Larry The Golf Guy: Recent Episodes
Larry The Golf Guy
I’ve been playing golf since I was 9. I played junior golf extensively at the local and state level as a teenager growing up in West Hartford, Connecticut, and played on both my high school and college teams. That was about as far as my playing career went, but I never lost my love for the game. I am an avid reader and collector of golf book and enjoy the history of the game and golf architecture. I especially enjoy talking with folks in the golf industry generally – be they club pros, teaching pros, golf association executives, architects or industry folks – and that is what we do on this podcast.
Mark Cannizzaro has been writing about golf (and other sports) at The NY Post since 1993, having covered well over 100 majors. We talk about which majors have been the most notable for him, what the public doesn't know about The Masters, his thoughts on the overall careers of Tiger and Phil, what is going on with LIV, his thoughts on Brian Rolapp's plans for the PGA Tour, and much more.
Sam Farmer has been an award-winning sportswriter at the LA Times for over 25 years. Though Sam is most well known for his stellar NFL coverage, he has covered golf during his career, and we talk with Sam about those experiences, including the 2019 Masters, the 2023 US Open at LACC, the 2026 US Women’s Open at Riviera and more. We also discuss what it was like to play a round of golf with Donald Trump.
B operation. We also discuss his views on best practices for successful clubs and the pitfalls they need to be mindful of.
Brad Klein is a long-time commentator and consultant on golf architecture, having spent 30 years as the architectural editor at Golfweek. Brad's journey in the game is an interesting one, and we discuss how he was smitten with the game growing up on Long Island, and then spent a number of years as an academic while also caddying and doing some writing, before pivoting full-time to golf journalism in the late 1980's. We also get Brad's insights into what he is seeing today in golf architecture, as well as his thoughts on the distance debate.
Watkins LLP for many decades, and we worked together in management as Mark was Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Partner from 2002-2011 and I was global chair of the tax department from 2000-2011. Mark retired early from the firm and became General Counsel at the USGA from 2011-2012 and ultimately served as the 65th President of the USGA from 2018-2019. Mark's time at the USGA was truly consequential, as his accomplishments included chairing the USGA Rules Committee (where he led the rule change on anchoring and then played a key role in the rules simplification process which led to the 2019 major revision of the rules), authoring the 2020 Distance Insights Report, co-chairing the World Handicap Initiative and revising the governance structure of the USGA. We talk with Mark about how he got started in the game and what led to his involvement with the USGA, we touch on his various accomplishments, and we go deep on the various rules initiatives he championed and the distance issue.
Tripp Davis was a celebrated junior golfer and was an All-American selection at the University of Oklahoma in 1989 and a member of the Sooners' 1989 NCAA championship team. Rather than pursue a career as a player, however, Tripp got a masters' degree in Landscape Architecture and over the past 30+ years he has had a notable career as a golf architect. We talk with Tripp about what made him decide to become a golf architect, what his architectural style is, how he compares restoration work to original designs, why Golden Age architecture is so popular today, what golf architects he most admires, and his thoughts on the current period of golf architecture.
Kevin Vitale, who recently retired after a 22 year run as the GM/COO of the iconic Baltusrol Golf Club, is one of the most well-respected leaders in the private club industry. We talk with Kevin about his upbringing in the Boston area, how he got started in the hospitality industry and how that led to his stellar career in the club industry, and the highlights of his time leading Baltusrol. We also get Kevin's views on some of the issues facing private clubs and best practices in that regard.
Bobby Clampett has had quite the journey in the game, from uber elite junior/amateur to PGA Tour player to Broadcaster to Champions Tour player to full-time instructor and author. We talk with Bobby about all of his many memorable experiences in the game, and also get Bobby's thoughts on some of the challenges facing the game today.
Brittany Lincicome had a long and successful career on the LPGA tour, winning 8 times, including 2 majors. We talk with Brittany about how she got her start in the game, her decision to turn pro at age 19, what the LPGA tour was like, and what made her retire after 20 years on tour. We also get her assessment of where the women's game stands today and how it is moving forward under new commissioner Craig Kessler.
Gordon Dalgleish founded Perry Golf, a leading golf travel company, over 40 years ago with his brother Colin. We talk with Gordon about how he got his start in the game in his native Scotland, how golf travel and golf travelers have changed over the past 40 years, what the hidden gems are today for golf trips, and what led him to pair golf travel with cruises. We also discuss his involvement with junior golf with both the AJGA and the First Tee program.
Chuck White grew up in Long Beach and was a star member of the UCLA Golf Team in the late 70's, with folks like Corey Pavin and Steve Pate as teammates. Chuck has gone on to use another skill -- his distinctive voice -- to have a stellar career as the voice of UCLA football and basketball for over three decades as well as other notable assignments. We talk with Chuck about his journey in the game, from how he got his start playing the public courses in Long Beach to his junior career and his experiences at UCLA. We also get Chuck's thoughts on some of the issues facing the game today.
Derek Duncan is one of the most knowledgeable people today on golf course architecture. We talk with Derek about how he developed his interest in golf course architecture and got his start in the field, how the bi-annual Top 100 ratings are conducted at Golf Digest and how those rankings have changed over time, and more broadly how golf course architecture has evolved over the past 30 years. We also touch on the dramatic changes in the accessibility of golf course architectural knowledge and discuss the impact of technology.
Bob Ford is one of golf's greatest ambassadors, having served as the head pro at Oakmont for 37 years and at Seminole for 21 years (and serving both clubs concurrently for 17 of those years). Bob's accomplishments as a head pro (with some 50+ assistants having gone on to notable head pro positions at other clubs) and as a player (having played in 10 PGA's and 3 US Open's in addition to winning multiple Pennsylvania Open and Pennsylvania PGA championships) are legendary. We talk with Bob about how he got started in the game, his time as an assistant at Oakmont under Lew Worsham, his becoming the head pro at Oakmont at age 25, making the cut as the host pro at the 1983 US Open, the famous tree removal project at Oakmont which became the model for other clubs across the country, and his time at Seminole and how he and his wife Nancy managed those two jobs with three children. We also get Bob's views on the life of the club pro today, the role of technology in the game, and the state of the game today.
Joe Passov, a/k/a “Travelin’ Joe,” has been writing about golf since 1991, with a specialty in travel, history and golf course architecture. We talk with Joe about how he went from being a young lawyer to a golf writer, how he came to focus on golf travel and golf course architecture, and the major developments he has seen in those areas during his long career.
Greg Nathan, after having been a competitive tennis player as a junior, decided in his early 20's that he wanted to have a career in golf. We talk with Greg about the remarkable journey he then pursued to reach this goal, and how through a combination of impressive persistence and some good fortune, he eventually got a job at the SI Golf Group and then subsequently joined the National Golf Foundation where he ultimately rose to being President & CEO. We then discuss what the NGF does and how it serves as the umbrella trade association for the entire golf industry, and cover various topics including the current state of the game, the role of non-green grass facilities in being an on-ramp for new golfers, the importance of the pro game and his thoughts on the future of the game.
Kyle Phillips is one of the leading golf architects working today. We talk with Kyle about how he became interested in golf architecture, what he learned from his 16 years at RTJ II Golf Course Design, his decision to go out on his own in 1997, and his stellar work at Kingsbarns in Scotland and the Cal Club in San Francisco. We also discuss his approach to design, why golden age architecture is having a moment in golf, how he grapples with the great increase in distances at the elite level in his restoration/renovation work, and what architects have influenced him the most.
Lanny Wadkins had a tremendous career on the PGA Tour, with 21 wins over a 21 year period. Lanny also had a stellar Ryder Cup record, playing in 8 Ryder Cups from 1977 to 1993 and compiling a remarkable record of 20-11-3. We talk with Lanny about taking up the game as a youngster in Richmond, VA, his college golf experiences at Wake Forest, his stellar amateur record which included the US Amateur and playing on two Walker Cup teams, his victory at the 1977 PGA in the first sudden-death playoff in major championship history, his experiences at the Ryder Cup including his 4-0 record against Seve Ballesteros and what it was like to play against Seve, his experiences with Ben Hogan and his broadcast career as the lead golf analyst at both CBS Sports and The Golf Channel. We also get Lanny's thoughts on regulating equipment at the touring pro level.
David Bonsall has served in many roles at the R&A, including on the Rules Committee (which he chaired from 2015-2019), the Championship Committee and the General Committee. Notably, David led the R&A team on the Rules Modernization Project from 2012-2019, and has refereed 25 major championships, several Walker Cups and amateur championships and numerous pro tour events. He has also had a wide-ranging commercial career, leading the Capital Markets practice at the international law firm of Freshfields before becoming an investment banker. We talk with David about his start in the game, his playing career in college, how he got involved with the R&A, the process of modernizing the rules of golf, and his views on equipment regulation. We also discuss his remarkable experience of being the chief referee for the final group of Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 2017 when David had to grapple with the remarkable complexity of rulings triggered by Jordan's wayward drive on the 13th hole.
Tommy Armour III has had a long career in professional golf, playing in more than 600 events on the PGA Tour (with two wins, including setting the PGA Tour 72 hole scoring record) and more than 200 events on the Champions Tour. We talk with Tommy about his life on Tour, his experiences with various folks including Ben Hogan and Mac O'Grady and his memories of his two wins on Tour. We also get Tommy's thoughts on the LIV-PGA Tour divide as well as the evolution of golf equipment and whether or not those advances should be rolled back.
If it's time for the Masters, then it's time for us to have another chat with Top 100 teacher Brady Riggs. We preview the upcoming tournament and who Brady thinks may slip on the green jacket, but before we talk about this year's Masters, we discuss various issues with the pro game (including equipment regulation, slow play and LIV) as well as what has taken place during the first three months of the 2025 PGA Tour season.
Derek Sprague was recently named CEO of the PGA of America, and is the first PGA pro to occupy that position in nearly 20 years. We talk with Derek about becoming both head pro and club manager at the Malone CC in upstate NY at the age of 21, and what that experience was like during his ensuing 27 years at the club. We also discuss how he became involved with the PGA, first at the section level in upstate NY and then at the national level which culminated in his becoming President of the PGA of America in 2014. We then cover some of the issues he grapples with as head of the PGA of America, including equipment regulation and the life of the club pro, and what his priorities are for the organization going forward.
Matt Pringle joined the USGA nearly 25 years ago after getting his doctorate in mechanical engineering. He spent 19+ years in the technical/equipment regulation area, and for the last 5+ years he has been the managing director of the USGA Green Section. We talk with Matt about the various equipment issues he has grappled with, the USGA's general approach to equipment regulation, and the important and extensive work that the USGA Green Section does to foster better playing conditions for better golf. We also take a look ahead and get Matt's thoughts on the challenges facing the game.
Stephen Johnston founded the KPMG North American Golf Practice in 1992, and then bought the practice and formed GGA Partners in 2006. His firm does work not only for private clubs, resorts and residential communities, but also organizations such as the USGA. We talk with Steve about growing up as a hockey player in Canada, how he migrated to golf, how he went from being an audit partner to creating the golf practice for KPMG, how the type of work his firm does has changed over time, and his thoughts on a variety of issues impacting his clients and the game generally. We also explore how Steve has managed to have over 50 hole-in-one's.
As a developer of golf communities, as a trusted board member and as a principal partner at GGA Partners, Henry DeLozier has been one of golf’s and private clubs’ most respected leaders and sought-after voices. Befitting that status, Henry has been recognized by Golf Inc. magazine as one of the “Most Influential People in Golf”. We talk with Henry about his start in the game as a young boy growing up in Oklahoma, his achievements as a player, his takeaways from his time at Oklahoma State under the legendary Labron Harris, Sr. and his various club pro positions, his pivot into business, his great success at Del Webb/Pulte Homes and his consulting practice at GGA Partners. We discuss what the pitfalls are that he sees at private clubs and what the best private clubs get right, and get his thoughts on where private clubs are headed.
Todd Graves was a skilled golfer who was playing various mini tours when he first met Moe Norman in 1994, and that meeting started a friendship which changed the trajectory of Todd's game and life. We talk to Todd about growing up in Oklahoma and his introduction to the game, making the team at the University of Oklahoma as a walk on, his friendship with his teammate (and future Open champion) Todd Hamilton, his experiences playing on the Asian, Dakota and Hooters tours, and how his meeting Moe Norman led Todd (along with his brother Tim) to start a golf school dedicated to teaching Moe's single-plane golf swing. We discuss how Todd teaches the single-plan swing to students, how Graves Golf has grown and where it stands today.
Kyle Porter is a golf writer and one of the keenest observers of the golf scene today. After a dozen years at CBS Sports where he covered 47 majors and 5 Ryder Cups, Kyle is now focused full-time on Normal Sport, which is his terrific golf newsletter. We talk with Kyle about how he got started in sports journalism, his experience at CBS Sports and some of the more notable events he covered, and what he is trying to achieve with his Normal Sport newsletter. We also discuss various aspects of equipment regulation at the elite level, the state of pro golf generally, where the PGA Tour and LIV are at and what needs to happen for the two tours to come together, his thoughts on the LPGA Tour, and his expectations for some of the more notable PGA Tour players.
Don Rea, Jr., was recently elected president of the PGA of America. We talk with Don about his journey from being a AAA baseball umpire to becoming a PGA member, a golf course owner and operator and ultimately a national officer of the PGA of America. We also discuss the new headquarters at Frisco in North Texas, the importance of public advocacy in golf, the PGA's role and interaction with the other governing bodies in the game, and the biggest challenges facing the game and the profession.
Chris Biggins was born with cerebral palsy, had braces on both legs until 10th grade, and has had numerous medical procedures to deal with his condition. Notwithstanding these physical challenges, Chris has persevered to become one of the best adaptive golfers in the country and a PGA teaching professional at the Country Club of Birmingham in Alabama. We talk with Chris about his prowess in sports growing up, his experiences with both the professional golf management program and the college golf team at Methodist University, his summer internships, his professional ski racing career, and his staff role overseeing the incredible junior golf program at the Country Club of Birmingham.
Ed Holmes has had a long and distinguished career as a Board member and leader for various golf associations in Southern California, including the SCGA, the SCGA Junior Foundation and the SCPGA, and has also done television and rules work for the USGA. We talk with Ed about his journey in the game and the many contributions he has made to golf in Southern California and beyond.
Lizette Salas has come a long way in golf, from her first day going with her dad to the local course in Azusa here in Southern California (where he worked as a mechanic) to being a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a five-time member of the US Solheim Cup team. We talk about how she got started in the game, her junior career, earning a golf scholarship to USC, winning the NCAA team championship as a freshman and becoming a four-time All-American, surviving a 9-for-1 playoff to earn her LPGA Tour card, what life on Tour is like, coping with her recent medical challenges, and her thoughts on the women's game today.
Thirty years ago, Sheena and Jack Willoughby, newly married, purchased the Dunvegan Hotel, which sits just a bit more than 100 yards from the 18th green at the Old Course in St. Andrews. They transformed the place into one of golf's greatest 19th holes. We talk with Sheena about her journey with the Dunvegan and how she and Jack came to purchase it and transformed it, and the great memories she had along the way.
Kay Cockerill has had a stellar career as a commentator at The Golf Channel for nearly 30 years. We talk with Kay about her start in golf in Northern California, making the team at UCLA as a walk on and becoming a two-time All-American, winning back-to-back US Women's Amateurs, her time on the LPGA Tour and her transition into broadcasting at the dawn of The Golf Channel. We also get Kay's thoughts on the state of the women's game today and the tremendous talent that we are seeing today at both the pro and amateur level.
Megha Ganne is entering her junior year at Stanford after a season which saw her earn first-team All-American honors and go undefeated in match play in the NCAA Finals as Stanford won the team title. We talk with Megha about her start in the game at age 7, what it was like to be a 4 time finalist in the Drive, Chip and Putt finals at Augusta, and her stellar junior golf record which included reaching the semifinals of the US Women's Amateur at age 15 and playing in the final group of the US Women's Open at age 17. We also discuss what life is like for her at Stanford and relive some of her college successes over the past two years.
Carrie Forsyth retired last year after a tremendous 24-year run as head coach of the UCLA Women's Golf Team, where she won 2 national championships and 5 Pac12 championships, and coached many players who are stars today on the LPGA (including Alison Lee, Lilia Vu and Patty Tavatanakit, among others). We talk with Carrie about how she got her start in golf, her junior career in Southern California, making the UCLA team as a walk-on, her decision to go the coaching route, and her Hall of Fame coaching career at UCLA. We discuss the keys to her success at UCLA, what she looked for in her players, her day-to-day role as UCLA coach and how that evolved over time, her thoughts on the seismic changes in college sports (including NIL deals and the collapse of the Pac 12), and her views on the overall state of the women's game today.
Jaden Soong is a rare talent. Having started in golf at age 3, he has compiled a remarkable resume in the game, culminating this summer with his victory in the 125th SCGA Amateur Championship. We talk with Jaden and his dad Chris about how Jaden got started in the game, his participation in the US Kids program, his work with Rick Sessinghaus, his social media presence, his practice routine, his remarkable distance at age 14, his notable successes in adult tournaments and his thoughts on playing in the upcoming US Amateur.
Suzy Whaley has had an amazing career in golf -- member of the PGA of America Hall of Fame, 41st President of the PGA of America, nationally recognized teacher, first woman to qualify for a PGA tour event (2003 GHO) since Babe Zaharias, and the list goes on. We talk with Suzy about how she got started in the game, her college golf experience, her pivot from heading to law school to playing on the LPGA Tour, her subsequent transition to teaching while continuing to play at a high level, the challenges of facing COVID as President of the PGA, her current role with Golf Nation and her thoughts on how to increase the exposure for the women's game.
Gary McCord had a lengthy career on Tour, playing in over 400 PGA Tour events and then playing in another 161 events on the Champions Tour (with two victories), but Gary is probably best known for his 33 year career as a member of the CBS golf telecast crew from 1986-2019. We talk with Gary about life on Tour in the early 70's with Monday qualifying, his lead role in creating the all-exempt Tour in 1983, how he got his start with CBS in 1986 and what it was like to work with legendary producer Frank Chirkinian, his experiences as a broadcaster at The Masters and his banishment from the tournament in 1994, and his role in the movie Tin Cup and how Ron Shelton based several key scenes on Gary's real life experiences on Tour. We also get Gary's take on the distance debate and the Tour/LIV schism (and some ideas as to how to bridge that divide).
Rod Trump is a passionate golfer who was looking for a golf course to purchase. Rod discovered High Pointe in Northern Michigan, which was Tom Doak's first golf course design which had opened in 1989 as a daily fee facility and closed in 2009, a victim of the Great Recession. Rod, working with Tom, is reviving High Pointe as an elite national golf club. We talk with Rod about his journey in the game, his baseball exploits growing up in Baltimore, his early experience caddying at Caves Valley, his business career in tech and subsequently as an angel investor, and what led him to pursue ownership of a golf course.
Andrea Gaston has had a stellar coaching career, highlighted by her 22-year run as coach of the USC Women's Golf Team where she won 3 national championships, qualified for the NCAA's 21 years in a row, and coached 50 All-Americans (including 5 NCAA individual champions). We talk to Andrea about her start in golf in Los Angeles, her own notable playing career, her 14 year break from the game, her return to the game where she won back-to-back California State Amateur championships, her pivot to coaching, the keys to her success at USC, her decision to leave USC and Southern California for Texas A&M and College Station and her thoughts on the women's game today.
Gary Van Sickle has covered golf for more than 4 decades, including 125 majors and 14 Ryder Cups. We talk to Gary about his start in sports journalism at the Milwaukee Journal, and discuss some of the notable Ryder Cups and other events he has covered, and what it has been like to cover Tiger Woods from his 1st victory in 1996 to his 81st at The Masters in 2019. We also discuss Scottie Scheffler's recent dominance and its historical context, as well as the dramatic impact on the pro game of changes in equipment and the attempt by the game's governing authorities to roll back some of those changes. Gary also shares his views on whether we should even care about unifying LIV and the PGA Tour.
David Frost has had a wonderful career on tour, winning 10 titles on the PGA Tour and another 6 titles on the Champions Tour. We talk about his growing up in South Africa and learning the game, and his early years as a pro playing in Europe before coming to the US. We also discuss his meetings with Ben Hogan, his high finishes in The Open at Muirfield and Carnoustie, and his family wine business, as well as the distance and equipment issues with today's game and David's all-time 72 hole PGA Tour record for fewest putts.
Don Pooley had a long career on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, highlighted by his victory in a playoff over Tom Watson for the 2002 US Senior Open. We talk about his journey in the game, from growing up and learning the game at The Victoria Club in Riverside, CA, walking on the golf team at the University of Arizona, his challenges in securing his PGA Tour card, and then his long and successful career on both Tours. We also get Don's thoughts on a few current issues in the pro game, including LIV and the distance debate.
We talk with our friend, Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs, about the state of the women's and men's game as we get ready for the season's first major. We discuss Nelly Korda's dominance this year with her 4 consecutive victories, and the tremendous young talent in the women's game as illustrated by the performances we saw in the Augusta National Women's Amateur this past week. We then cover the men's game, the dominance of Scottie Scheffler, what's going on with Justin Spieth and Jordan Thomas, Rory McIlroy's change in approach for this year's Masters, and compare predictions for who might be wearing the green jacket this year.
Bill Fields has had a long and distinguished career as a golf journalist, and among other awards has received the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism. We talk to Bill about his life in journalism, from his writing for The Daily Tar Heel at UNC and the various newspapers he worked for, to his time at Golf Illustrated and his many years at Golf World Magazine. We discuss several of the more notable in-depth profiles he has done over the years as well as some of the issues facing the game today.
Mike Donald had a long career on the PGA Tour, making nearly 300 cuts and winning the 1989 Anheuser-Busch Classic. Mike is perhaps most famous for his runner-up finish in the 1990 US Open where he lost in a playoff to Hale Irwin after they were tied at the end of 72 holes and remained tied after their subsequent 18 hole playoff, thereby necessitating a sudden death playoff. Mike talks about growing up in South Florida, his challenges keeping his golf scholarship in college, life on the Tour in the 1980's both before and after the all-exempt tour, how technology has changed the game, and how nearly 35 years later he looks back on his special week at the US Open with added perspective.
Geoff Lofstead is the Executive Director of the South Florida PGA Section, one of the leading sections in the country. We talk with Geoff about his journey in golf administration which has taken him from his first job in golf in his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia, to tournament director positions in the Iowa and Michigan PGA sections, to his 20+ year career in the South Florida PGA Section. We discuss some of the wonderful mentors he has had along the way and the great experiences he has had in his career.
Having photographed over 700 courses, Evan Schiller is perhaps the most celebrated golf course photographer in the world. We talk with Evan about how he migrated from playing golf in college and on various mini-tours to being a club pro at Quaker Ridge and Westchester CC to dabbling in photography to ultimately making that his career. We discuss what a typical shoot day is like for Evan (including the extensive prep work and scouting that goes into a photo shoot), the changes in photography that he has witnessed over his career, his special relationship with Bandon Dunes and Pebble Beach, his favorite courses to photograph and the courses he still hopes to shoot, and some tips for us novice photographers.
Bob Dolan had a stellar 28 year run as only the third Head Professional in the long history of Columbia Country Club, following in the footsteps of his legendary predecessors Fred McLeod and Bill Strausbaugh. We talk with Bob about how he approached the head pro position at Columbia, his thoughts on teaching and how he feels that the game today is overtaught and under-coached, the importance of not being one-dimensional as a head pro, the experience of hosting USGA championships, his service at the Middle Atlantic PGA Section and with the First Tee of greater Washington, DC, what it was like to win the 2011 Bill Strausbaugh Award given that he succeeded Bill Strausbaugh at Columbia, and his election to both the Middle Atlantic PGA Section Hall of Fame and the PGA of America Hall of Fame. We also touch on the life of club professionals today and how to improve the profession going forward.
Rachel Kuehn is one of the top collegiate players in the game. We talk to Rachel about growing up as the daughter of Wake Forest golf legend Brenda Corrie Kuehn and creating her own stellar record at Wake as a 4-time All-American, a two-time ACC Player of the Year, having the lowest 4-year career scoring average in program history, winning 6 tournaments in her college career and leading her team to the NCAA title in 2023 as she went undefeated in match play. We also discuss her notable amateur achievements outside of college, including representing the US in international play on two Curtis Cup teams and four Palmer Cup teams, her experiences at the US Amateur and Augusta National Women's Amateur, and what's ahead for her this summer and beyond.
Rees Jones is one of the most celebrated golf architects in history. As the son of the famous golf architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., he was born into the game of golf, and after working with his dad, Rees started his own design firm nearly 50 years ago. He has designed or renovated more than 270 golf courses in his career, and has earned the moniker "The Open Doctor" for his work in preparing numerous courses for various major championships. We talk with Rees about his career, including the challenges of a renovation versus an original design, what makes a great design in a golf hole, and how he manages to make a major championship course challenging for the best players in the world while keeping it playable for the every day player.
Dan Hicks has had a stellar career at NBC Sports for the past 32 years, including serving as the lead golf play-by-play announcer for NBC for the past 24 years. We talk to Dan about having a front row seat for Tiger Woods' career and his iconic call for Tiger's US Open win at Torrey Pines in 2008, what it was like to work with Johnny Miller in the booth for nearly 20 years, how he prepares for his golf announcing assignments, the challenges of broadcasting golf as compared to other sports, his relationship with Jim Nantz, and how the Tour is weathering the divide with LIV. We also discuss how he got his start in the business and his time at CNN, where he met his wife (and fellow sportscaster) Hannah Storm.
Alan Shipnuck is one of the leading sportswriters and authors in golf, and most notably has recently published "LIV and Let Die" and the NY Times bestseller "PHIL". We go into depth on these two topics, talking about the various contradictions in Phil Mickelson's life and where he stands with the public, and then discuss at length various aspects of LIV and where LIV vs. the Tour stands today in light of the recent $3 billion investment in the Tour by Strategic Sports Group.
Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women’s Golf at Stanford, has had a remarkable record in her 11 years at Stanford, with two NCAA Team championships in 2015 & 2022 (and reaching the semi-finals an amazing 6 times), three straight NCAA individual champions the past three years, 39 full field victories and 28 All-Americans (including at least one first team All-American in each of her 11 years at Stanford). We talk about her journey from a farm in Scotland to Cal Berkeley to UC-Davis to Stanford, the excitement of that first NCAA championship when Stanford was an underdog and the pressure of the second NCAA championship when Stanford was a favorite, what it is like to recruit and coach at an elite program and how she has been able to maintain sustained excellence in the program throughout her time at Stanford.
Mark Hissey has had quite an interesting journey, from growing up in an impoverished area of Wales to attending Harvard on scholarship and working in finance for 15 years, to then pivoting to golf by leading the charge to build and open Sebonack Golf Club (where he had a front row seat watching Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak work together to design Sebonack) and most recently serving as Senior VP for Development for Discovery Land Company. We talk to Mark about all of that, as well as some of his other golf architecture experiences.
With 2023 rapidly coming to a close, we catch up with our friend Brady Riggs about the seismic events in golf over the past week re the ball rollback and Jon Rahm going to LIV. We also review the results in the Ryder and Solheim Cups, discuss the leading players this past year on both the PGA and LPGA Tours, and contemplate what is ahead on both Tours for 2024.
John Bodenhamer is on the senior leadership team at the USGA and oversees all aspects of the USGA's 15 championships, five international competitions, domestic and international qualifying and future site selection. We talk with John about his journey in the game, from a stellar junior career growing up in the Northwest to his college career at BYU, his stint on the Senate Judiciary Committee Staff, his 20+ years as Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and the Washington State Golf Association, and his ensuing dozen plus years at the USGA. We discuss the pillars of the USGA's Championship Strategy and how that informs course setup and site selection, the distance issue that the USGA is grappling with, and the challenges and opportunities facing the game.
We talk with Kevin Hammer about growing up in South Florida and being immersed in the game at a young age, his success as a junior golfer (being a first-team AJGA All American in 1989) and playing at the University of Florida, and his continued participation in various state and national amateur tournaments as he pursued his business career at Merrill Lynch. Over the past 15 years Kevin has given back to the game with his service first at the Florida State Golf Association, culminating in his FSGA Presidency in 2021-2022, and now as a member of the USGA Executive Committee where he has served as Chair of the Championship Committee in 2023. We discuss his accomplishments at the FSGA and USGA, and the challenges and opportunities facing the USGA and the game in the coming decades.
Stewart Hagestad has compiled one of the great amateur records in golf over the past 10 years, winning 3 US Mid-Amateurs and being on 4 consecutive winning Walker Cup teams for the US, as well as playing in 4 US Opens and 2 Masters (with another US Open and Masters on the docket for 2024 by virtue of his 2023 US Mid-Amateur victory). We talk with Stew about his decision not to turn pro, how he has been able to balance his work life with elite level amateur golf, and his notable achievements in the game.
Doug Ferguson has been the AP national golf writer for 25+ years and has received many awards for his work, including the 2019 PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in journalism. We talk with Doug about Tiger, Phil and others as he watched their careers from his front row seat vantage point in covering the PGA Tour over the past quarter century. We also get Doug's thoughts on how the internet and social media has affected golf journalism, as well as his views on LIV and where he sees it going from here.
We talk with Jay Karen, long-time CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association, about the mission of the NGCOA and his thoughts on various issues impacting his members and golf generally, including the impact of third party tee time providers, the role of non-green grass operators such as Top Golf, and how to grow the game.
We talk with Emilia Migliaccio who is currently a commentator for NBC Sports/Golf Channel. Emilia has had a stellar junior career (3-time Rolex Junior All-American), collegiate career at Wake Forest (4-time All-American, 2023 NCAA Team Champions) and amateur career generally (2022 Women's North & South Amateur champion, 2021 Augusta National Women's Amateur runner-up, gold medalist at 2019 Pan American Games, and winning USA Curtis Cup teams in 2021 and 2022, among other accomplishments). We discuss her success as a golfer, her decision in her senior year at Wake Forest to focus on becoming a golf commentator rather than pursue a pro career, and what it has been like to be on the other side of the microphone these past two plus years.
We talk with Emily Palmer, Chief Member Services Officer of the USGA. Emily was a Division I golfer at Northern Arizona University and then started her career at the SCGA in various roles before joining the USGA. We discuss her role in overseeing the relationship between the USGA and the Allied Golf Associations (AGA's), as well as the overall mission of the USGA (which is viewed through the lens of Unify, Showcase, Govern and Advance) and the challenges that the USGA is grappling with.
We talk to Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs about the upcoming Ryder and Solheim Cups, including the make-up of the teams, expectations for various players and fearless predictions for which teams will prevail.
We talk to Seth Waugh about his journey from the world of finance to CEO of the PGA of America. We discuss his involvement with the PGA Tour in creating the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston while he was CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas, his involvement with the PGA of America as a member of the Board of Directors, and his becoming CEO of the PGA of America in September 2018. It has been an active tenure for Seth as CEO, and we touch on some of his notable accomplishments, including creating the Back2Golf program during COVID and overseeing the expansion and relocation of PGA Headquarters to Frisco, Texas.
We talk with Rhett Evans, long-time CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, about the mission and vision of the GCSAA and the various roles and functions that it plays on a variety of issues in serving its more than 19,000 members.
We talk with our reigning US Women's Open Champion Allisen Corpuz about taking up the game at age 4, her tremendous success as a junior in Hawaii and as a collegiate player at USC, and her two years on the LPGA Tour, culminating in her US Open victory earlier this summer at Pebble Beach.
We talk with long-time Golf Magazine writer Josh Sens about how he got started writing in the golf space and the many interesting characters he has met along the way and the places he has been (which included competing in the North Korean Open). We also touch on a number of current topics, including the LIV-PGA Tour saga, Phil Mickelson and the latest revelations from the Billy Walters book, the distance issues and the USGA's Model Local Rule on the ball, and more generally the challenges facing the game today.
We talk with Nathan Grube, the long-time tournament director at The Travelers Championship, about his journey from growing up in San Diego to trying to walk on to the team at Auburn to getting the tournament director position for a PGA tour event at a remarkably young age (and moving to Connecticut from Alabama with his wife and young family). The Travelers Championship has garnered a number of awards under Nathan's leadership, and we discuss with Nathan what goes into putting on the tournament and how he has made it so successful.
Dr. Alison Curdt is one of the most notable teachers in Southern California. She is a dual PGA and LPGA Master Professional, a member of the SCPGA Teaching Hall of Fame and a former LPGA National Teacher of the Year, among other awards. We talk with her about her career as a teacher, her approach to students, her playing career and her thoughts on today's LPGA.
Darren Davis is a nationally recognized golf course superintendent at Olde Florida Golf Club and a former President of the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America. We talk with Darren about his experiences as a superintendent and his views on some of the golf course maintenance issues facing the game.
Dean Knuth was the longstanding Senior Director of Handicapping, GHIN and Green Section Administration at the USGA, and was the prime developer of the USGA's obstacle-based course rating system as well as the slope rating system (hence his nickname "The Pope of Slope"). We talk with Dean about all of his accomplishments at the USGA, as well as his life in golf beyond the USGA.
Tom Wildenhaus is the longstanding Director of Golf (and more) at Olde Florida Golf Club and 2021 PGA Golf Professional of the Year. We talk with Tom about his life in golf, not only at Olde Florida but also in the PGA at both the sectional level in South Florida and the national level.
We preview the upcoming US Open at LACC with Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs. We also discuss the seismic events of last week regarding LIV and the PGA Tour, as well as the stunning pro debut of Rose Zhang.
Club Benchmarking has revolutionized the private club business by providing data-centric products and services which allow clubs to have the requisite facts to guide their decision-making process. We talk with Ray Cronin, founder and former CEO, and Jim Butler, present CEO, about how Club Benchmarking came about, the value it provides to clubs, the mistakes they commonly see clubs make, and the trends and best practices they see in the club industry.
For our 60th episode, we speak with best-selling author Michael Bamberger about his journey in golf, his experiences as a caddie for a brief time and as a writer at Sports Illustrated for 20+ years, his two most recent superb books and his thoughts on where the game stands today with LIV and the PGA Tour.
In conjunction with the return of the US Open to LA after 75 years, LACC, the USGA and the SCGA have undertaken a collaborative project to restore the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course in South LA and support the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation's programming. We talk with two folks who are involved in this project -- Akbar Chisti, founder of Seamus Golf, and Kevin Gigax, executive director of the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation. We discuss with Akbar how he came to create Seamus Golf and how this project fits in well with his thoughts on the game, and we talk with Kevin about how the project came about and the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation's role in the project, and how we all believe that this wonderful 2023 US Open legacy project could provide a blueprint for future US Opens in other communities.
We talk to Jim about his long and distinguished career in the golf industry, starting with a 17-year stint with Marriott, followed by 10 years with Kohler and 4 years with Troon, before becoming the GM at Riviera Country Club in 2021. We also discuss his leadership positions at the PGA of America, which culminated in Jim becoming the 42nd President of the PGA of America in 2020.
Kevin Heaney recently retired from the Southern California Golf Association after a long and stellar career. We talk with Kevin about how he got to the SCGA, his many accomplishments during his nearly 40 years at the SCGA (including the last 17 years as Executive Director), and what's on the horizon for the SCGA and other Allied Golf Associations.
We talk with John McNair about his journey in golf from player to club pro to the management side of the golf business, his accomplishments in his 20+ years at JC Resorts, and his service to the PGA at both the section and national level.
We talk with John Sawin, VP & Director of Golf at Pebble Beach, about growing up as a junior golfer at Merion, his stellar collegiate and amateur career and his journey from investment banking to Pebble Beach. We discuss John's role at Pebble Beach, including working with the USGA in light of Pebble's status as an anchor site for the USGA, some of the recent changes that have been made to the course, and the upcoming US Women's Open at Pebble.
We preview the upcoming Masters tournament with Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs, including the likely contenders, the impact of the LIV golfers and the lengthening of the 13th hole. We also discuss the USGA's recently proposed model local rule regarding the shortened golf ball for elite male players, the PGA Tour's response to LIV with its newly structured limited field no cut designated events, and Rose Zhang's gutty victory at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
We talk to Fred Perpall about his journey from growing up in Nassau, Bahamas, to becoming the 67th President of the USGA. Fred, who is the CEO of the Beck Group, an international architecture and construction firm, came to the game a bit later in the life, but having been bitten by the bug, he brings great passion and leadership to the game. We talk about a number of recent USGA developments, including anchor sites, the new Adaptive Open, the enhancements that have been made to the US Women's Open, the USGA's collaboration with the Los Angeles Country Club and the SCGA regarding the development of the Maggie Hathaway golf facility in conjunction with this year's US Open at LACC, and the recently proposed model local rule regarding the reduced distance golf ball.
We talk to Ted Antonopoulos, long-time head professional at Mayacama Golf Club, about his wonderful career in the game. Starting as an assistant to the legendary teaching pro Ben Doyle at Carmel Valley Ranch, Ted has had positions at a number of notable clubs, and was the original head pro at Mayacama Golf Club in Sonoma County in Northern California where he was instrumental in establishing the wonderful culture of that club. Ted is also one of the leading rules experts in golf, and has officiated at many major championships.
We talk to Ken Morton, Jr., who along with his dad and brother run the Haggin Oaks golf operation in Sacramento and its famous golf superstore. It is by far the largest golf superstore in the country located at a golf facility, and we discuss how it came about, its online component (Morton Golf), and what makes it so successful. We also discuss the many ways in which Ken and his family, through the Morton Golf Foundation, have given back to the Sacramento community.
Dan Rapaport, after having spent time as a golf journalist at Sports Illustrated and Golf Digest, is now both a golf writer and a podcaster at Barstool Sports. We talk about his role as the Tiger correspondent at Golf Digest and some of the notable pieces he has written, as well as his thoughts on LIV, his role on the Netflix series "Full Swing" and other hot topics in the golf world.
We talk to Joe Grohman, who is a nationally recognized golf instructor specializing in rehabilition clinics for disabled veterans, blind people, Wounded Warriors and other folks with various challenges. Joe spent 20 years of his career at the Navy Golf Course in Cypress, California, where he met and worked with a young Tiger Woods, and we reminisce about his many experiences on Team Tiger, and then discuss Joe's terrific work in the adaptive golf space.
We talk with Mike Loustalot of Sagacity Golf. Mike's career in the golf industry has involved using data to more efficiently run golf courses. We talk with Mike about his journey from growing up in a family of golf professionals and competing as a player in college to helping to transform how golf facilities conduct their operations.
We talk with Paul Levy, 40th President of the PGA of America, about his career as a club professional and in club operations and development, and his experiences in the Southern Texas and Southern California PGA Sections as well as at the national level of the PGA where he served as Secretary, Vice President and ultimately President. We discuss his role in moving the PGA headquarters to Texas from Florida and also his experiences with the Ryder Cup Task Force.
We talk to Matt Kent about his playing career as the #1 amateur in South Africa and his time on the professional tours, and his current life as the founder and managing director of Kent World Travel.
We talk with long-time SCPGA Executive Director and former PGA of America President Tom Addis III about his many stellar accomplishments and experiences in golf.
We talk to Rob Oosterhuis about growing up as the son of golfing great Peter Oosterhuis, his playing career and becoming a PGA member, and his evolution beyond golf to management at resorts and more recently at private country clubs.
We talk to Jim Smith, Jr., about his path to The Philadelphia Cricket Club, what life is like at the nation's oldest country club which dates back to 1854, and the importance of being "purple".
We talk to Jason Epstein about his journey in the game to his present position at Congressional Country Club, some of the memorable experiences he has had along the way, and what his professional life is like at one of the game's iconic clubs.
David Reasoner has spent his entire professional career at The Ridgewood Country Club. We talk to David about how he first started at Ridgewood, how he got the head pro job at such a young age and what life at Ridgewood has been like for him, as well as his thoughts on the profession generally.
Craig Kessler is Director, Public Affairs at the SCGA. Craig is regarded as the gold standard in public advocacy for golf. We talk to Craig about how he got started and some of the notable issues facing the game today.
Jared Doerfler is the creator of the Perfect Putt, a free weekly newsletter which covers the business side of golf. We talk to Jared about how he got started and some of the notable topics he has covered.
We talk to Jill McGill about her playing career and her great victory this past summer in the US Senior Women's Open.
We talk to Mike Harmon, who played the PGA Tour and was the Director of Golf at Secession Golf Club for many years. We discuss his wide-ranging experiences in the game as both a player and a club professional.
With the PGA Tour season wrapping up, we catch up with our friend Brady Riggs on the year in golf. We touch base on where we are with LIV and the PGA Tour's responses to date, as well as discuss the impressive talent on both the PGA and LPGA Tours and how much fun it would be to have a combined team tournament with both men and women.
We talk to 2016 PGA Professional of the Year Award winner Cary Cozby about his life in golf. We discuss his growing up in Bartlesville, OK and learning the game at Hillcrest CC where his dad was the head pro, his college golf career at the University of Oklahoma (where his two brothers subsequently played as well), and his experiences as the director of golf at Southern Hills (which included caddying for Tiger Woods earlier this year during his practice round for the PGA at Southern Hills).
We talk to Bob Vokey about his legendary career as a clubmaker and in particular his creation of Titleist Vokey Design Wedges. Bob has designed wedges for many of the game's greatest players and is one of the world's foremost wedge designers.
We talk to Luke Reese about his terrific new book "One for the Memory Banks", which details the wonderful experiences he had playing matches with his friends on the links courses of the UK and Ireland.
We talk to Sean Palmer, Director of Golf at The Union League of Philadelphia, about how he has led the famed city club's remarkable expansion into golf over the past 8 years. We also discuss Sean's time as the senior assistant golf professional at Merion Golf Club.
We talk to 2019 PGA Professional of the Year Award winner Eric Eshleman about his life in golf and his great success as Director of Golf at The Country Club of Birmingham. We discuss his spectacular junior program and some of his notable students, as well as his thoughts generally on being a club professional.
We go into depth on the LIV-PGA Tour antitrust case with Craig Seebald, a leading antitrust attorney.
We talk to Jimmy Roberts of NBC Sports about his life in golf and his stellar career in sports as a broadcaster, essayist, interviewer and reporter.
We talk to Jim Hirsch, a long-time writer and producer in the entertainment industry and the CEO of Recoveryshot.org, whose mission is to bring the healing power of golf to persons suffering from a debilitating illness or injury.
Dr. Steven Hollar is a member of the Western Golf Association and a golf aficionado who has played all over the world. He is also a member of an Indiana State High School Basketball Championship Team, both in real life and in the movie "Hoosiers". We talk to him about all of the above in a fun and wide-ranging conversation.
We talk with SCGA President Nikki Gatch about her life in the game of golf, and her unique status of having leadership positions in both the SCGA and the SCPGA.
We talk with Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs about LIV Golf, the US Men's and Women's Opens, Stanford's victory in the NCAA's and the recently completed PGA.
We talk to Scott Nye about Merion and its place in golf history, both past, present and future, as Merion has hosted more USGA championships than any other club.
We talk to Amy Alcott about her stellar career in golf, which began with her putting to soup cans she put in the ground around her house as a young child, and ended with her winning 29 LPGA titles, including 5 majors, and being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
We talk to Ted Bishop, 38th President of the PGA, about his experiences with some of the legends in the game such as Byron Nelson and Sam Snead, and his time as PGA President, including his experiences with Tom Watson and the Ryder Cup.
We talk to Jeff Kiddie about his path from a young golfer in the Rochester, NY area to head golf pro at Aronimink Golf Club. We discuss the Gil Hanse restoration project at this Donald Ross gem, and Jeff's roles as a rules official, top merchandiser and President of the Philadelphia PGA Section.
We talk with Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs about what's up with Phil, the recent Dinah Shore Tournament and the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the latest in the women's game, and we preview the 2022 Masters and discuss Tiger mania at this year's tournament and debate whether Tiger or Jack is the GOAT.
We talk to Larry Dornisch, long-time Director of Golf at Muirfield Village Golf Club and recent winner of the PGA's prestigious Bill Strausbaugh Award.
With the 2022 U.S. Open being held at The Country Club, we get the chance to talk with long-time head professional Brendan Walsh about the course, the preparations for the U.S. Open and the rich history of The Country Club.
We talk with long-time PGA Club Pro Tony Roberto about the golf scene in New England and his experiences at various clubs during his long tenure as a PGA pro.
We talk with Peter Nanula, CEO of Concert Golf Partners, about his career in the golf industry and how Concert Golf Partners works with private clubs.
We talk with 94 year old LPGA Founder and PGA Golf Hall of Famer Shirley Spork about her remarkable life in the game of golf.
As we start the new year, we talk with Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs about predictions for the coming year and the state of the game.
A 2-for-1 on this edition of The Golf Guy Podcast. We talk with Joe Casey, long-time PGA member going back to the days of Walter Hagen and the Western NY State PGA Section, and his son Patrick, who most recently was Director of Golf at Brentwood Country Club.
Kevin is the long-time Executive Director of the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation. We discuss how the Foundation operates in Southern California and the great work being done by Kevin and his team to grow the game among juniors who would likely not otherwise be exposed to golf.
John has had long career in golf, both as a player dating back to his days as captain of the Yale Golf Team as well as his time serving as SCGA President and now General Counsel. We discuss a number of issues facing the game as well as a few of John's fun experiences in golf over the years, including the impressive roster of courses he has played all over the world.
As we head into the Ryder Cup, we have a lively and extended conversation with Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs about why the Europe seems to prevail so frequently over the US. We also take a look back at the recent Solheim Cup and the season-ending Tour Championship.
Jim Vernon was USGA President when the US Open was last held at Torrey Pines in 2008. We talk about that remarkable tournament as well as Jim's other experiences with the USGA and in the game generally over his long distinguished career.
In the wake of Phil's stunning victory in the PGA at Kiawah Island, we discuss not only the tournament but Phil's historical standing in the game.
Brady and I discuss not only the upcoming Masters, but also the latest developments with some notable players, as well as the state of the game overall and the LPGA Tour in particular, and how to grow the game.
Brady and I discuss the Patrick Reed rules incident at length, and then discuss the Champions Tour as well as the struggles of Rory getting back to the winners circle and Jordan finding his game.
A fun discussion with Top 100 Teacher Brady Riggs about the unique 2020 Masters, and what's next for Brady
The Golf Guy Podcast with Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design -- 10/2/20 by Larry The Golf Guy
A fun conversation with Forelinx Founder and CEO Danny Wax. We talk about his time as a pro on the Nationwide (now Korn Ferry)Tour, and his subsequent creation and development of Forelinx, an end-to-end golf rewards platform that enables users to book golf tee times, play fantasy golf and more.
Always wonderful to talk to the great Brady Riggs, member of the SCPGA Teaching Hall of Fame. We cover a number of developments on the pro tour since the restart, plus the recent US Amateur at Bandon Dunes.