The NCG Golf Podcast

England Golf on World Handicap System - You can’t stop cheats (but you can help)

Just popping the three letters into a social media channel is enough to bring up a column of chat that it would take you hours to digest.

More than a year after its launch, the World Handicap System continues to be debated and digested by golfers all over the UK.

But sift through that collection and one theme emerges again and again. Integrity, or more precisely, the fear that WHS can be manipulated.

So what’s really going on under the bonnet? Is there truth to the claims or is it all just another internet conspiracy theory.

And what are governing bodies doing to ensure we’re all playing by the same rules and that those determined to be nefarious are caught out.

Our guest this week on the From the Clubhouse podcast is Gemma Hunter, England Golf’s head of handicapping and course ratings, as we went into a deep dive about all things WHS security…

NCG Top 100s: How we put together our list of the best courses in England

After tens of thousands of shots, countless miles spent traversing every inch of the country, and a commitment to visiting nearly 170 courses, it is ready. NCG Top 100s has released a definitive list of the best courses in England.

You can view the list in its entirety at nationalclubgolfer.com/ncgtop100s, pick up a copy of our beautifully designed magazine in your clubhouse or, alternatively, download it right here.

With the list now available, NCG Top 100s editor Dan Murphy sat down with Steve Carroll to discuss how it was put together, to answer some of the questions that have arisen on social media, and reveal some of our favourite moments from the year-long process.

From the Clubhouse: What is The Lost Art of the Short Game? Here‘s how you can find it

The first two books were hailed for changing the games of golfers all over the world. Now the successful teaching duo of Gary Nicol and Karl Morris are back – and they’ve have roped in some pretty big names to help them.

The Lost Art of the Short Game is the final part of the best-selling Lost Art of Golf series and, this time, Gary and Karl aim to free you from the shackles you have self-imposed on your short games.

Using the successful formula of getting you to look within, rather than going heavy on technique, the trio of titles now form a complete overview of the game, and an essential part of every golfer’s library.

Wedges guru Bob Vokey, renowned golf architect Mike Clayton, and former Ryder Cup player-turned commentator Andrew Coltart are among the special guests lending their own wisdom across the pages.

So to find out more about the book, and how it can help your game, Gary and Karl are my guests this week on the From the Clubhouse podcast…

You can get hold of The Lost Art of the Short Game, along with the previous two books in the Lost Art Series, by visiting the Lost Art of Golf website.

From the Clubhouse: Learning the Rules of Golf with John Paramor

John Paramor has probably forgotten more about the Rules of Golf than most of us know. In a career which spanned nearly 45 years and saw him rise to the European Tour’s chief referee, he was the familiar face in the buggy racing round the world’s biggest tournaments dispensing his considerable knowledge.

But while the Rules can become second nature to those who have spent a life immersed in them, for many of us at our clubs they remain a thing of mystery.

Whether it’s struggling to understand the technicalities or being put off by the prospect of delving into potentially hundreds of pages of text, it can be a challenge to wrap your heads around what’s required to play the game as it should be.

In this week’s From the Clubhouse podcast, we get into how you can make understanding the Rules easier, and make your game more enjoyable…

From the Clubhouse: Rising costs and higher prices – is golf’s pandemic boom at risk?

Golf’s been in a boom. Full tee sheets, and massive boosts in membership after coronavirus restrictions were eased, shocked the sport out of a decade-long slump – to the surprise of players and clubs alike.

But now we’re entering a different phase. With society essentially fully opened, along with all those competing leisure activities that were shut when golf had a free run in the summer of 2020, we’ll soon know whether the surge we saw is here to stay or just a fortunate blip created by circumstance.

As clubs prepare to go into a membership renewals period in January and April, what must they do to safeguard and capitalise on the opportunity they’ve been handed over the past 18 months?

We're joined on this week’s From the Clubhouse podcast by PlayMoreGolf’s chief executive Alastair Sinclair to consider what faces clubs and how the sport can keep the pandemic participation feast going…

The Slam: Tony Jacklin looks back at his Ryder Cup journey

Without him, the famous little trophy might be gathering dust in someone’s attic. It is not an exaggeration to say Tony Jacklin transformed the Ryder Cup.

As Europe’s talisman, he captained a rejuvenated continent to victories in 1985 and 1987, retained the trophy with a draw in 1989, and began to turn what had been a tired and jaded exhibition into one of the world’s biggest team competitions.

Those crowds at Whistling Straits a few weeks ago, the thunder clap that rocked Paris from titanic stands in 2018? Would any of that have been possible were it not for Jacklin and a collection of improbably talented golfers in the 1980s?

Now the architect of an age of European dominance in the biennial event has put down his experiences – and those of his wider career – in a new book: Tony Jacklin: My Ryder Cup Journey.

He’s our guest this week on The Slam podcast…

NCG Top 100s: Turnberry Golf Club

Turnberry's been the site of some of not only The Open's most memorable moments but golf's in general, whether it was the Duel in the Sun between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, or one of the finest 18 holes in major championship history when Greg Norman scorched round in a memorable Sunday 64.

Instantly recognisable with just a glimpse of its famous lighthouse and reborn thanks to a stunning transformation, its Ailsa course must be on every serious golfer’s bucket list.

Dan Murphy and Steve Carroll chatted with Director of Golf Ricky Hall and architect Martin Ebert about the legendary layout.

 

Dialled In: Ryder Cup special - featuring Graeme McDowell, Ian Woosman, and NCG‘s betting expert

It's finally here. After an additional 12 long months of waiting, it's Ryder Cup week.

In this speciail edition of the Dialled In podcast from NCG, Steve Carroll is joined by Alex Perry to discuss the big talking points of the tournament, while NCG's regular betting expert Barry Plummer is once again on hand to take us through his favourite tips for the tournament. 

We also hear from Ian Woosnam, a player who featured in nine Ryder Cups including one as a winning captain, and Graeme McDowell fills us in on his relationship with the rookies - particularly Victor Dubuisson - and why his dream to be captain one day comes with caution.

The Slam: Peter Dawson on his short but historic Ryder Cup career

Quiz question: Who was the first left-hander to play in the Ryder Cup? Nope, it was Peter Dawson in 1977.

Indeed Peter is the only left-handed player to represent GB&I, or Europe as it is now, and over the next 40 minutes or so, Peter discusses his short but historic involvement in the biennial competition as one of many British and Irish players who saw their Ryder Cup careers extinguished by the addition of European stars.

Peter also explains how he fluked his way into a golf career before giving us a fascinating insight into being a tour pro in the 1970s – which many people consider the golden age of tour golf. And given the players we discuss, it's difficult to argue with that assessment. 

Make sure you stick around for the stories involving Tom Watson and Nick Faldo.

Enjoy.

From the Clubhouse: Should paper scorecards be a thing of the past? How technology is changing golf forever

Has your golf club gone back to using paper scorecards? Have you slotted right back into the routine, or do you pine for your phone and a digital signature?

For many of us, the coronavirus pandemic ushered a digital revolution at our clubs.

Whether it was booking tee times online, entering our scores through our phones, or watching hole-by-hole live leaderboards, the restrictions we endured to play the game opened up our eyes to technology and how it could influence the game.

In many ways, the sport was just catching up. In other areas of our lives, whether we are checking our bank balances or paying for products, tech has made things simpler and quicker.

Golf has been slow to get in on the act, but is it now down the rabbit hole? Will the opportunities presented by technology change it forever?

David Cederholm, Europe, Middle East and Africa sales director at Toptracer, thinks so. He’s Steve Carroll's guest on the From the Clubhouse podcast as we consider the future of technology at our clubs…