Tony Nysse, the Director of Golf Course and Grounds at Mountain Lake, joins the podcast to discuss his affinity for golf course architecture and his career in the turf industry. Tony's many stories include giving architectural advice to a developer while in college, interning at Friar's Head, and restoring Old Marsh.
Kerry Haigh, the Chief Championships Officer of the PGA of America, joins Andy to discuss next week's PGA Championship at Harding Park. The conversation centers on Kerry's approach to setting up major championship golf.
In our latest talk with golf architect Tom Doak, we dive into a number of listener questions. Tom addresses whether Donald Ross is overrated, the ideas behind some of his greens at Lost Dunes, and which par 3, 4, and 5 from Scotland he would put in his backyard.
In the second part of his recent conversation with Andy, Tom Doak explains why St. Andrews Beach—a design of his outside of Melbourne, Australia—is one of his favorite courses in the world. Later, he and Andy discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the design business and the golf world in general, and how this moment compares to 9/11 and the financial crisis of 2008. The episode wraps up with a discussion of the potential of East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C., which Tom is set to restore.
Tom Doak is back! The lead architect at Renaissance Golf Design joins Andy to talk about his latest book project, Getting to 18. They discuss the writing process, a few excerpts from the book, the story of how Tom met Bill Coore, and the secrets behind the routings of Pacific Dunes and the original Sheep Ranch. To purchase Getting to 18, a limited-edition book, visit doakgolf.com .
This is the third and final episode of our miniseries on the design, history, and impact of the golf ball. It explores how advanced plastics made their way into the modern, solid-core ball, bringing the promise of “better things for better living through chemistry” to the game.
Guests: Harry Brown, Joe Henley, Mark O’Meara, and Dean Snell.
Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Brown, Golf Ball
This is the second episode of our miniseries on the design, history, and impact of the golf ball. It recounts the advent of the wound ball—the Haskell—and the ensuing debate over the future of the game.
Guests: Bob Crosby and Brett Cyrgalis.
Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Cyrgalis, Golf’s Holy War
This is the first episode of our miniseries on the design, history, and impact of the golf ball. It focuses on the invention of the gutta percha ball and the surprising backstory of gutta percha itself.
Guests: Harry Brown, Stephen Proctor, and Helen Godfrey.
Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Brown, Golf Ball
Proctor, Monarch of the Green
Godfrey, Submarine Telegraphy and the Hunt for Gutta Percha
Hall of Famer Curtis Strange joins Andy Johnson to discuss his storied career as well as recent events on the PGA Tour. Curtis tells Andy about his closing eagle to win the NCAA Championship, his back-to-back U.S. Open wins, and his near-miss at the 1985 Masters. The conversation also touches on the rise of a beefed-up Bryson DeChambeau and the recent split between Fox Sports, where Curtis was an analyst, and the USGA.
Aaron McMaster, the Superintendent at Orchard Lake Country Club, joins Andy to talk turf. They discuss the ins and outs of making agronomic changes to a golf course before diving into the story of Orchard Lake’s renovation by Keith Foster.
