The NCG Golf Podcast

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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Has technology made golf worse?

From the balls we hit, to the watches we wear on our wrists, technology has seeped into every part of golf.
Now artificial intelligence threatens to change the game in ways we probably haven’t even imagined yet.
But does it enhance the game or detract from it? This week Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll discuss the increasing rise of tech and whether it’s chipping away at golf’s soul.
Should the sport be determined by data or should the golf course be a screen-free zone?
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Lee Westwood exclusive: You don’t want St Andrews to be butchered

This week, we’ve got a bonus episode for you as Steve Carroll caught up with Lee Westwood at Close House. As well as being one of Europe’s best golfers over the last three decades, he’s also the attached tour professional at the Newcastle venue, which is marking 15 years since it opened the Colt course.
We got stuck into a bunch of club matters, considered if the upcoming golf ball roll back is necessary to protect classic masterpieces like St Andrews, and he revealed the simple things golfers can do to score better straight away.
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Is WHS one handicap system – or is it really four?

Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll are back discussing the latest moves in the World Handicap System. They talk about how Playing Handicaps are applied in competitions, with Golf Ireland now being joined by Wales Golf and Scottish Golf in giving clubs more flexibility.
With England Golf the only country in the home nations not to follow suit, what does this mean for WHS? Is the aim of a unified handicap system in GB&I fracturing?
Golf Ireland have also brought in a new pilot scheme, which will determine how players qualify for their elite competitions. Are they moving away from using WHS for their top performers by turning to a strokes gained system? What should that mean for clubs?
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The future of LIV golf? The truth is no one knows

What is going on with the breakaway tour? Will PIF pull their funding? Is Bryson DeChambeau going to stay? Is it even going to be able to carry on?
With speculation continuing, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll try and unpick what’s going on with LIV Golf and what could happen over the next few weeks and months...
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