a longtime golf journalist who has worked for The Scotsman and The Guardian . He co-founded the excellent McKellar Magazine and hosts the McKellar Golf Podcast . With the 2020 (not a typo) Ryder Cup approaching, Lawrence joins Andy Johnson to share five things to watch for at Whistling Straits. They discuss Steve Stricker’s uninspired start to his week-of captaincy, the reasons behind Team USA’s chronic underperformance, the looming succession drama on th...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 311
To get ready for this week’s Ryder Cup, Andy Johnson and Garrett Morrison chat about the design of host venue Whistling Straits. Andy recently shot the Straits Course for a new Fried Egg video , so Garrett asks for his thoughts on Pete Dye’s routing, par-3 concepts, and outrageous shaping. They also discuss the PGA of America’s hefty build-outs, the reasons behind Andy’s hatred of catch basins, and the simple pleasure of gazing at a big ol’ lake all day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Sep 20, 2021•48 min•Ep. 310
After a well-regarded run as LPGA commissioner, Mike Whan started two months ago as the CEO of the USGA. Earlier this week, he sat down with Andy Johnson at Chicago Golf Club to discuss a variety of topics. They cover Whan's thinking about the USGA's priorities, championship host selection, and the potential of bringing the U.S. Open back to Chicago and the Midwest. Whan also weighs in on the hottest topic of the day: the distance increases golf has seen over the past few decades, and the USGA's...
Sep 17, 2021•46 min•Ep. 309
In this wide-ranging conversation, Don Placek, Partner at Renaissance Golf Design, and Andy Johnson cover the complexity and challenges of the golf architecture consulting business, compare finding new golf courses to discovering new music, and discuss Don’s passion for drawing, maps, and art in general. Don shares how his passions and talents outside of golf improve Renaissance Golf Design’s work and how his routing maps help visualize the 3D world for their clients. See omnystudio.com/listener...
Sep 14, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 308
If you're in Northern Lower Michigan to play Arcadia Bluffs or Crystal Downs, you shouldn't skip Champion Hill Golf Course and Pinecroft Golf Course. Public, affordable, and well designed, Champion Hill and Pinecroft are owned and operated by one family. Is this the ideal business model for affordable golf? Andy Johnson and Garrett Morrison tackle that question in this episode, but first they spend some time chatting about the Solheim Cup, which took place at Inverness Club this past weekend. Af...
Sep 09, 2021•59 min•Ep. 307
Team match play is the most entertaining format in golf, but we might not understand it very well. What factors should team captains consider when pairing players up for foursomes and four-ball? How much does a player's past match-play record matter? In alternate shot, how should teammates decide who tees off on which holes? Joseph LaMagna ( @JosephLaMagna ) believes that the conventional answers to these questions rely on faulty reasoning. Joseph runs Optimal Approach Golf, which advises PGA To...
Sep 03, 2021•51 min•Ep. 306
Belvedere Golf Club superintendent Jordan Caplan joins the podcast to talk about the Willie Watson course and his role as the club's fourth superintendent in its almost 100-year history. Jordan and Andy Johnson discuss the challenges of course maintenance in harsh Northern Lower Michigan winters and the differences between the Belvedere job and Jordan’s past work at Philadelphia Cricket Club. They also chat about trends in golf architecture vs. building architecture, the abundance of quality gol...
Aug 31, 2021•54 min•Ep. 305
Andrew Green is one of the busiest golf architects in the industry. He recently completed a restoration of Oak Hill's East Course and a renovation of Congressional's Blue Course, and he's currently doing work at Scioto, Wannamoisett, and Interlachen. Andrew's best-known project to date may be his bold 2017 restoration of Inverness Club, a 1919 Donald Ross design that has hosted six major championships. Next week, Inverness will appear on your TV as the host of the Solheim Cup, so Garrett Morriso...
Aug 26, 2021•48 min•Ep. 304
Nick Nate, superintendent at South Bend Country Club, talks with Andy Johnson about his career in turf, which has taken him from his hometown in South Bend, Indiana, to the Old Course and back home again. They discuss Nick's start in the business at Warren Golf Course when it first opened, the perks of his internship at St. Andrews and his stint in Scotland, prepping Medinah Country Club for the 2006 PGA Championship, and the challenges and rewards of bringing South Bend CC back to its George O'...
Aug 20, 2021•42 min•Ep. 303
Today, Homer Kelley's 1969 book The Golfing Machine is a standard text for those who study the science of the golf swing. Famous instructors cite it, as do tour pros like Bryson DeChambeau and Steve Elkington. But in 1982, The Golfing Machine was most associated with 23-year-old Bobby Clampett, who had been schooled in Kelley's system. Clampett had compiled a stellar amateur résumé, and after two rounds of the '82 Open Championship, he led by five shots. He was on the verge of validating what he...
Aug 17, 2021•51 min•Ep. 302
The men's and women's golf competitions at the Olympic Games took place over the past couple of weeks, with Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda earning gold medals for the United States. The action from Tokyo was fun to watch, but we couldn't help but wonder if it could be even more exciting. So Andy Johnson called up Kevin Van Valkenburg ( @KVanValkenburg ), a senior writer for ESPN, and talked with him about what Olympic golf gets right and what it could do better. They also commiserate about th...
Aug 11, 2021•56 min•Ep. 301
With the golf competitions underway at the Tokyo Olympics, Garrett Morrison sits down with Michael Wolf ( @bamabearcat ) to learn more about Japan's distinctive golf culture. Michael is a golf architecture and history nut who has traveled and played golf extensively in Japan. He and Garrett talk about the customs of Japanese golf clubs, Michael's tips and tricks for traveling within the country, and the top courses he has played there, including Olympic host Kasumigaseki Country Club. They also ...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 300
In the latest installment of our interview series with Tom Doak, Tom gives an update on the progress at the Lido, the Keiser family’s latest course near Sand Valley. He and Andy discuss the pros and cons of the technology used to build the course, and they speculate on how it might be used in future restoration projects and in golf course architecture in general. They also chat about Tom’s ongoing work at Perry Maxwell's Dornick Hills Golf and Country Club in Ardmore, Oklahoma. See omnystudio.co...
Jul 28, 2021•49 min•Ep. 299
The Yolk with Doak returns! In the first of two new episodes of our interview series with golf architect Tom Doak, we cover the recent grand opening of St. Patrick's Links at the Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort in Ireland. Tom and Andy chat about where the course would land on the Doak Scale and the unique challenge of finishing the project during a global pandemic. They also discuss Tom's new book, The Making of Pacific Dunes, which is available for purchase at doakgolf.com. See omnystudio.com/...
Jul 22, 2021•50 min•Ep. 298
Golf Channel's Jaime Diaz joins Andy to discuss this week's Open Championship at Royal St. George's. Jaime has over 30 years of experience in golf journalism, and he shares his favorite memories from the Open and how writing about it differs from covering it for TV. He and Andy also talk about Bryson, Rory, Rahm, and other players hoping to lift the Claret Jug on Sunday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 14, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 297
When Royal St. George's Golf Club, the host of the upcoming Open Championship, opened in the late 1880s, it looked a lot different than it does today. The earliest iteration of the course embodied the Victorian principles of its designer, Laidlaw Purves. Over the next few decades, those principles—and Royal St. George's itself—came under fire from a new school of golf writers and architects. Historian Bob Crosby joins Garrett Morrison to discuss this debate and its far-reaching consequences. See...
Jul 11, 2021•51 min•Ep. 296
Brendan Byrne, superintendent and co-general manager at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pennsylvania, chats with Andy about his 20+ year career in golf, from starting out at Rolling Green Golf Club to overseeing the recent restoration at Llanerch. He shares stories from his unique experience at the 1999 Ryder Cup, offers his expertise on managing staffs, and provides insight on how the golf industry has changed over the years. He and Andy also cover the Philly sports scene and give some opin...
Jul 07, 2021•53 min•Ep. 295
