The Fried Egg Golf Podcast

Starting a Golf Tour and Playing on the APGA

<p>This episode focuses on the APGA Tour, which seeks to bring greater diversity to golf by helping African Americans and other minorities to gain access to careers in the game. First, Andy speaks with APGA founder Ken Bentley about how he started the tour, what his original goals were, and what the tour has become. They also touch on some stories of APGA players. For the second half of the episode, APGA Tour and PGA Tour Canada member Aaron Beverly joins Andy to discuss his life in golf (57:45). Aaron talks about how his years of experience in ballet helped his game, and about his path from watching Tiger Woods every weekend as a kid to winning the Charlie Sifford Award and joining Tiger on a panel.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

A Chat with the Designer of the Ryder Cup Venue

<p>Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, outside of Rome, Italy, is this year's Ryder Cup host. In preparation for this rather high-profile gig, Marco Simone underwent a redesign by European Golf Design, in cooperation with Tom Fazio II. European Golf Design's lead architect for this project was Dave Sampson, and in this episode, Dave joins Garrett for a deep dive into the course. Dave talks about the most attention-getting holes at Marco Simone, the thought that went into building the spectator and hospitality infrastructure at the venue, whether he believes the course will actually favor the Europeans over the Americans, and some of the criticism Marco Simone has received from European Tour players. Garrett also asks Dave about his general philosophy of championship course design, including his take on the role of narrow fairways and thick rough in challenging elite players.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

A Ryder Cup Draft with Shane Bacon

<p>Shane Bacon joins Andy to draft their own Ryder Cup teams: Team Egg vs. Team Bacon. They do a schoolyard pick, drawing from the pool of American and European pros who will compete in the Ryder Cup later this month, ranking them 1-24, and offering insights and critiques on individual players. Banter ensues.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Golf Architecture Mailbag Redux and How to Do a Low-Cost Muni Renovation

<p>First, Andy and Garrett cover some mailbag questions they didn't get to in last Friday's pod. They try to decide whether upcoming Ryder Cup venue Marco Simone is "good," list some of their favorite fairways in golf, and discuss the importance of tee-box design. In the back half of the episode, Garrett is joined by Will Benson (40:52), the facility manager and golf superintendent at Laurelwood, a nine-hole municipal course in Eugene, Oregon. Over the past several years, Will has carried out significant design upgrades at Laurelwood, and he tells Garrett about how he made these projects happen efficiently and cheaply.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Golf Architecture Mailbag: Most Exciting New Courses, The Lido, and More

<p>Mailbag time! Andy and Garrett address a bunch of golf architecture-related questions from listeners. Among the topics covered: this year's most exciting new-build golf courses, the best courses Andy and Garrett saw for the first time recently, the virtues of the Lido, whether more "Harbour Town-style" courses should be built, why Pete Dye is not "VERY overrated," and whether template holes are lazy and uncreative. Also, Garrett gets a headache trying to answer the following question: If you could play one architect's body of work for the rest of your golfing life, whom would you choose and why?</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Sizing Up the U.S. Ryder Cup Team

<p>Zach Johnson made his six captain's picks on Tuesday, so the U.S. Ryder Cup team is now complete. In this episode, Andy and Fried Egg Golf contributor Joseph LaMagna (<a href="https://twitter.com/JosephLaMagna">@JosephLaMagna</a>) discuss the merits of the ZJ's selections, evaluate Team USA in detail, and give some preliminary takes on the European squad.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Takeaways from the 2023 PGA Tour Season with Kyle Porter

<p>The 2023 PGA Tour season is in the books, so Kyle Porter (<a href="https://twitter.com/KylePorterCBS">@KylePorterCBS</a>) joins Garrett to discuss a few big-picture takeaways from the past year's action. First, though, they touch on Viktor Hovland's dominance in the last two legs of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the hugely promising arc of his career so far. After running through their season-long takeaways, Kyle and Garrett briefly chat about Zach Johnson's upcoming captain's picks for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Bringing the Lido to Life with Superintendent Jimmy Humston

<p>Jimmy Humston is the golf course superintendent at the recently opened Lido in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. He joins Andy for a discussion of what it's like to live in Nekoosa, how he got introduced to Sand Valley, and the various jobs he's held around the resort. Jimmy and Andy dig deep into the story of building the Lido, a reproduction of C.B. Macdonald's famous course on Long Island. They talk about the construction process, the challenges of re-creating a lost design in a different locale, the secrets behind growing grass on the Lido's bold features, and Jimmy's plans for the course's future aesthetic.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

The Lowdown on Waverley Country Club with Superintendent Brian Koffler

<p>Host of this week's 2023 U.S. Senior Women's Open, Waverley Country Club is a Golden Age Chandler Egan design, restored in 2012 by Gil Hanse, and—in Garrett's opinion—the best golf course in Portland, Oregon. Garrett sits down with superintendent Brian Koffler to talk about Waverley's history, architecture, best holes, and agronomy. They also discuss the challenges of maintaining turf in the Pacific Northwest and the striking array of top-10 clubs Brian interned at early in his career.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

PGA Tour Life with Michael Kim and Building a Lighted Par-3 Course with Grass Clippings

<p>To lead off this episode, Andy sits down with PGA Tour winner Michael Kim (<a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_kim714">@Mike_kim714</a>) to chat about a variety of topics. They discuss the courses Michael played in the Bay Area while attending UC Berkley, his strong play this season, and his newly vocal presence on Twitter. They also debate the USGA and R&amp;A's proposed Model Local Rule for a reduced-flight competition ball (Andy is for it; Michael, like most PGA Tour members, is against it). For the back half of the episode (1:05:44), Andy brings on Jimmy and Jake Hoselton of the company Grass Clippings (<a href="https://twitter.com/GrassClippingsc">@GrassClippingsc</a>). Jimmy and Jake talk about how they founded Grass Clippings to shed more light on the turf industry, and the company's plans to develop an accessible, lighted par-3 course designed by Jackson Kahn.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

The Latest from the Rollback Wars and the Excellence of Bel-Air CC with Geoff Shackelford

<p>Yesterday marked the end of the official "comment period" for the USGA and R&amp;A's proposed Model Local Rule regarding a reduced-flight golf ball for elite competition. That's right, ya missed it. But the PGA Tour and the PGA of America submitted their comments on time, and they're opposed. Why have these organizations aligned against the governing bodies? How have certain equipment companies put their thumbs on the scale? What's the likelihood that the USGA and R&amp;A will cave? Garrett discusses all of those questions with Geoff Shackelford (<a href="https://twitter.com/GeoffShac">@geoffshac</a>), author of the <a href="https://quadrilateral.substack.com/">Quadrilateral</a> newsletter as well as the new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Golf-Architecture-Normal-People-Sharpening/dp/1732222754"><em>Golf Architecture for Normal People</em></a>. In the second half of the episode, Garrett and Geoff shift to sunnier topics: the delight that was last week's U.S. Women's Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club, the merits of Bel-Air's design and agronomy, and the unexpected two-major season from Lilia Vu, yet another successful product of Southern California's public-golf scene.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Richie Ramsay Geeks Out About Golf Architecture

<p>Garrett sits down with Richie Ramsay (<a href="https://twitter.com/RamsayGolf">@RamsayGolf</a>)—2006 U.S. Amateur champion, four-time winner on the DP World Tour, and golf-architecture aficionado—to discuss a variety of topics. They start with a debrief of Richie's recent trip to Minnesota, where he saw courses like Interlachen, White Bear Yacht Club, Edina, and of course Hazeltine, the site of his U.S. Amateur triumph and subject of an upcoming "reimagining" by Davis Love III's firm. They then discuss Richie's recent play, including his win last year at Hillside Golf Club and his appearance at the 2023 Open, and his thoughts on the direction of the DP World Tour in the context of professional golf's current upheaval. Garrett and Richie wrap up with a little preview of this week's Women's Open venue Walton Heath.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Growing Grass at Sullivan County and Leveling Up a Golf Architecture Business

<p>For the first interview in this episode, Andy is joined by Shaun Smith (<a href="https://twitter.com/GorseNod">@GorseNod</a>), superintendent at Sullivan County Golf Club, a public nine-holer in upstate New York now operated by author Tom Coyne. Shaun discusses the ups and downs of his life and career, what he's done so far at Sullivan County, and what his hopes are for the future. In the second half of the episode, Andy brings on golf architect Tyler Rae (<a href="https://twitter.com/TylerRaeDesign">@TylerRaeDesign</a>). Andy and Tyler talk about what has changed in Tyler's career since he was last on the pod five years ago and the differences he has noticed between restoration and new-build projects. They wrap up by discussing the top three courses they saw in the past year.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

A History of Par

<p>The idea of par dominates our thinking about golf. It's how we judge a player's performance. It's how we assess the difficulty of a golf course. It's how we categorize holes and courses. It shapes our perception of the game in way's that we don't even notice; it's the water we swim in. And yet for most of golf history, the idea of par did not exist.</p><p>Today's guest is Stephen Proctor (<a href="https://twitter.com/SProctorGolf">@SProctorGolf</a>), a golf historian and the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Monarch-Green-Morris-Pioneer-Modern/dp/1909715751"><em>Monarch of the Green</em></a><em> </em>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Golden-Afternoon-Golfs-1864-1914/dp/1913759040"><em>The Long Golden Afternoon</em></a>, as well as a co-host of the podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-duffers-literary-companion/id1686495508">The Duffer's Literary Companion</a>. Stephen joins Garrett to discuss why par wasn't a necessary concept in the game's early centuries, how the desire for something like par emerged during Young Tom Morris's time, and how the idea began to gain momentum as golf spread to the United States in the early 1900s. They also talk about the effect that par has had on the game—an effect that neither Stephen nor Garrett sees as particularly positive.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

The Top 10 Players in Golf and Why the PGA Tour Should Pay Attention to the NBA Cup

<p>Andy Johnson and Joseph LaMagna discuss who their top 10 players in golf are now that the major championships are over. The two chat about players such as Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele rank as well as the breakout campaign of Viktor Hovland. They also talk about the recent NBA announcement of the NBA Cup, an in-season tournament that adds significance to regular season games and the parallels to the problems golf faces. Each has a unique way that the PGA Tour could look at the NBA Cup and create more interest in its own schedule.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Takeaways from the 2023 Open Championship

<p>The final men's major of the year just wrapped up at Royal Liverpool, and we're back to dig into the most important stories from the 2023 Open Championship. First, Garrett speaks with Sean Martin (<a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOURSMartin">@PGATOURSmartin</a>) of PGA Tour dot com about the skill set, personality, and career arc of the new Champion Golfer of the Year, Brian Harman. Then Garrett brings on Joseph LaMagna (<a href="https://twitter.com/JosephLaMagna">@JosephLaMagna</a>) to share three takeaways about Hoylake, this past week's excellent venue.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

A Few Holes to Watch at the 2023 Open Championship (and How They Evolved)

<p>With the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool fast approaching, Garrett is joined by Joe McDonnell (<a href="https://twitter.com/joemmcdonne11">@joemmcdonne11</a>), the Head of Imagery at the golf architecture firm Clayton, DeVries &amp; Pont as well as a longtime Hoylake member. After a quick intro from Garrett addressing the controversy over the "internal" out-of-bounds lines on the championship third and 18th holes, Joe gives a guided tour of the design and history of four holes on Royal Liverpool's back nine: Nos. 12, 13, 14, and 17. Joe and Garrett wrap up with a discussion of the sadistic third (the members' opener). Enjoy the Open!</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Five Things About the 2023 Open Championship with Kyle Porter

<p>Kyle Porter of CBS Sports (<a href="https://twitter.com/KylePorterCBS">@KylePorterCBS</a>) joins Andy Johnson to preview the 2023 Open Championship. The two discuss Rory, Scottie Scheffler, and Rickie Fowler, among other favorites, and they break down they're looking for from the course and the tournament. Also, Kyle is really excited about the prospects of Padraig Harrington on the Ryder Cup team.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Royal Liverpool Preview and Music + Golf with Micah Pueschel of Iration

<p>With the Open at Royal Liverpool approaching, Andy brings on Jasper Miners of <a href="https://evalu18.com/">Evalu18</a> (7:24) to ring in this year's brief links season. First they chat about some non-links hidden gems around London, then Jasper breaks down the history of Royal Liverpool and describes the differences between the original course and today's version. Andy and Jasper also discuss the new 17th hole and how the course stacks up against other Open rota venues. For the back half of the episode, Micah Pueschel (<a href="https://twitter.com/Pooshdaddy">@Pooshdaddy</a>) of the band Iration joins (58:28) to talk about his life in golf, how he manages to play while on tour, and how he has recruited other members of Iration into his obsession. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

What Do We Want Out of a Championship Golf Course?

<p>After a week on site at Pebble Beach for the U.S. Women's Open, Andy joins Garrett to talk about how the course challenged the players, where the setup fell short, and what, more generally, championship golf venues should strive to accomplish in the 21st century.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

How Pebble Beach Will Play for the Women and a PGA Tour Check-In

<p>Andy is joined by Fried Egg contributor Joseph LaMagna (<a href="https://twitter.com/JosephLaMagna">@JosephLaMagna</a>) for a chat about happenings in professional golf. First, they give some thoughts on the U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach: how the course should play for the women's field compared to the usual Pro-Am and U.S. Open fields; how courses could and should be set up to challenge and identify the best women golfers; to what extent they're in on the Rose Zhang hype; and whether Nelly Korda is on the comeback trail. Then Andy and Joseph dig into some PGA Tour topics. They talk about which players have done well and flown under the radar, how the Ryder Cup is shaping up, who could be in line for Player of the Year, and what might happen with the future PGA Tour schedule.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

A Monterey Golf Guide

<p>Garrett and fellow Fried Egg team member Brendan Porath devote this episode to golf in the Monterey, California, area. First, they discuss some storylines they're tracking going into this week's U.S. Women's Open, held for the first time in the tournament's history at Pebble Beach Golf Links. They touch on some aspects of Pebble Beach that they're looking forward to seeing the women's field tackle. In the back half of the episode (22:56), they offer a guide to golf in and around Monterey. Garrett lived in Pebble Beach for five years, so he provides a local perspective on the various public golf options, from premium to affordable.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

2023 Ryder Cup Roster Questions, Mid-Am Golf with Shane Bacon, and Course Changes for Pros

<p>Andy opens this pod with some reflections on the recent news that TPC River Highlands is looking at making course changes after a low-scoring Travelers Championship. He thinks that many people involved are ignoring the real problem, which is the equipment. Andy then brings on Shane Bacon (13:10) to talk about Shane's excellent performance at "The Ike," a big amateur tournament put on by the Metropolitan Golf Association. They also discuss what the 2023 Ryder Cup teams look like right now, and which players they expect to be on the teams in September.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Reflecting on the Women's PGA and Yearning for a Euro Tour Links Season

<p>Garrett and Meg kick off this Tuesday show with some thoughts on the Women's PGA Championship: the background and playing style of Ruoning Yin, the 20-year-old champion; the continued excellence of Rose Zhang; and the continued failures of the networks to air women's major championships in a suitable fashion. Garrett then checks in with Ben Coley (<a href="https://twitter.com/BenColeyGolf">@BenColeyGolf</a>) of <em>Sporting Life </em>about the state of the DP World Tour (28:31). Garrett and Ben talk about the (increasingly distant) possibility of a "links season" consisting of the Irish, Scottish, and British Opens as well as the tour's uncertain positioning in—or perhaps outside of—the burgeoning alliance between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. To go out on a more lighthearted note, Garrett and Ben wrap up with some recommendations (1:00:36).</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Final U.S. Open Thoughts and a New Alister MacKenzie Book

<p>Fresh off a week at Los Angeles Country Club for the U.S. Open, Andy gives his closing thoughts on the course and contenders. Following the U.S. Open talk, Andy is joined by Josh Pettit, author and creator of <a href="https://alistermackenzie.org/store/mackenziereader"><em>The MacKenzie Reader</em></a>, a new book on the great golf architect Alister MacKenzie. Josh talks about what drew him to MacKenzie, how he put together the book, and his favorite anecdotes from MacKenzie's life.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Takeaways from the 2023 U.S. Open

<p>Garrett launches this U.S. Open recap show by asking Los Angeles resident and ESPN staff writer Paolo Uggetti (<a href="https://twitter.com/PaoloUggetti">@PaoloUggetti</a>) whether L.A. has the worst fans in sports. After settling that issue, Garrett and Paolo review the final day of the 2023 U.S. Open, touching on Wyndham Clark's championship-winning shotmaking, Rory McIlroy's frustrating runner-up finish, and the much-discussed atmosphere on the limited-capacity North Course at L.A. Country Club. For the back half of the episode, Garrett is joined by Joseph LaMagna (<a href="https://twitter.com/JosephLaMagna">@JosephLaMagna</a>), Fried Egg contributor and <a href="https://findingtheedge.substack.com/">Finding the Edge</a> author, to evaluate the USGA's setup of LACC and talk about its architectural strengths and weaknesses (28:38). Garrett and Joseph wrap up by giving recommendations (53:24).</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

U.S. Open Thursday Thoughts and the Philadelphia School of Golf Architecture

<p>Garrett opens this mid-week U.S. Open episode by emptying his notebook from a Wednesday walk around Los Angeles Country Club. He talks about three spots on the North Course's back nine that he's looking forward to watching. Then he brings on golf historian Wayne Morrison (no relation) to discuss the Philadelphia School of Golf Architecture, the influential group of golf course designers in which LACC architect George Thomas learned his craft.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Five Things About the 2023 U.S. Open with Geoff Shackelford

<p>The 2023 U.S. Open, hosted by the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club, is approaching. Geoff Shackelford, who partnered with Hanse Golf Course Design on the restoration of L.A. North, joins Andy to discuss storylines.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

The PGA Tour, Presented by Saudi Arabia

<p>Some weeks are more hectic than others. On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced that it intended to partner with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the financial backer of LIV Golf, to create a new for-profit entity. If this agreement becomes a reality, the war between the Tour and LIV will come to an end, with the sides merging interests. This episode of The Fried Egg Podcast attempts to make sense of the whole mess. First, Andy runs through the basics of what happened and gives some initial takes. Then former PGA Tour player (and member of the player advisory council and policy board) Joe Ogilvie joins Andy (11:50) to discuss his thoughts on the deal, how the coming months and years might unfold, and where the Tour went wrong in the past. Later, Andy brings on Fried Egg contributor Joseph LaMagna (1:09:20) to talk about the future of LIV and how the dynamics between players might play out.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

The Rose Zhang Hypecast

<p>Rose Zhang won her first LPGA Tour start as a pro. That calls for a full episode of discussion. Garrett and Meg kick things off by talking about Rose's most impressive shots at the Mizuho Americas Open, her playing style, and her attitude. They also caution against putting absurd expectations on her 20-year-old shoulders. Later, Justin Ray joins the pod (20:07) to talk about his favorite Rose Zhang stats, and Brendan Quinn drops in (36:40) to discuss his <a href="https://theathletic.com/4561812/2023/05/30/rose-zhang-lpga-tour/"><em>excellent </em>recent profile of Rose</a>. Garrett and Meg close the episode (1:08:34) with a couple of recommendations.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>