The NCG Golf Podcast

From the Clubhouse: 10,000 visitors and £600,000 lost - how can clubs like Crail survive the pandemic?

Crail Golfing Society is the seventh oldest club in the world.

It plays host to thousands of visitors every year – enchanted by the stunning sea views on the Fife coast and a Balcomie layout designed by Old Tom Morris.

But while, domestically at least, the coronavirus pandemic has handed golf a most unlikely fillip, for those courses and businesses that rely on international tourism, the reality is somewhat different.

In a House of Commons debate, North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain outlined the bleak prospects that could await if tough international travel restrictions are still in place this summer.

She revealed that Crail Golfing Society lost £600,000 in visitor revenue last year, so Steve Carroll is joined on the NCG Podcast by the club’s manager, David Roy, to give a fascinating insight into how they are surviving the pandemic.

Dialled In: Saudi International and Waste Management Phoenix Open preview

Some of golf's biggest names, including its two most recent major champions in World No 1 Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, are joining their European Tour peers for the third Saudi International this week, while the PGA Tour event is a fans' favourite in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

So who are NCG's Steve Carroll and golf form expert Barry Plummer expecting to challenge at Royal Greens and TPC Scottsdale respectively? They reveal all in this week's Dialled In podcast.

You can find more tips from Steve and Barry on NationalClubGolfer.com. And remember, please gamble responsibly.

The Slam: Graeme McDowell discusses his rollercoaster career

A major champion, more than a dozen tour titles, and a three-time Ryder Cup winner - and those are just the highlights. To borrow the cliché, there isn’t much Graeme McDowell hasn’t done in golf.

Now 41, the popular Northern Irishman sat down with me for this episode of the Slam podcast from NCG to discuss growing up in the game, his college career, and why he chose a life in the US over home comforts.

And, of course, he gives us a fascinating insight into that US Open win at Pebble Beach as well as the rollercoaster ride that is his Ryder Cup career - from his rocky rookie year to his special bond with Victor Dubuisson.

A future Team Europe captain? Don’t bet against it. But there are other goals in his sights before that...  

Dialled In: Farmers Insurance Open and Dubai Desert Classic preview

In this week's Dialled In, Steve Carroll and golf form expert Barry Plummer lay out their best bets for the Dubai Desert Classic and Farmers' Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

 

Is course form all important in this latest stop on the Middle East swing and how much can we take from a pit-stop in California before the stars return for the US Open in June?

 

You can find more tips from Steve and Barry on NationalClubGolfer.com. And remember, please gamble responsibly.

From the Clubhouse: Sleepless nights and financial plights - managing a golf club in a Covid world

English clubs are again in the throes of a national lockdown and golf courses are closed. When will they open again? Who knows. And that uncertainty has once more left clubs grabbling with furloughs, finances, and fixtures.

How are they navigating this latest shutdown? What have they learned from the experiences of March and November and how do they plan for the coming year when restrictions are relaxed once again?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to bite, Steve Carroll is joined on the NCG Podcast by the directors of Skipton Golf Club, in Yorkshire, to discuss all this and more.

Dialled In: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship preview

In this week's Dialled In, a new betting and preview podcast from NationalClubGolfer.com, Steve Carroll and golf form expert Barry Plummer team up for a detailed look at the opening event of the 2021 European Tour season, the star-studded Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Who do you think is going to get off to a great start? Will Rory and JT shine, or is a big-priced player going to land the spoils?

You can find more tips from Steve and Barry on NationalClubGolfer.com. And remember, please gamble responsibly.

From the Clubhouse: England Golf chief executive Jeremy Tomlinson

It has been a tumultuous first year in charge of England Golf for chief executive Jeremy Tomlinson.

Within weeks of officially taking over the reins at Woodhall Spa last January, the coronavirus pandemic swamped the nation and the governing body have been dealing with its effects ever since.

Add in the introduction of the World Handicap System, one of the most significant changes to club golf in decades, and it has been all hands to the pump for Tomlinson over the past 12 months.

There have also been highs: membership numbers have soared following a surge in interest in the sport and golf has been widely praised for the way it has conducted itself as restrictions have been eased and tightened again.

So in a wide-ranging exclusive interview, we sat down with Jeremy to talk about the lockdown closures, WHS, how golf can maintain its newly won popularity and what England Golf are doing to bring casual golfers into the fold.