The NCG Golf Podcast

From the Clubhouse: We need to have a talk about 18 holes

You think it's always been this way - but you've been living a lie.

On this week's From the Clubhouse podcast, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll explore the origin of 18 hole golf, why it's a completely random number, and whether we should think again as modern life - and family demands - impinge on our leisure time.

Do we need to take 9-hole golf more seriously, and should we offer a more varied competition structure at our clubs?

Elsewhere, slow play continues to rear its head as the row over Carlota Ciganda's penalty at the Evian Championship rumbles on. Do we do enough at club level to get us round the course quicker?

And Steve has been on his travels again and reckons he has played the most insane golf course he's ever seen. He gives you the lowdown on Bishop Auckland, in County Durham.

From the Clubhouse is produced in association with TaylorMade Golf

The Slam: We’d take Bryson DeChambeau to the Ryder Cup! + Our AIG Women’s Open preview

Thirteen birdies and a leap that would make Phil Mickelson proud. Bryson DeChambeau’s stunning 58 at the Greenbrier was genuinely historic – so few have managed the feat – but his maiden LIV Golf victory has got minds whirring at NCG Towers.

On this week’s The Slam podcast, Matt Coles and Steve Carroll, stepping in for Matt Chivers, look back at Bryson’s win and ask the question: Should he go to the Ryder Cup?

The answer is a definitive yes, and it won’t ease the headache for US skipper Zach Johnson. Let us explain why he has to be on the plane.

It’s also the final women’s major of the year as the AIG Women’s Open is staged at the wonderful Walton Heath. We preview the action and hand over our tips.

The Slam podcast is produced in association with Callaway.

From the Clubhouse: Is this really the future of golf? + Do we need 14 clubs?

With its pizza oven, street food, a colourful driving range, and 9-hole course, Golf It! is being described as the sport’s new approach – an accessible and inclusive way to get into golf.

The facility, which is based at the former Lethamhill Golf Course in Glasgow, boasts a range of introductory golf formats and Steve Carroll went along to see it ahead of its launch.

He takes Tom Irwin through the new centre step-by-step and the pair ask whether it will actually change the way people engage with golf.

Meanwhile, some of Tom’s new shiny new TaylorMade kit remains unwrapped and so the duo get into the origins of the 14 club rule and whether we really need to use that many. Would golf be better with less, or even more clubs?

It’s thought provoking as always so have a listen and get involved.

From the Clubhouse is produced in association with TaylorMade Golf

The Slam: Rules controversy at the Evian Championship and a BRUTAL Senior Open!

Celine Boutier was fantastic at the Evian Championship, becoming the first Frenchwoman to win this major title on home turf.

But this didn't come without some slow-play rules controversy involving Carlota Ciganda, and Angel Yin's ball being picked up by a young spectator!

NCG's Matt Chivers and Matt Coles take a look back at the action from France, as well as a brutal week in Wales where Alex Cejka won the Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl.

Brutal conditions led to some huge scores on Sunday, even by the leaders, as the wind and rain caused havoc on the coast.

The team also discusses Lee Hodges' dominant display at the 3M Open on the PGA Tour, and what this now means for the FedEx Cup rankings.

As we head into the final week of the regular season, could the likes of Justin Thomas and Shane Lowry miss out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs?

The Slam is an NCG podcast in association with Callaway. You know what to do!

From the Clubhouse: Have we gone soft on bunkers?

Did you feel sorry for the stars flailing around in Hoylake's bunkers at The Open? No, the From the Clubhouse team of Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll didn't either. 

For a brief period on Thursday, the sand was truly a hazard again in professional golf. For those of us at our clubs, used to hacking about and struggling to get out, it was magical.

Then the R&A changed the way they were raked, the players stopped moaning, and normality returned. But should it? Steve and Tom discuss the golf bunker, whether jeopardy is a big part of the risk of going into one, and whether the expectation of a consistent roll and a well-raked surface is what golf should be all about. 

It'll get some of your heckles up and, while we're on the subject of controversy, Steve is advocating a change to the penalty for stroke-and-distance that is bound to start a debate. So strap in and get listening!

From the Clubhouse is a National Club Golfer podcast produced in association with TaylorMade Golf

All The Gear: Broken trolley? Why not build your own?

From timekeeper to trolley-maker: How a broken trolley sparked the creation of one of the world’s biggest golf companies.

Powakaddy are celebrating 40 years of business this summer. The company has been designing and making golf trolleys in Sittingbourne, Kent, since 1983. But how did the company initially start, and what has changed in the trolley world in the last 40 years?

Equipment Editor Hannah Holden sat down with PowaKaddy CEO David Catford to find out...

The Slam: Could Brian Harman be this year’s American Ryder Cup talisman?

Brian Harman has proven himself on the big stage by becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year at Hoylake, and jumping up to third in the Ryder Cup standings.

On the latest episode of The Slam, in association with Callaway, Matt Chivers and Matt Coles talk about their week at Royal Liverpool, plus the shake-ups to both Ryder Cup sides as the event gets closer.

Harman could earn an automatic place, but what about the exploits of Justin Thomas? Is the American unpickable after another missed cut at The Open?

Sepp Straka staked another strong Ryder Cup claim with a tied runner-up finish in wet conditions, while it was another tournament that went begging for Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.

The team also talk about the week on Merseyside as a whole. Covering The Open is great fun, but what were the most memorable moments and what were the key takeaways from the course itself?

From the bunkers to the internal out-of-bounds and the 17th hole - we dive into a full review of the 151st Open!

From the Clubhouse: Talking Hoylake with Golf writer Sean Zak

It’s the kind of golfing odyssey of which most of us would dream. The best of UK golf and a ton of life experiences along the way.

Sean Zak, a well-known writer for golf.com in America, has been on that journey for the last month – traversing great courses and meeting those who love the game.

That expedition started, and is finishing, at Royal Liverpool and Sean kindly spared us some time to recount his adventures.

We’ll also get into some detail about the host course of this week’s Open, consider the American challenge for the Claret Jug, and preview Sean’s exciting upcoming book covering the three months he spent living in St Andrews last year.

It’s a different perspective on the golf we all take for granted in the UK, and you’re sure to enjoy the conversation.

The From the Clubhouse podcast is produced in association with TaylorMade Golf.

From the Clubhouse: Tom tried to qualify for Hoylake + Who we think is picking up the Claret Jug!

Tom Irwin is at Hoylake – although probably not in the capacity he would have wished. Our stout From the Clubhouse host did his best to qualify for this week’s Open, taking on Alwoodley in Regional Open Qualifying.

Steve Carroll was his caddie and the pair enjoyed an eventful round which they dissect from the confines of the Open Media Centre.

As you might have guessed, Tom didn’t qualify but the pair look at Hoylake, talk about the course and some of their favourite holes, and then each make their pick for the Champion Golfer of the Year.

It’s the week we’ve all been waiting for, so let Tom and Steve get you started in the right way!

From the Clubhouse: Take a deep dive with us into Hoylake and this year’s Open venue!

It’s the best week of the year! The 151st Open is just days away and Royal Liverpool promises to be a spectacular venue.

But what do you know about Hoylake, its history, and some of the intricacies of a course that will see a Champion Golfer of the Year crowned on Sunday evening?

The From the Clubhouse team are on site at the Wirral layout all week, and we'll be hoping to add a layer of veneer to this exceptional event.

First up is Hoylake lifetime member Sam Cooper, who knows every bump on the fairway and every borrow on the green. An associate at Clayton, De Vries, & Pont architects, Sam also undertook a daring mission during the Covid pandemic to play every links course in England, Scotland and Wales.

Sam has kindly given us his views on some of Hoylake’s best holes, which you can read on our website, but joins us on the podcast for a deep dive into this most special of golf courses….

From the Clubhouse is a National Club Golfer podcast in association with TaylorMade Golf