The NCG Golf Podcast

WHS update: Why your club must not ban general play scores + how are the big changes settling in?

James Luke, England Golf’s head of handicapping, is back to update us on how the big changes to the World Handicap System have been settling in.

But he’s also got a couple of important messages to impart – around general play scores and a new policy that could open the way for more clubs to get tee sets rated.

If you’ve got any interests in WHS, you have to listen to this episode…

Should clubs BAN players with too many general play scores from competitions?

We’ll bet this chat is going on right now somewhere in your clubhouse. How can you make golf as accessible as possible but feel confident you’re protecting the integrity of competitions?

This is a question England Golf have grappled with, and we get stuck into it on this week’s episode of The NCG Podcast.

Steve Carroll is joined by James Crampton, England Golf’s director of championships, and the pair talk about the governing body’s competition entry policy, which can deny entry to players where competition and general play scores don’t match up.

We also get into their new pace of play policy, where checkpoints are now used to monitor round times. Could a similar system speed up the game at your club?

And fresh off an eventful Brabazon Trophy, on and off the course, James gives us an insight into the work of his busy department.

It’s a compelling listen with plenty of talking points!

What DO scratch golfers do that you DON’T?

What is it that sets the best club golfers apart?

Why do they make fewer mistakes on the course? What are the habits that help them play consistent golf? This week’s episode of The NCG Golf Podcast reveals all.

We’ve got the latest data from Shot Scope. Tom Irwin, who loves to remind us he is a scratch golfer, and Steve Carroll, who couldn’t get near scratch if he played for 100 years, are here to guide you through the findings.

Do you know where you miss? Should you fire at pins? What clubs should you use around the greens? Tom will put you in the picture and Steve will probably disagree.

Elsewhere on this week’s podcast...

• Should the PGA Championship have been postponed?
• How did Tom get on in a couple of crunch match play encounters?
• And… are you allowed to hole out after conceding a putt?

How bad has the winter been for our courses – and what’s the impact?

Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll are joined this week by special guest Jim Croxton, chief executive of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association.

We look at how golf has navigated an extreme winter, what the impact on our courses has been, and whether we can expect any lingering effects as the year continues.

On Mental Health Awareness Week, Jim also discusses the work the association has been doing to support greenkeepers, we ask if they are being paid enough, and discuss the trend of ‘rock star’ course managers who are making waves on social media.

Also in this episode:

• In our out? What do you do with the flagstick?
• And can a hole location be illegal?

Breaking down the best courses in Wales!

We’re back. After a week to recharge and put our feet up, The NCG Golf Podcast returns for its third season. And what a start we’ve got for you.

The sun is finally shining, we’re thinking about getting on our summer golf trips, and we’re about to unveil our best golf courses in Wales list!

To set the scene for our new Top 40, which you can find at nationalclubgolfer.com/top100, NCG Top 100s chairman Dan Murphy joins Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll to talk about all things Welsh golf.

What is our best course? Which are must play? And where can you find the best value? We’ll reveal all.

Elsewhere, as we start our new series:

• How has the season started for our dynamic duo?
• Can we imagine a Tiger-less PGA Tour?
• Rules Corner: Can you be disqualified if you don’t enter your score on the club computer?

England Golf chief executive Jeremy Tomlinson joins us!

Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll are joined by special guest Jeremy Tomlinson, England Golf's chief executive. We discuss in detail the governing body’s 'Respect in Golf' campaign – a movement which aims to promote greater understanding and embrace equality, diversity, and inclusion in the sport.

Jeremy also talks about the World Handicap System, membership numbers in the country, iGolf and iPlay, as well as what England Golf have got in store as their Centenary year really gets into gear.

We hope you enjoy the chat.

Elsewhere as we bring season 2 to a close:

• We’ve finally played some golf! Can we put this terrible winter behind us?
• Why are we so suspicious of data? We deep-dive into Shot Scope hitting distance numbers
• Steve tries to blind Tom with some tech trivia in Rules Corner

Ultimate Masters Review (and Gnomes)

Live from Augusta Steve and Tom discuss Steve’s debut at Augusta. The boys cover a lot of ground and spend far too much time talking Gnomes. Find out about what it is like to be an Augusta first time, just how long that q is for merch, and yes of course how hilly it REALLY is. They also get stuck into the Scheffler era, the value of yet another Tiger comeback, poor old Rory and Jason Day’s clothes. They end by musing on what is next for the endless innovative Masters. It is a great listen from the heart of a fantastic tournament, if you are looking for Masters closure you have come to the right place.

We preview the Masters with Ian Woosnam!

A major championship needs a major guest and we’ve got one for you as Ian Woosnam joins The NCG Golf Podcast ahead of The Masters.

Also previewing the Barbados Legends Championship at Apes Hill, which is kicking off the new Legends Tour season in May and is hosted by the 1991 Masters champ, podcast hosts Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll dig deep into next week's tournament with one of the game’s all-time greats.

We relive his green jacket victory, get some advice for those of you travelling to the tournament for the first time and, of course, ask him who’s going to win!

Elsewhere this week:

• Tom outlines his ‘foolproof’ Masters betting system. Please remember to gamble responsibly
• Are we really going to see Augusta Syndrome at your club this year?
• We’ve got a Masters special Rules corner for you to try and solve!

The NCG Golf Podcast is produced in association with the TaylorMade TP5 golf ball

The World Handicap System changes are here!

Don’t misread the date. It’s not an April Fool. The big World Handicap System changes are here and, from April 1, the way you play your club golf WILL change.

If you’ve forgotten what’s coming, never fear. Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll have enlisted the help of David Kernohan, Scottish Golf’s Head of VMS and Handicapping, to go over the major headlines.

He’ll help you get to grips with Course Rating minus Par, fourball betterball scores, and all the big alterations.

We also discuss where the WHS successes have been and where the system could still be improved.

Elsewhere this week:

• Free relief from divots? After Jordan Smith’s horror lie, the age-old debate surfaces yet again
• What if someone finds your ball as time runs out? Can Steve stump Tom again in Rules Corner?
• More money!? Just what are those tour players up to?

The NCG Golf Podcast is produced in association with the TaylorMade TP5 golf ball

The BBC’s Iain Carter joins us!

If you could pick one person to try and explain the madness of men’s professional golf, surely Iain Carter would be top of the list.

The BBC’s golf correspondent has enjoyed an unparalleled career – covering all the major tournaments for radio and online – and is the author of a series of best-selling books.

His latest, Golf Wars: LIV and Golf’s Bitter Battle for Power and Identity, bids to make sense of the conflict between the rival tours that has threatened to tear the sport apart.

Iain joins Steve and Tom to discuss his new tome, the internal warfare that is still splitting the game, and we ask where and how it is all going to end.

Iain also talks about The Big Golf Race – Prostate Cancer UK’s drive to raise money for men affected by the disease.

Elsewhere in this episode…

• Tom takes Steve’s money after a Players bet showdown (and gloats about it a little bit!)
• Steve recounts an epic trip to East Lothian – but which course didn’t quite hit the heights for him?
• Will Tom finally prove a birdbrain in this week’s Rules Corner?

The NCG Golf Podcast is produced in association with the TaylorMade TP5 golf ball.