The NCG Golf Podcast

Curtis Cup Hero, Amateur Champion, Club President: The Remarkable Story of Jill Thornhill

Few golfers can match the amateur pedigree of Jill Thornhill.
A former Women's Amateur Champion, leading amateur at the Women's British Open, Curtis Cup player and captain, and current president of Walton Heath Golf Club, she has spent decades at the heart of the game.
In this special episode, Steve Carroll sits down with one of our most respected amateur golfers to relive her greatest memories, discuss her lifelong connection to Walton Heath, and share her views on everything from pace of play and the Rules of Golf to the World Handicap System.
It’s an engaging conversation with a true giant of amateur golf.

Golf needs to modernise and ban mobile phones

If it’s not visitors holding up play by taking endless photos, it is golfer taking calls when they should be playing a shot.
So should mobile phones be banned on the course? Is golf’s relationship with technology harming the game.
In this episode of The NCG Golf Podcast, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll tackle one of the game’s most contentious debates.
From ringing phones and social media distractions to GPS apps, score tracking and way we experience a round, we ask whether golf needs to draw a line.
Please let us know your thoughts – get in touch on your preferred podcast app or send us an email at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com
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“The game’s gone” – Tom Irwin sounds off on golf’s etiquette problem

Players throwing clubs. Spectators turning on eventual US Open champion Wyndham Clark. Tempers boiling over on the biggest stage. For those who believe etiquette is golf’s foundation, recent events have raised an uncomfortable question: has the game lost its way?
And is what we see on tour simply reflecting what’s happening every weekend at golf clubs across the country?
In this week’s episode, Tom Irwin climbs onto the soapbox to deliver a passionate and thought-provoking critique of golf’s changing standards.
Why has etiquette slipped? Are golfers simply copying what they see at the top of the game? And what can clubs, players, and the sport itself do to turn things around?
It’s a lively debate about respect and whether golf’s unwritten rules are under threat.
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iGolf is booming – so why are some golf clubs still shutting the door?

Another month, another record. England Golf's iGolf scheme added more than 6,100 subscribers in May alone, while recorded rounds topped 100,000 for the first time.
Nearly 30,000 golfers have gone on to join clubs since the programme launched – but are clubs doing enough to welcome these players? Or are some turning away a valuable source of future members by restricting access to Open competitions?
Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll dive into the numbers and discuss whether golf clubs are missing a major opportunity.
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Should only competition scores count for your handicap?

It’s one of golf’s most hotly debated questions – and Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll aren’t holding back.
Has the World Handicap System become too much of a free-for-all? Should competition golf be the only true measure of a player’s ability?
The pair ask whether the system is baffling newcomers and juniors and get into par, strokes received, and what your handicap really represents.
Whether you're a competition regular, or simply someone who's ever wondered how their index is calculated, you’ll want to listen in…
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£500. Three days. Unlimited possibilites. Where are you playing?

You've got £500, three days, and a set of clubs in the boot. Where are you heading?
This week, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll plan the ultimate budget golf trip. Steve reveals an eye-opening adventure in Northumberland, complete with green fees that seem too good to be true, while Tom makes the case for his beloved Lincolnshire and its collection of top-class courses.
If you're looking for maximum golf without emptying your wallet, this episode is packed with ideas.
And we want to hear from you: what's the best-value golf trip you've ever taken?
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What are the biggest rules blunders golfers make?

This week Steve Carroll is joined by Sam Barker-Sabido, Rules of Golf manager at England Golf.
Catching up ahead of the Brabazon Trophy last week, the pair discuss how the governing body’s referees approach a big championship.
But they also discuss how you can get involved in refereeing and Sam lists some of the most common rules mistakes golfers make in their competitive outings.
If you’ve ever wondered how you can become a referee, or just how you can improve your Rules of Golf knowledge, make sure to tune in…
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Why can’t golfers choose any tees they want in competitions?

This week, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll react to Aaron Rai’s stunning PGA Championship win and relive their own chaotic debut as a pairing in the NCG Top 100s Summer Match Play.
But it isn’t long before the conversation turns back to the World Handicap System. Why are handicap allowances still confusing golfers? Why do clubs stick to the same tees every week? And if your score can be adjusted anyway… why can’t competitions be more flexible?
It’s majors, match play, medal tees, and more WHS frustration on this week’s NCG Golf Podcast.
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