Ayrshire in a Storm: Taking on Turnberry, Dundonald & Western Gailes - Full Program Golf Podcast #28

welcome back episode 28 of the full program golf podcast with me Josh Connellan and as ever

we've got Stevie Mac in the studio. Today we are going to talk about our recent trip up to Scotland

in Asia. Yes you heard that right we were in Scotland in March as well as covering all of the

different golfing highlights across the various different tours. Let's get into it.

Stevie, how are you? I'm very well, mate. Do you know what? It's just so nice having you back to do

the intro because you just rip it first time every time and having done the last couple episodes

myself. I can't say I'm in that boat. I sit there looking at the camera. I reckon I'm a

seven-take man which is unacceptable really when you break it down but great to have you back.

It's great to be back and you know one of many useless skills that I happen to possess. Another

one being a bit of a geographical map, a bit of a compass can get around and yeah no lovely to

be back and a really exciting pod actually. I think we'll get well this we're going to get into it

but so much is happening in the world of golf so much has happened for us. Yeah it really has. I

think the breakdown pods are always the best when we're doing it quite close to the event itself.

It's all fresh in the mind and so I know we're going to get stuck into that but from a professional

golf standpoint I feel like since we last spoke we went from early season vibes to now being like wow

we're actually in the meeting potatoes of it. Masters round the corner, a couple of huge events in the

last couple of weeks. Yeah really excited to chop it up. Absolutely I couldn't agree more it's

and the weather's turning. We sat here in the UK and I played golf Saturday. It was the first time

I felt like we're nearly in summer vibes. Don't get me wrong and stretching a smidge but it was

the first sort of let's say outside and have a beer afterwards rather than nowhere absolutely going

inside. Maps have gone. No maps. The golf course is looking so much better than the bog and just like

the mud shack that I'm sure we've all been used to across many different courses over the last

few months. We just it's getting lighter. It's just around the corner. A couple of weeks of the

masters. Let's go. It isn't dude and you know what I made the big swap the other day. Talk about

maps coming in. Maps going out but the real big swap in my world has been I've gone to the

slightly thinner duvet on the bed and I'll be honest with you first night underneath it

two nights ago. I was a bit chilly. I was a couple of times thinking I've gone too early but

I think it's just about that optimistic mindset and just you know making that change even if it is

too early because you're looking around the corner you're looking at the weather forecast a week

yeah do you think in spring might a sprung? Absolutely and for me you know I've not actually jumped

in another bracket from the black shoes into the white shoes just yet but I think again that is

another tell tell sign off some of it. That's a that's a great one actually and I really like my

summer shoes now obviously they made an appearance down in South Africa but I they are a new set of

wheels for this season if you will and so I think I think they're going to be a later appearance from

me. I've got some old white ones that maybe will be a bit of an interim piece but yeah I want it to

be I want it to be dry by the time by the time the whites come out this year. Now a bit of an

eager to do for the for the football fans out there but if an interim manager hope he does a better

job than they're doing at Tottenham I just like to segue nice into football because I've got my

my Sheffield Wednesday mug on the pod for the first time coffee for the first time we often do

evening pods it's a bright and breezy morning pod this day yeah just straight on it yeah do you

know what I finally found myself looking at the championship table yesterday someone was asking

how it's just how we're getting on and obviously didn't know for the top of my head and yeah Sheffield

Sheffield Wednesday minus six points at the bottom there just give us a quick go mental health

update on that if you find so why was able to do before the season even started was just

compartmentalised the the pain and the torture that is the Sheffield Wednesday season that was

coming ahead and actually the mental health is actually rising is getting better because as we

see here towards the end of March I've only got another month and a half of pain and then the

season's over and then it's done and then we can just have pain with England at the World Cup

this summer which would be great and did I expect us to be slightly better yet did I still think

we'd finished last yes so like 24th 24th who really cares and I was worried that Sheffield

Knight would make mockery of us they didn't so that's okay I'm glad to see them completely

capitulating their season you know if we're going to have a bad one they need to have a bad one

I'm here for Max Carnage it's been a good championship I've not watched it as much as I would

have otherwise I've been more looking at the Premier League and and how that's been going but

interesting I don't like Arsenal so I'm sorry for the listeners who like Arsenal they're not my

team they're not my favourite team obviously my team's Wednesdays have to Wednesday but they're just

not my team that I particularly like I think they're going to get it done in the Premier League

so just an all-round bad season really for me but you know we move we move it's golf we're hit it's

golf it's my brother's an Arsenal fan I was speaking to him and I was just like I will laugh at you

if City do the trouble this year but it's like I see this is this is where I'm going that your

brother is an Arsenal fan born in Colchester from Colchester that is for me the stereotypical

Arsenal fan there's my problem with them yeah I'm going to dig out your brother no no no I mean

my dad's you know if I know which else if I'm with my brothers an Arsenal fan like we're not

we're not the family to look at trust me but then I'm not even sure you would sport Colchester

so I actually had a very good friend at work who was a Colchester the use Colchester United

fan Vince maybe he made it sound a little bit a little bit fun a little bit happening but it's

back in the day back in the day when they're at Lear Road it was you know four and a half

thousand standing stadium atmosphere was electric and knocking about top a league one got into

the championship for me that first championship season where I think we finished 12th World

shit loads of goals that was that Lear Road last season I think that was you know maybe I am just

a glory hunter through and through because I was I was going and I was banging the terraces back then

but yeah it's been a pretty sorry site since then anyway let's take way back into go where do you

want to start from the last couple of weeks with the professional goal that's been going on

I think we've got to start on what everyone would perceive as the main tour

I think there's been some really good weeks back to back and let's let's start the players let's

start at what really does signify this the start of the golfing calendar for me it always used to be

the WGC Del Wilk match play that's goal so for now I feel like the players maybe you could argue

all over Palmer a few weeks before but the players is the start of the premier premier premier events

and what what a good good event great event and I'll be honest don't I don't know why

this see this year more than ever I felt like I had a really good appreciation or more of an

appreciation for TPC sawgrass not one necessarily I've had right at the top of my to-do list but

just aesthetically beautiful golf course and it would just be a great pleasure to play 16, 17, 18

like it has to be said I mean what a unbelievable finishing stretch that is yeah couldn't agree more

and I think what's really great about watching that similar to the Masters is the familiarity we all

have with the holes because it stays in that same venue now I'm not a preacher for all the events

to do that I don't think that would work I don't think that would be correct on how many great

golf courses are around the world but part of the charm of the Masters part of the great

viewability that I would be going to use it of the players is as we're saying knowing every

whole you even down the fourth you know they missed the fair where you're all that's going to be

a tough shot over that water into that back left pin where are they going to leave it caused

havoc to Torbjörnsson it's just a great golf course but yeah that final stretch

you're part five part three part four just a triple header the triple crown if you will

bit of everything there's always drama and there was drama again that Cam Young T-shirt

of 18 water T-shirt yeah it was an interesting Sunday actually it was a lot more

entertaining I thought it was going to be Ludwig obviously looked like he was running away with

it for the best part of three days and then had what can only be described as a stinker

on the back nine um but yeah it was it was it was nip and tucking it was great to see Fitzpatrick

and young in the same group I thought going down the 18th um I think that definitely ramped up

the drama a little bit and water birdie by Cam Young on 17 I mean the stones to hit it there I

don't know if he pushed it slightly right target and then to hold what looks like an incredibly

slippery part beautiful beautiful strokey stuck on it there and then like you said you you

rarely talk about shots off the tee on par fours and fives like these big pivotal game changing

moments but what an absolute cannon down the 18th three hundred and seventy yards wasn't it

busy busy biggest of the day water obviously all down the left yeah I mean it was it was he

unbelievable shot and then hit a great second as well so it was he really you know he took that

tournament and even though I wanted Fitz to do it obviously being an Englishman I thought Cam Young

deserved it at the end of the day yeah I wanted Fitz to do it as well um Cam Young steps on that

tee first and hit that tee shot and you know the the the pressure that must have ramped onto this

Patrick as well there is is wild and obviously just pushed it a little bit hit the safe shot that

just probably with a bit more juice a bit right into that into that into the trouble there um it was

a great tournament and you mentioned Oberg he's had a pretty poor season by his standards I'd say

and I thought what a way to just sort of blow off the cobwebs get your season started by just

cruising to the players uh wasn't he what's been interesting though is the three weeks are the

players and then the two weeks prior there's been big leads completely decimated at some point

over the sunday you think couple of weeks earlier Shane Lowry held a three shot lead going into the

bear trap three holes to play and completely cacked himself and I've said this before and I will

say it again he is far too good for the amount of time he wins he just does not win enough he's

won the open of course he has well done that was 2019 you've got to do something that was

that was an all-time catch job I mean I actually turned it on as he hit that T shots um into the water

right which would have beat 16 and I was like because I literally turned it on the leaderboard

arm I was going to turn it off and then worked out what was happening and I was like whoa and then

that swing he put on the next oh my good lord terrifying that that's the swing of a guy who can't win

sorry to say it I hope he wins I like Shane he's clearly good crack he's clearly good character

but that was a swing that even is like a good amateur player you'd be pretty disgusted with

don't be wrong it's under the pressure of course it is and probably just seeing the golf ball

is very difficult but but for that level it was a really particularly poor like squiffy short

right uh horror piece so you had him cack it then you had Daniel Berger who's had a really bad

couple of years since he got injured since he basically won like back to back weeks in Covid

he's done nothing and so he had a five shot lead with nine to play couldn't get that one over

the line and then you get to Ludwig when you think in maybe a man of different class and I know

that might be a harsh thing to say with Shane Loury in the picture but in my books Ludwig's a

different class to Shane Loury I could be wrong he's one less but I don't think that will be the

case when he gets to Loury's age three shot lead with nine holes to play and again just bombs that one

out so really interesting to see that that didn't happen four weeks in a row at the Valsport but

we'll move on to that shortly to get back to the players great torment greater then quick nod to

Scotty not really a nod more of just uh what's happening he's gone yeah not good I mean yeah

look he's still performing at a very good level but just obviously not the level that we've become

accustomed to I've actually quite enjoyed the drama of like him trying to make the car and then

is he got to finish in the top ten and then he's obviously slipped back a little bit since then but

yeah gone off the boil uh someone you just thought would be an incredibly short odds for the

masters have been interesting to see how those odds are sneaking back now um but yeah not quite

been the same and I'm just before I throw it back to you on Scotty Ludwig's actually creating a

bit of a reputation for not getting it done um and I think when he hit the scene and obviously played

on our first rider car having never played a major I think we were expecting him to be top three

in the world consistently for the next decade kind of vibe and it looks like he's just fully

short that mark at the moment another thing I just came for your opinion on is um a very very

America versus crowd in that final group young versus Fitzpatrick um which

yeah just just came for your thoughts on that as well I don't love it and I think anyone that likes

golf shouldn't love it I think it's pathetic I think you don't get that at the open you have

crowds who actually understand etiquette understand golf understand the world but unfortunately

it's the age old typical American view and I'm not saying that's across the board

unfortunately there is a group that ruined it and that is the same in any country but unfortunately

they have more access to golf events in in in America and just by the way that the PGA tour is

and I felt like I got carried away I feel as though they forgot that this isn't the rider cup

and yet absolutely cheer on who your favorite player is if that's Cam Young fantastic

if that's fixed then then great as well if that's someone else then cool

but actively like heckling and just getting a little bit over the top for me is just not what

the gamer golf's about and has no no place in golf and I hope that it gets stamped out sooner

rather than later albeit I don't think it will whenever the head of the PGA of America is who he

was the same bloke who was just a complete hit at the rider cup so it's just a shame yeah just

a shame that we have to sit here and talk about it it feels like rider cup hangover for sure

and it feels like American fans just grabbing at any opportunity they can to try and almost get one

back if that makes sense so 100% and you know what turn up when it matters turn up when it matters

because if you can't you don't get a lot of chance for four years and then you get beat two years

and then you get beat again so just enjoy it but I think with that all with everything that happened

there was absolutely delighted to see Fitz take down the valve spa this week I think that was

yeah good on him basically and he's obviously playing well and to come back after

what would have been quite emotionally heavy out of thought of the players and get the job done

he's looking good at the moment really good and yeah get onto a start I saw him get onto the

masters but fix he falls into the bracket and I will talk about it shortly but I really liked his

interview after he won and essentially just said you know I wasn't just going to put my feet up

having finished second at the players I wanted to kick on and do more he even said he felt like he

played worse back nine at inistbrook then he did back nine at the players which is an interesting

take and interest is his puttles cold wasn't it and I thought it was a really good event again

for the second year running I thought last year when hoveland out of nowhere having had an awful

start to the season was able to just pick up the the valve spa and take the win which is always

great again comes back to the support for who you want to win like cheer on who you want to win

of course that is what the game is about of course that's what brings viewership if someone you

like is at the top you're going to watch you don't need to then do the other stuff we can move on

from that but I'd loved watching hoveland last year when out of nowhere and what a great European

British really leaderboard right down to the back nine on on Sunday at the valve spa with Fixie

obviously going on and winning it you got Jordan Smith and a friend a good friend of the pod

Luke Gaulmans and grown up with him I had a lot of golf at Bowwood over in sort of pathway I mean

thrown it in that sort of area swindon bath that sort of area meant to be very good golf course

so really pleased to see him get it done only heard really good things about him a crazy good

ball striker as well Jordan Smith and then another guy who's had a pretty slow start to hit

PJ talker in Marco Pennch had decent run at Riviera but didn't quite bring the weekend vibe

with him a good T4 as well for him so really nice to see quite a few of the sort of up and coming

European British golfers making it work on the PJ tour absolutely and obviously the

slightest disappointment from the valve spa is our our man DB damn brown missed the car

we spoke about it at the beginning of the season like who's going to do better at him and pench

penjobs comes in probably with a bit more pedigree but you got to say now the T400 is about

pench probably in the lead out of those two yeah I had a little look at the

and FedEx Cobb early season isn't it of course you know you look at Jordan Smith is he's up

until like 40 something I think Pennch is about 80 something and currently our boy DB is

he's between a hundred and one twenty so yeah currently he's sitting third in the three hot

three horse race and hopefully all three can keep the card I I feel they will I think they will

I think they're all top top talents great golfers great guys from from what we see will of DB will

of the boy and just needs a good finish but what we find from what I see from damn brown is he's

a killer so when he's in contention I don't seem going backwards and that is how he's going to

get the points because when you're in can say you have two good weeks and your card is set done done

nice um live golf live golf I've also whilst we were talking about that when we get onto the

master section talking about the odds we've got spots here as well we have a little look at that

um live golf stay and sit it thought we know we love South Africa but King's throat to you to

start with yeah um great tournament I think it was it was hyped up and they were certainly hoping

for the crowds to turn up and there to be incredibly good attendance and the vibes to be high

and the country in South Africa to really commit to it I think all of those things happen so I

I believe that live can now stick a second feather in their cap I think they've got Adelaide

which is obviously a roaring success and I now think staying city will be there one A to to the one

whichever way around you want to put it what I did think was interesting is so many players were

coming out and even the CEO um Scott O'Neal came out at the end and was just like I think this is

the best event we've had blah blah blah this is better than Adelaide if I was Adelaide and the Aussie

crowd I'd be a bit like but hurt by that because Adelaide became the main event it was the first one

it showed the way it showed what was possible as far as I'm concerned and they've done that multiple

years now for it just to go to South Africa and the events have essentially the similar kind of

feel and then everyone just anointing the new with the crown I was a bit like I'm not sure how

that sat with me but no great event I thought an amazing finish I thought Bryson's second shot

into the the playoff hole was one of the better goal shots that we've seen under the gun

he obviously did get to place the ball in the rough which I thought gave him a massive advantage

there but still he was 300 yards out also enjoyed seeing it altitude I think it's quite amusing one

a couple of weeks of the year seeing these guys hit it at a further 10% I mean you just couldn't

in believe what clubs they had in their hands going at some of these judges but overall yeah

roaring success I thought a good finish shame that the southern guard didn't get it done still not

completely bought into that name but yeah for them to get picked by the crushes another name

that I'm not bought into by one was a bit of a shame but yeah all around big success

South Africa showed up and yeah looking forward to to that going back next year

and it's two two blogs who you expect to be part of the master's shakeup that got

wearing that playoff you know in in Dechambo and and Ram and the cream is rising again on the

live tour you know you look at the the overall standings for the season it was Ram Dechambo

and I think he's actually Dietri as well who's actually had a phenomenal start to his

live golf career but they're two protagonists that we expect to be talking about over the next few

weeks be very either way even like even if they don't compete that in itself will be a talking

point because of just how good they've got unfortunately obviously Ram's had a couple more

and runnings with the media in terms of rescinding his appeal for his

fines on the European tour DP will tall sorry is what we're calling it now at which might

suggest he's not going to play the ride cup which would be I think would be a real a real hammer

below to to the European team just from a not not just as a golfer but also as what I would

imagine is a pretty big personality in the team room um but yet really good and good to watch

the playoff hole be played better than the week before in Singapore did you catch any of that

playoff because that was who would kind of lose it that was quite a funny uh when when the short

part obviously missed Bryson's reaction I thought was quite interesting and he literally was like oh

no yeah it wasn't it wasn't it went out with a bit of a whimper Singapore didn't that um

not great crowds there have to say yes you there must be had to find more South Africa's in

Australia's if you're if surely if you're sitting back in your live you're like where can we go

here like could Canada carry one like they don't get a huge amount of PJ tour action or do you

think they're just too close to the main tour being across the border like they just must be

somewhere else to get a really big vibe tournament going for them I think for sure there'll be

someone else somewhere else that they could get a big vibe event but what I like that liver doing

is it's a world tour and it actually is being a world tour whereas the PJ tour is a US tour

deep people tour European you know and maybe he's trying to come a bit more world but I think that

yes whilst the crowds weren't great in Singapore Santosa very like over the bridge like remote

part Singapore beautiful part Singapore have to say and yeah the crowds weren't fantastic but

it's it's about bringing golf to the the various different parts of the world and I think that

that's something that the PJ tour needs to be better at so I'm actually here to assume

going wrong it's hard for us to watch rather rather more more events in England you bring

bring them all to England like phenomenal but I don't think that's what live this trying to do

albeit I think they've lost their way a little bit with the 72 holes we've talked about all this so

we'll get a little bit to get started don't you think it's a little bit surprising that the tournaments

are going to China and Singapore and wherever else aren't better supported because you'd think

they're quite fanatical over in that part of the world like you think career is such a

obsess of the game of golf and I don't know that live don't have a career event Korean event

do they yeah but then they have to have the team so maybe that's not I don't know but like yeah I

always always slightly shocked by the fact that they just don't don't turn up for the events but

I think that's lives basically only chance is to just try and find a almost like a signature event

stretch where they have eight events and they just know each one of the eight is just going to be

an absolute banger I think at the moment they're obviously very confident with Adelaide stay in

cities obviously being great I think the JCB stuff is always okay so they're kind of three yeah three

they're getting there they're about halfway aren't they yes yeah um they are and I think the other

thing they're going to just have to be careful of is whilst whilst everything having more players

that are going to get well right from points and are then therefore probably going to qualify for

the masters more and then you know they obviously want to attract the best players so they will be in

the masters I do think they're going to have to be a bit more careful of where do we play them

around the masters week you know you've got the PJ tour currently in Florida they're just a

stones throw from Georgia similar-ish grass certainly similar conditions in terms of altitude

and that sort of thing whereas these guys who have just played at Stain City are going to be

playing a completely different set of grass a completely different climate a completely

different time zone yet completely different time zone complete different altitude it's it's

going to be tough to then therefore a climatite they're all really engulfers but that extra one

percent can be the difference at that level yeah that's a good point and I think that's a nice

segue let's let's get a bit of master's chat going on loud lives obviously got their big dogs

playing well and obviously their tour is a need moment at the moment and so a Ramo de Shamba

win at Augusta would be huge and they're coming into it with form which is great to see

who your other runners and riders like what's your feeling now a couple of weeks out

so I took a screenshot of a and and this is why I'm looking down I'm just going to get it up

because I'm not able to pull it up from my head so 11 of the last 13 masters winners

were at plus 1.7 strokes gained off the tee to green in the three months leading into the masters

and currently that sits at 11 players that are in that bracket now I'm just going to reel them off

and maybe give me a yes no if you think that they're going to compete because I think there's

still a couple that I go Mara Cowat yes see who Kim no John wrong yes fit see yes

Rory yes sheffler can I say I actually don't think Rory will because I think he's going to be all

like just wanting to enjoy the week etc uh sheffler I mean yeah but I'm nowhere near as

competent as I was uh Cam Young yes Ludwig no not ready big bad Brooks is he not 11 yeah

cool I'll be coming out party back on the PJ so yeah I think he's got it if he was in

convention Chris got her up yes and the last man seppestracker I'm going to say yes just because I want

it well uh how many times is that it's a it's a it's a good list and it's a it's an undeniable stat

that is for sure how many times has got her up played the masters that would be my big question

because I do like got her up I think he's a really good player and he's going to win something big

my my guess is that this is his debut I mean when he won the Scottish Open what when's that

sort of July time he was he was a nobody like he he'd not done anything I think he'd won

little beach or whatever it was like he'd done nothing so my guess would be that he would be a

rookie albeit yeah he I mean it's the ball the wrong way perceivably when everyone talks about

Augusta you have to do it right to left apparently albeit I can only think of

but well not only the 10th but like the 11th is just as much you need a left to write as the 10th

is you need a right you know I think I think I think I've got it caught up in now and I think

I'm actually marty kiam is the one who springs to mind when he can change his swing

he's trying to kill it well too um yeah so yeah be interesting that number of appearances for some

of the the smaller names on that list yeah Scotty's form doesn't feel like but you just never

know Ludwig has played incredibly well at the masters and I suppose maybe you could look and be

like he's juved because he's been playing well and he's just been jostling for for getting it

right on that last on that last back nine I can't wait that's what I'm just going to leave you with

like I don't not not a huge amount of insight coming out of me at the moment but like I am really

really excited to get to Augusta and then just see how it plays out as ever absolutely and

obviously hope hope boy J.R. just rose and turn that game this year okay okay there's there's a

question this sort of so we've had the list that's where your smart money would be just give me like

top three if you can have it your way um not top three and finish bars in like your three favorite

people to win I'm going to go for just and rose 100% Mike like that is won't yeah yeah yeah yeah

I don't need distant first distant first I'd probably then love like a Tyrell Hattern I just

think it'd be phenomenal to just watch just Tyrell just sort of like Cobb and Potter around

Augusta and then just taking the jacket like it just be great um you know him and you know him and will

it would sit next to each other and just fucking two bricks about whatever at the dinner every Tuesday

for like 30 years that would be brilliant and then I'm looking at the names and I've just seen

Anthony Kim on the list now that really shocks me if he's playing that Anthony Kim but they can't

be a world where he's playing so I'm going to go I'm going to go Tommy Fleetwood I love Fleetwood

um albeit we've said it before give me a rose masters and a Fleetwood open and I'm a happy man

the other guy I do think will do well that he's not in my top three if I want to win albeit he's

doing a bit of a good win price on me starting to rise with how much I like it is Paddy Reed

I'm actually really big last winner I'd really enjoy that and we've spoken about why previously just

like he's just no one seems to like him and if he just rocks off and just clips another green jacket

like it is undeniable isn't it undeniable I'd like uh from the names you not mentioned I'd

love Hovelin to win I just think Hovelin is hilarious and um I think it'd be a real shame for him

to progress much further through his career without a major win and I think uh him and the green

and that little smile would uh would bring me joy but I'm with you definitely a rose masters win

is it's tough to like listen sensational all right should we talk about our trip to Scotland

we probably should yeah we've then we've really delved into the uh the golfing landscape

and talking of golfing landscape some great vistas in Scotland how's that for a segue how's

I love it like a professional at work now march in Scotland we knew what we were doing you

knew we knew what we were taking on we knew the risk that it was and I think the starting point is

is uh we ran the gauntlet and we got struck several times by hailstones in the face didn't we but

still had a great time we had a great time and um even before we got to the Scotland trip

it was already looking unlikely for me I was um stuck out in Dubai um when shrunk decided to uh

stop raining missiles down on on the Iranians and uh yeah so I was sitting around

missiles going over my head and then I was sitting to buy listening to um what kind of

described as air raid sirens coming out your phone every so often saying there's a missile

incoming so that was nice and fun um planes then getting delayed as we've all seen we won't

go into all of the news we've all heard that but I think sat there in the hotel you know

normally really happy that your holiday is going to be extended all I'm thinking is no I'm

going to miss I'm going to miss ternbury I'm going to miss this trip and I was gutted so I went

as far as to um get on instagram and um I'm not really a prevalent instagrammer but what I did do

as I scroll through my list of DMs is I DMed real Donald Trump president Donald J Trump

with a little message 6th March 738 hello obviously I had to try and bust through him up a little

bit so I was like yep really enjoying everything you're doing that's not sure if I use that

haha keep up the great work I don't expect this to help at all but currently stuck in the UAE

I meant to be playing your fabulous ternbury courses on Wednesday and Thursday worried I'm going

to miss them thought I'd be cheeky and ask if you could help at all give it to your courses I'm

going to what a story it would be if you helped me get there anyway thanks again

the absolute audacity of it I you just and I think it's great crime you didn't get a reply to that

that is unbelievable can you imagine the good press he'd have got if he'd have got me

oh I should actually I can't believe you don't tell me it's that I can't believe that's the first

time I've heard that that is absolute seeds oh what an opportunity miss by the Donald I couldn't

believe it I thought I'd get something back no I didn't I didn't really but you know

thought it was worth a try yeah definitely worth a try and you know what God loves a try and I have

to say from from my point of view didn't expect to be sending a text to my to my best mate to my

business partner saying hey mate hope you're okay you've got been hit by any missiles yeah the first

one from me as well um what a weird whole thing like so the UAE government for those that don't

know we're basically paying for people's hotels if the trip got extended and so I suppose if you

had quite a hard exterior shell and weren't so bothered about missiles flying over your head

there could be a bit of a silver lining to uh to the action that was going on but um for yeah for

young Josh he was he was just worried about that tea time it done Donald on the Tuesday needed it

craved it I mean I I don't think I've ever been happier to put on a beanie put on a snooge get

into my cold weather gear and start marching out to Donald on that Tuesday I was such a happy boy

being there so in the moment so what was so um so don donalds our first round of Tuesday we then

got into two rounds at turnbree we then played western gales the other boys played press switch

will touch on and then I played hillside my way back down so don donalds our first round on the

Tuesday just to conclude your your little saga in the middle east when did you finally get out when

did you land what time did you arrive up in Scotland yet so landed to go delayed by like 24 36 hours

not not the end of the world in the end because we were already like we don't need just really arrived

when the the whole drama happened and landed at gapwick about call it half nine on the monday night

and I was back at gapwick at seven thirty a.m. on the Tuesday morning so same terminal just basically

said hello to all the staff just finishing their shift you're all right welcome back nice to see you

again um flew straight up to Glasgow hot in the world's most expensive taxi and up to donald for

the afternoon tea time so plenty of traveling but just relieved to be there clubs arrived and

good job wasn't training up because the vape shop next to Glasgow central train station also

decided to blow up so everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong but you may get that

well with that drama in the rearview mirror let me tell you we met and just just settled straight

into a little egg and sausage back in the brand new donalds clubhouse and um and we were excited

we're excited for the opening gambit so donald used to be owned by the same company that owned

lock loman we were very lucky to have a friend with us who is a lock loman member and so managed to

nip us on there at a guest rate which is always a treat first time up there for me um slightly

new a golf course so 20 years old uh so kind of set amongst obviously some very historic tracks

and it's definitely the new kit on the block what we thought some feelings i really liked it i've

really really liked it i have to say i i can see why it's hosted the latest Scottish Open last year

and i can see why it's final open qualifying just by the sheer size of the property you know

wherever we were playing from there were multiple tee boxes that stretched right back into the

the few pine the few trees that were mixed amongst the dunes i think we were obviously playing it

in march early march early mid march you'd say the greens were slower as you'd expect but wow

the complexes of those surface surfaces terrifying like absolutely terrifying they've got some

real clear pin positions that they can mix and match and and actually change the holes with that

and then the final note i've got to say is the course conditioning at that time of year was

sensational like really really sensational yeah i like how that now

just getting a super firm turf underfoot again was a great pleasure and a joy

there's no other way to put that these courses there was one slightly squirrely one which we'll

get onto but done donald was immaculate for march is is is the best word for it now i can only

imagine in the height of summer what it gets gets to what it gets like but greens were running

true fairways were like carpets and i i think the setup of it all has been done really well you

never quite know of these new courses like i think a lot of the time they get it wrong for various

reasons but once the clubhouse was modern i thought it was kind of tastefully designed from the outside

good facility inside we didn't we didn't warm up anything but i i would imagine a very solid

driving range if it's hosted the major tournaments i i thought the cabins look quite smart i'm always

always a fan of staying on site i think that'd be a good experience i'm staying in the cabins there

and it's just great land and when you've got great land it's hard to really mess it up and so

i i thought by and large a really solid golf course that could be tricked up and i thought in the

summer would be would be really quite excellent and then a couple of really strong holes i'm thinking

particular the stretch that i'm sure you're going to be able to tell with the number it's kind of

par four out towards the seed and you're down the train track and then there's a par three back

kind of towards the sea again i thought that section in particular was was really strong yes you've

got the twelve the par four out thirteen down right down the train track on your left you think

about the fourteen par five and then the fifteen par and even sixteen with the trees on the right

and you see the western gales clubhouse you know and it's worth noting that there's just a train

track between done Donald western gales and then western gales obviously nearer the coast i

grew to you i think that's the the premier stretch on that on that golf course for sure actually

about eighteen to good hole as well good good and good slot in there just just enjoyed it

just very good and so eighteen finished with the par five right in front of the clubhouse

slight wars hazard round the green so we did we did get there in two but at least made you think

a little bit you can't just run it up there finished off great round get in there and then

something that i haven't seen as of yet i do believe it does exist in other clubhouses and you'll

be able to tell me tell me where i'm sure but go into the changing room sauna steam room the

worked really nice touch i thought huge yeah and you can see that the facilities are

are up there with a lot of them you know you know as in you can see that that was part of that

group that doesn't shock you they had a gym in there and it was just a very very nice clubhouse

i thought that they got the all of the sort of changing rooms and those facilities sort of

on the ground floor and then the upstairs bar with the nice for rander if you get a nice day you

can sit out on the patio and really get a full view all the way around the clubhouse

of all the different holes that you're looking at i thought it was a really well designed clubhouse

as well yeah a great all right let's let's dive straight into some some course rankings and some

three piece of done Donald opening gambit where have you got it i've got it four and a half

i really enjoyed done Donald i thought it was very good i think it was in the UK top 100

and it's now out of it i don't know why the ninth in Scotland i think that's criminally underrated

actually i like that style of golf course i like a big golf course i like that it feels a little bit

wider and bigger you've got to hit dry well yeah off the teaser we played off in the winter we

didn't have to hit driver but i would imagine as a golf course you've got to hit driver suits my

sort of eye what i like to see i've those are really good golf course i think i think is a 4.25

but i'm going to sort it into the 4.5 category because i liked it i had a nice day and that's

where i'm going to go with the the golf course and then with the three piece really big range just

next to the cabins and sauna steam room as we said problem with the logo don't love the logo

just done Donald links so i'll probably give it a three and a half just because i've got a little

bit heavy on the on the course so i think it's an i think it's an eight i think it's a good eight

whichever way you chop it yeah i think i think that that's a good point that you make at the end

there so i had it i had a four i can see why you like it i think it's definitely a you kind of course

to me i'm thinking about now on i'm not the rainman i i can remember that stretch of holes that we

spoke about but i'd i'd be hard pressed to kind of talk you through the the golf course which i

think for me just doesn't end land in the super memorable box and so i've got it as a four

but good setup great conditioning for when we played it and then i've got a four on the three

piece i think obviously range hosted major tournaments so that's going to be really good

patio is kind of clubhouse in in in march golf terms and so obviously the clubhouse facility

is fantastic pro shop lets it down like i just i just when you spend so much money so much money

on a facility who is making these decisions like it really pains me it's such an easy way to make

money at a golf course it's just have a good logo and how do they sign off on just being like

lads let's just go open sands font and just write the name out what are we talking about

so that's basically where the point is lost on three piece so yeah eight over all and i think

that's right whichever way you want to chop it up yeah i think i think that's a fair i think

there's a fair reflection of where it is i do i know we're not gonna you know i know we didn't

see the best of western gale but when i think western gales is like 15th or something like that

we'll get on to that in scottlin and this is 39th i think they sit in the same bucket but we'll

move on to that as and when we're good and ready to absolutely and so where i just wanted to touch

on we we stayed we split our stays up a little bit so night off done Donald and then the night

before western gales we stayed at the marine tree now not a huge amount of accommodation options

up in the airshire area and so obviously the cabins that done on links we've mentioned there are

some slightly more mid price options but your premium option if you're not staying at

turnberry is probably the marine trees it's right on the fairway of royal trun which i've not played

and it was quite tough being on that fairway i must say but um yeah marine trees the real five star

up there and it's part of the marine lawn collection so if you don't know that they i've really

steered into gold they've got one in airshire they've got one on the north beric they've got one

up in roderna got next roderna because they've got port rush they've got one down with county down

i think they might be one more but i can't remember it but these are old school rustic hotels real

kind of golfy feel um in some kind of golf hot spots and so it's our first time there and i

think it was a nice day it was great stay yeah they've got a very nice restaurant if you want to

go for sort of like the white tablecloth service type vibe and they've got a really good bar

you know the pool table in there good bar food good vibe

not yeah just a really nice solid hotel as you say great location 10 minutes away from

um done all the western gale slightly further away from turnbrew but of course that was why we

broke the stay up because we were staying there and we get on to that eventually but yeah

looking at the 18th coming out the the main reception area looking at the 18th scene that

iconic trun clubhouse looking left you see the 17th that claimed Thomas Bjorn's golfing career

um yeah just very interesting uh great spot would would go again would recommend it

massively and was really happy to be going back there actually yeah so you know i think i

i spoke i went on someone else podcast and kind of spoke about the fact that i think it fits the

area if it's the style of the trip you're playing these historic loose golf courses and it feels

like quite historic hotel if you dropped it in Dubai i'm not sure you'd be that happy staying

and yeah it just it's about it's about matching the vibe and i think it does that does that

exactly so yeah enjoy the stay and enjoy the two nights and we did over the week there but then

after our stay there we did head across the turnbrew where we had two rounds and one night stayed

there and so first round we kicked off with the with the terbrew warm up i suppose which is king

Robert the Bruce so initial thoughts coming into the terbrew estate and then your thoughts on the

course so and it took a moment there because i didn't know where i was going to start

i can't recall a time when i've been as excited to get on a property for a very long time actually

probably since going to banning jumes i was in the car my dad which was again lovely i was

loving to play with my dad he was in our four balls and of course and then you and and steve

and i remember you know we're driving sort of from from the marine hotel and the first

site of the lighthouse almost like a kid i was at the lighthouse the lighthouse because it's just

such an iconic golfing building so i was crazy excited to get on to turnbrew we'd had good weather

done donald it's fair to say we'd had it was marched it's a little bit cold that we had no rain

we didn't have that much wind either you know probably a club club and a half and maybe two here and

there but we're talking like really quite the nine for that time of year for you to take in it

we get to obviously turnbrew that morning and some of the other boys have landed and arrived and they've

driven through a rain storm as they've come from Glasgow airport and so all the forecasts are suggesting

raining the morning nicer in the afternoon so you think you're okay you know just give us a

little bit of something we get on the golf course and to be fair i think for the majority of the day

the weather was really good now you'll notice that i'm talking about the weather because we do need

to reflect on the weather at someone but it thankfully wasn't that big a factor on the king

robber the Bruce course apart from the eleventh part five which we will get to um i thought as a

second golf course and a clear second you know in terms of it's not a venue that has like a red

at blue or an olden it like it's it's a clear you come to play the ailsa and this by the way is

our other course sort of vibe ranking i think you're going to be really hard pressed to find a

better second golf course you know i'm not talking about the parchment as i say which are two

good golf courses are on right walton heath two good golf courses and so on and so forth but

as a second golf course i thought it was brilliant i think it's they've done a really good job

on the work that they're doing they're opening another 12 hole golf course as well i believe it is

next to it and you can see that sort of meandering around i think way tighter than the ailsa i think

we we got caught out a couple of times with the crosswinds that we had but when you think about

that stretch sort of from sevens a good hole but kind of a little bit different up through the trees

and then you get on the top the eighth the part five right at the lighthouse the ninth the dog

leg left over over the sea and then a good part three ten genuinely if you put certainly the eighth

in the ninth on the ailsa course you'd be going these brilliant these are fantastic i can see why

they're on this top top golf course it was it was spectacular i loved it i can wax the record

yeah i i think a hundred percent king rope the Bruce over delivered on expectation um i didn't

really know what to expect like you said you just know the ailsa is just held in it's just a

different stratosphere in in terms of ranking and prestige etc etc but as you said that that

particular stretch was was magical i mean that ninth hole is one of the best on the 36 hole property

that would easily go into the eighteen of of ailsa you could argue it being the top top nine of ailsa

really really good golf hole and then i think just generally i mean you come in the

it's it's hard to not be amazed by turnberry like you come in and you just have this

whacking great white shimmering building on the top of the hill i mean it is a seriously

seriously impressive looking hotel like it is yeah it's it's it's amazing it's amazing this i don't

know what how i was to put it and when you're there you just can't believe the size of it

and so i played locker in in northern i last year and i came away from it and i was really

disappointed by the second course and i even wrote them a letter and i was just like you can't

have somewhere this far in the middle of nowhere and turnberry is quite a long way away like it's

it's half an hour south of trun and trun is relatively isolated it's it's a decent drive out from

Glasgow and so whilst the ailsa is amazing and i'm sure it would still bring people in obviously

it is nice to have a second course that you can go and play and you come off it and you feel like

that was worth doing and a really fun opening gambit weather was decent for us like you said

was tight like surprisingly tight lots of gorse lined par fours in away from the coast and then a

really magical stretch around around the turn so yeah really enjoyed it nice nice finishing hole as

well a good start and then yeah we settled into a bit of food bit of dinner then at turnberry for

our night over before obviously the main event but before we get to that let's just clip some

numbers for picking up a bit so for me over delivered course probably three seven five i'm going to

round up to a four because i got surprised and i like that and i'm actually going to leave the

three p's because three p's are a basically the same obviously across both and so i want to do that

with the ailsa because i think that just will sum that up nicely yeah loved that i was actually

an exactly the same candle i think it's might mean three eight either way it's it's what it's

into the fours but it's a lower four but again because of exactly as you say the

welcome unexpected quality of it you just look at it with good eyes we got good weather as a

say apart from the other eleven which was the the world's longest par five into the wind into the

driving rain so here we you get off so as we mentioned eight and nine beautiful down by the

right by the coat and and we got the sun shining on us in the on the holes you'd want it to

we turn away and we play the par three tenths we played really nicely

the stevey lowery nearly makes nearly nearly makes two hits it very tight

feel like i was going to make my two missed that one as well and we just we just play that whole

nice and quickly so again we've not like messed around shortage par three we've just cracked on

we turn around the corner with the gulls bush thanks for helping us on the ride

and just the maelstrom just starts and the winds comes up and the rain begins

and yeah it's really good driver really gritty shaft there with driver and I must have had like

four hundred yards in still like it was it it was crazy long absolutely crazy long you've got

water up the left like a little creek type thing up the left gulls bush up the right so you can't

even just bail out and still try and lay it back and go for it then i'm thinking right okay i don't

want to turn anything over the wind is humming in gone okay we'll hit four iron try and keep it in play

hit it great again you know you're watching the ball and you're expecting it to land in a certain

spot and it lands a hundred and fifty yards behind where you're expecting it to be and you've

hit it fine you're like oh dear then the two iron comes out and it's we're still short again

hit that fine and we're still short we've got like a little fifty yard pitch it it's one of the

great sixes and we halved in six me and you and it was one of the great sixes it was i don't know

it as far as you but you say you've gone driver four two flick i've gone driver two four nine it was

only 70 yards but like i'm just trying to drive a nine through it and yeah we both we're both

on the green for for four and two put it and we're like that's that's a that's a net birdie right

there that was it was driving rain and wind it was like when as we were waiting to our shots we were

facing away from the green just like shoulders up huddled like this and just like look here i was

like have you played and then just like turning around and getting on it it was it was probably the

hardest goal pole i played in recent memory and it wasn't necessarily because of the hole itself it

was just yeah 15 minutes of pain yeah but it was only 15 for the whole day i think that's what we

like that's why as a day we got good weather because it wasn't the 15 minutes of pain as we moved

forward and just just to conclude with that what was so funny is we were playing in front of the

other boys behind and there were just like certain points where they really quickly would catch

us up and you just know it's because they've just all picked up because they've just

shit the bed in the weather and so i think that was one of them they appeared on this on the

tee box behind us like way quicker than expected but yeah so nice so yeah we both land on a four

third king rock the bruise we then we were actually down in the lodges which sat down on the bottom

the hill which i thought were perfectly nice and lovely i think there's a slightly cheaper option

there at turnbree but yeah not not so turning nose up at and then we had a lovely dinner a white

tablecloth sort of situation i think it's called 19 1906 was it the Russian 1906 i believe it is yeah

we kept flip flopping between the 06 and the 07 we didn't know we'd want to do it but i think it's

06 i will say i i think this is just an interesting point for the listeners um with a remote

resort like that there is nowhere else to go really and we did actually have some other friends

there that headed out on a taxi for dinner but the pricing is is is is pretty strong uh at turnbree

like you get off the course and you're in the jewel and the sun which is the clubhouse essentially

and like a brewery in bacon toasty essentially was like 18 pounds and then in the 1906 i had an

eight ounce philix steak which now i'm i'm i'm coming from South Africa so like it's all a bit cheaper

and and the steaks are good etc but eight ounces is not a massive philix steak and i thought it was

okay like it wasn't a sensational bit of meat now sixty pounds no sides which i did think was

a little bit on the steep side so they do see you coming and that's just one thing to know and

yeah you're gonna you're gonna splash a bit of cash off course as well if you want to be fed with

some decent nutrition yeah i'd agree i'd agree it's it's very nice um they know they've got you

there for sure and they they've got you in a vice uh i would say what's in the vice but they've

got you in the vice um but as part but i would recommend it i would say staying in the hotel

whether that's the lodge or the hotel itself adds to the experience of that trip i think it

it it was great i'm gonna be wrong we welcome we'll get onto the weather in a minute but waking up

essentially on property rather than having to do that 30 40 minute drive from from the marine

just not a long drive at all just just adds to that vibe adds to the and relaxing start to the day

you can have breakfast you can go to the the spa facility just adds to that trip and adds to the

what is an expensive trip don't get me wrong that's why i would plan it in March we get a really

good deal with the golf pairs there but i would say it's well worth staying there when you're up there

yeah and you you do get quite preferred rates if you're a host if you're a hotel resident uh versus

a non hotel guest as well so to be honest it probably all shakes out and it's definitely worth

100% all right let's get onto the main event the reason really we came the ailser one of the best

golf course in the world host of numerous open championships um taking away for us

yeah i mentioned it early on the part i've not been as excited to play golf course

for a very very very long time um it was one of one of the great opens watched growing up with

tom Watson unfortunately not quite getting it done but it's always been somewhere that's been

like so high on my bucket list who knows why i just it just sings to me and so i was crazy

excited before we got there now the weather forecast did everything it could to dampen anybody's

spirits um we i was i was working up multiple times during the night or the early hours of the

morning because the lodge that i was in was on the corner to just the driving rain onto the side of

the glass now obviously i was telling myself brilliant get out the air because of course it doesn't

just sit there get out the air brilliant that's great you can't just blow in more clouds um my brother

and his group they went out about half nine we had about a half eleven tea time didn't we

they walked in after nine it was that bad now i'm gonna call it out you don't walk in off the ailser

it's too good a golf course that's pathetic but we're talking that's how bad the weather was it was

driving wind and like buckets of water of rain just being cold at you constantly it to be clear

it was an absolute no go under any circumstance other than the fact it was a top 100 in the world

golf course anything else anything else i would suggest even if it was a 50 to 100 golf course you

probably been off it correct yeah i think the words that came out my mouth of sat-round breakfast were

today's just a mentality day today's just a mentality today you enjoy it if you have a good if

you're in a good headspace you're gonna hate it if you know and you know what for the for the

first nine definitely i'm trying to think what the back now is like you brought you you came with

the mentality you you were determined determined to enjoy yourself on that golf course

and it rubbed off a little bit i have to say because it i love golf as much the next man i know you

do too this was a day that tested the love for the game and through the letterbox that i had available

on my body beanie down here snooed up here rain thumping into the chest

it took a lot of effort and will power to appreciate this golf course but let me tell you

what a golf course it was it was it was sensational um it's 12 ranked in the world for a reason and

i can see why i mean it's behind mulefield which is just a joke mulefield's nowhere near it i mean

i've talked about this on the pod it's just a joke of a golf course and anyone who thinks it's great

is wrong it also is just unbelievable it for me it's in the similar bracket of rolled all it but

better in terms of the style like right on the cow you know you get that sort of vistas um

it's what we started off in the worst of the weather and i think we'd prepared ourselves for 18

holes of lashing rain lots of wind which is exactly what the first the second and part of the

third were if first we were going into the wind second we had it on our backs and it was a

a little bit better a little bit nice and you're going okay downwind we're okay which could be fine

and they're sort of back into the wind again on the third and it coincided with what i felt

were probably the weak holes on the course i felt like sort of the first is very good hole don't

get me wrong but i think the second is probably everyone's weakest hole that we played and we play

that downwind don't get me wrong again winterties a little bit so we've not seen the full

um the full part of that golf hole but i think when what then happened was just a bit of a clearing

and we had a bit of a clearing for about an hour and a half stretch so we were able to get

right the way through just about that front line and what a front line you know the the mix

up of the the getable part five fifth after that new part three fourth right on the right on the

you then got the sixth with the run off the part three again that other seven part five against

you know three five three five with the seventh again being really getable but depends on what line

you want to take off the tee because left is just garbage gone see eventually you get onto that

really really strong eight hole the part four that's sort of right up into the corner where you're

getting you can see the light how she's getting closer you can feel it and then getting onto that

ninth with an okay enough weather that we were able to go and have a walk back to that 250 yard

tea at tea that the pros play off right over the the rocks in the sea and then moving forward and

and making two you don't deal with about it but that's that's nice um to then go and sit into the

the clubhouse and watch the heavens open once again the yeah that's the it's the night eight till

night that part three before the clubhouse the night that night I mean night there are a couple

of pro tea boxes that we actually walked back to and you were like oh my god this is just

different gravy that hole was the first I really remember I actually really like that

part three of the big runoff I thought that was um yeah the six six whatever it was I thought

that was good um and then yeah got to nine and then yeah you're kind of marching towards the

clubhouse six seven eight nine which is quite cool and then you get there obviously the iconic

lighthouse halfway heart sorry halfway heart no clubhouse and what's so funny about it is so the

wind had picked up Josh just made a beautiful two the rain is starting to hammer it down with

feeling really good about having a 10 minutes it that the front door to the clubhouse is on the

seaside the clubhouse the halfway heart goodness sake Steven is on the seaside which is the wind

was coming off the sea I say you walk around this corner and you're just getting

clotted into the glass and then you're trying to open this door and it looks like a world's strongest

man of them like too was hanging off this handle trying to prize open the door to the halfway out

finally got in there bang shut on the back of us we sit there we look at each other we're like you

know a couple of people chatting about oh they're gonna call it a day obviously we weren't going to

um and yeah we're just kind of reminisced over what was an amazing front nine and it was uh

uh yeah and then that like the rain was similar to as as you've slept through both sides we're

just driving against against the glass windows it was yeah savage it was and then there were a

couple of nice light bits of relief I think you know we got in and we got that that lovely

peeing hamhawk suit just beautiful transpired to be the last couple that they had uh which which

added to the to the flavor and how nice it was the boys behind then came walking in

into the the halfway house and they literally looked like they'd had buckets of water just

thrown at them as they were turning the corner and we were sat there pretty dry like in good spirit

they get in like wet through the waterproof like absolutely dripping can have a suit place

just to warm me up no sir no you cannot because they are gone so that was a couple of a couple of

nice light light relief only because we know them not just because I'm a sadist who who likes that

sort of thing and then really coming out the clubhouse was probably a low point because we dried

off and you kind of get a bit of your wet kit on and it it was never fully dry that never

used that word it had not been fully dry the whole way through really and but then walked out onto

a stretch of golf course 10 and 11 that wow is you know we talked about we talked about good stretches

of holes we've talked about really the whole front line just about is incredible 10 and 11 just

ramped it up and not again yeah there are just there's a just a handful of of two three

whole stretches that you could go to across the whole 18 which are just magic and I I thought 10

and 11 9 9 10 11 tough tough to find three better holes in a row than those I thought

just right along the coast shaped with the land par three was a part was 10 par five 10 par five

yeah 10 par five and 11 par three we'd seen the 11th from that good stretch on the coast from

King Robert was the day before all hit good tee shots in there as well and yeah really really

strong straight and the weather was just starting to crack for us and I think we'd seen the worst

bit off whilst that halfway then what transpired is we finished off with the last six in sunshine

we really did I mean and that's that's helped to remember it in an even better light because

we as you say we played those last six we played really you know you get up and I was expected to

be drenched and and wind and rain the whole day and we've probably had three holes of really

quite bad stuff and we were looking off that there were holes that actually you wouldn't

wouldn't necessarily miss them they were still good enough holes but they aren't there's the signature

pieces and we were able to apply all of the signature holes in really nice weather really nice

is probably a slight stretch but mentally I felt that they were really nice weather and then as you

say yeah pretty much didn't get wet the back nine and actually the sun the sun was trying to

peek through for the last six seven holes as you mentioned and again just the wind got up a

little bit more then but it was kind of on our back slightly off the right a wind that you quite

enjoy it's just a magical experience magical golf course and would hate to have a a metal have to

play a metal score around there just chicken drivers all the way around the place yeah do you know

what is a lot more open than King Rob the Bruce we just did get it in much worse weather unfortunately

and and I will just speak to look and it it's always the case of these big courses at a

ranked this high like not really maybe one two week holds on the whole track but you know pretty

much 18 good golf holes and once you move back away from the coast and heads wards back towards the

hotel I thought the golf quarter the the holes were brilliant as well I did play them slightly better

so maybe I'm looking at it through rose tinted glasses but was it with the water in the bridge

was that 16 or 17 the powerful that was 16 16 thought 16 was good and then 18 coming up you know

Tom Watson what happened down 18 how are you obviously almost 1809 right down to the to the clubhouse

there the sun was shimmering off the hotel strong powerful I thought and just just a great finish

great to finish in the sun because we kind of came off and because we'd had that respite the last

third I feel like you had a better chance to review it positively and and yeah we sit there and

you just look back and just unquestionably for me the it's not sure how the best experience

just because of the weather but like the the best 18 golf holes I've played as a collection

certainly in my time on on this planet a really really great golf course and to be honest I don't

feel like a particularly tick the box like I want to go back and play in sun I'd have thought in

July in sunshine not too windy that would just be hard to beat yeah just sensational right on

there in your top three top five whatever it is I think it'd be the best course if we got the best

weather I don't know where it sits but it's certainly in that bracket of best course I've played

gasping to go back already absolutely sensational um nice core yeah well let's run it out

both sounds but the course pretty much takes care of itself I there's no world you can't give it a

five it is it's a sensational track now three piece really really interesting to see where you land

on this because a lot going on at Turnbury like it's a hell of a facility so uh three

peony up please Joshua for Turnbury as a whole I'm gonna go four and a half the reason I'm going

four and a half is the price of facilities was sensational track man bays everywhere hit what you

want well well created area very good the you could argue there isn't a patio which may be

moves it to a four but you know I'm gonna re re-value it I'm gonna go to a four the the the

practice range is that good and the short game area is that good it's very very good there isn't a

patio there isn't more which you know Scotland who necessarily uses a patio that often but we like a

patio there wasn't a patio and then the pro shot whilst massive and had lots of options and I've

seen on your cap the the better logo I think the logo's big I think the logo could be a little bit

better rather than the Turnbury off could go around it so I don't think it's my favourite logo

I've ever seen and so as a result of that I think it's full yeah yeah yeah so I'd be

interested to see if the range goes to grass in the summer yeah track man bays are good I don't

think I don't think a practice facility can get absolute top marks if it doesn't go to grass

that's my that's how I see it but yes in the winter track man bays free golf balls it was it was

perfect out the wind out the rain Scotland airshire like they just don't have patios really when you

think about it um clubhouse is very good so and then the pro shot I like the pro shot the pro shot

was was good very well stock lots of options and so yeah I'm at four and a half I think something

just a little bit lacking I think four would be would be slightly harsh but it certainly puts both

courses in it an incredibly high regard so you know I'm at four five four and a half on a

else nine and a half four four and a half on king roll the breeze eight and a half so you're up

in the eights and the nines which which is pretty serious stuff so long in the short of it is

turnbri it is a must do should be on the list I think if you look at shoulder season stuff staying

the lodges not the main hotel you can get up there play two nights two rounds and it knock

across the fortitude it is obviously the most expensive green fee in the world I think they're

in shadow creek so you're a thousand pounds and non hotel guests if you want to play it on the

weekend in the morning in the summer but there's yeah lots of different pricing options and so

certainly if you're interested just dive into that a little bit and I'm sure you can you get on

there for something you feels reasonable but an iconic spot and somewhere certainly I look forward

to hopefully going back to in the future so then we got to the Friday and we got to western

gales which started pinning but we pinned this one on towards the end didn't we because

a list got published I can't remember golf.com maybe something like that and it was like best winter

deals and number one was western gales which you can get a green fee of 95 pounds for up until

the 15th March and we were playing on the 14th or whatever it was and so we thought we'd

have a bit of that so yeah to kind of conclude the trip well you and I were together we played

on the Friday at western gales. Yeah we did and a real contrasting club competitor done Donald

I think it was the sort of first feeling I got you know very traditional very sort of it felt

like it had history all over the building the way that but what I would say is for a very big

clubhouse really poor use of space for the pro shop it's sort of something to call out there like

nice and early doors but lovely people and you know really accommodating really helpful when we

had a couple different asks and needs that we had on that day yes a really good value round of

golf I would say it ranked 43 UK island 16 in Scotland the only thing before we get onto the course

I would say to be mindful of and and again this sort of falls in the bracket although I really

want to go and play it again is that for that 95 pounds you don't see the best of it and I felt

like that was the case because certainly when we get into the back now I know I'm jumping around

a little bit but there are some phenomenal tee boxes right up like slammed against the beach

which make them really nice sort of dog leg right sort of for a bit of a run and par fours

whereas in the winter we were we were sat the other side of the the June and it was just a straight

hole and and just kind of lost a bit of its vista and a bit of its touch but yeah I didn't want to

dwell on that yeah I echo all of that and I think that's really going to be the main takeaway here

is old school old school club which I like and pro shop great logo I really like the logo and I

just think the pro shop could have been bigger and I think Western girls is a destination and so

they must have the traffic and I'm surprised they don't want to do more that retail space but really

really friendly guy the pro shop really friendly people in the bars I said they helped you out as well

so good vibes all around we didn't see the practicalities but then go out on the course and I think

to be honest the main takeaway was oh I understand now why they priced it at 95 for the winter they

essentially have very very different winter tee boxes to their their usual 40 set up or whatever

it might be for the for the shoulder months in the summer and so as Josh alluded to there like

the reality of that is I felt like we played three quarters of a golf course maybe two thirds

like we really didn't see the best of it it was actually I thought the grass paths etc were

in slightly poorer condition I don't know why compared to Dun Dun old like we we experienced

the most mud of the week by quite a long way um but yeah gonna kind of unfortunately just leave

it as a kind of knees probably go play that again strong stretch though was the per the par five

six par three seventh yes thank you very much Josh 67 nice yes six six seven two fantastic holes

signature stretch for sure they're the ones you see on a lot of the photographs um yeah really

nice spot there is it's really hard to comment on the rest of it because I said like I think

well there are a couple of tee boxes we looked at and we were like yeah different different story

from up there but good coastal links probably the worst condition of the lot um and probably got

the most watered down experience but for 95 quid um I'm certainly not a sat here complaining about it

I could completely agree yeah and I don't want to do it dirty because I think there was enough

there to see what what kind of a really good golf course you know as you mentioned six and seven

the par five right round and then into that june area and then the seventh which from the main

tease hitting right up the coast into that that sort of um slightly downhill into the june again

par three here even when I think down to sort of like 13 14 the par three par five when you switch

back into wind um yeah 13 14 the par five yes as I say switching back I was just some quick quick

making sure that was what it was it was um you know it's a plot of land the other side of the train

track to done Donald closer to the to the sea and what I therefore expected was those those

vistas as I mentioned and that that real feeling of being right by the sea and as we say we just

didn't quite experience that from from that sea time but you're right for what we paid and when

we think about the cost of golf at the moment which is it's crazy is is the word to use that is a

a really really good value rally golf I mean it's it's I think two hundred and ninety pounds in the

summer so we basically are two hundred pound discounts so to be able to stick the ball marker in

in the in the frame behind and say that we've touched touch the earth there for for under for

200 quid less I still think it's good to add and I know we've spoken about the weather a lot I

actually quite comfortably the most miserable day I don't know if it was just like last round

vibes Elsa behind us so we just didn't quite have the motivation but we're two separate

hailstorms that happened to us we were out there which um yeah what was on the face as well

so I just say like early enough that it's wet yeah and and I felt for a reason Elsa I don't

know if it was the wind blowing a stride I just didn't feel like I've got anywhere near as wet

the day before like I was just piss wet through and we were those last five holes we were just

marching them down just like desperate to get in we both straighten the shower we afterwards and

so yeah so hard hard to really um sit and give it all its glory but like I I could see the

potential and the potential is fully bloomed I'm sure for six months of the year so

Western Gales I give the course of four I think at its pump potentially is a four five but

definitely I think I'm being nice at a four I do we played the three three five but that is

completely unfair so I'm definitely not going to give it that and then old school clubhouse

and the pro shop could be bigger didn't see the practicalities um so I've given a three five but

again probably a four if I experienced a lot yeah I'm I'm around that camp I think I think it was

a three five golf course that we played but I think it could be a four five golf course I think

it could be like a four point two five golf I as I said I think it's a similar bracket to

Dundonald albeit it's ranked higher um you know saying it's 43 UK Ireland certainly seeing seeing

more of courses uh a lower ranked and I'm talking like higher numbers lower ranked you know um

than that but I agree I think we it's unfair to call it that because we've got to win to

and it was exactly what they've advertised this you know it's 200 pounds cheaper it's going to be

a 200 pound cheaper golf course and unfortunately it was um having said that you know the course

we played was a three five I think it's harsh but that is the course we played so I think there

be a four for now is it is fair and I agree with you having not seen having not seen the practice

range because of just the weather and a busy start to that morning for us couldn't see it I don't

know where it is and so I can't comment if there is one I don't know where it would be if there is

one that's my next question about that um the patio again not very big didn't really see one but

maybe it was sat there um and then the the pro shop was poor the logo was good but there wasn't

very much in there so I'd probably say that's a three uh for me but I think that a seven is

incredibly harsh reflection of what western gales is because it is not a seven golfing venue I

think it is one of the jewels in that area obviously outside of of the ailser and I think we need to

go back and see it properly yeah and I think that's a good place to summarize like um you know if you

go on our website we've obviously got silver gold platinum packages like the western gales golf

course would be in the platinum package so just to give you the overview of what's in the area like

you would I'm sure be putting that above Don Donald in in your if you were picking uh the lot we

just potentially got it in it in a in a state that maybe we as I said are reflecting slightly

more positively on Don Donald but like I definitely think there was stronger stretch in western

gales and greater potential um so western gales was done and so yeah Josh and I departed but I

thought just be interesting to get your your perspective on one other golf course so we were a group

of eight at tambry and we split off into two fours and other forwards press week so press week's

obviously another big name up there I know you have played it before so just quickly um for the

listeners what what your thoughts on press with golf club my thoughts on press with golf club

I think they it's very traditional very traditional golf club and I think that they have lived off

that and the pro shop right up there is one of the great pro shops so as a as a three P's and there's

a good patio outside to overlook the the 18th from the first team as the three P's go it's it's

going to rank very highly um maybe even like a four and a half it's right up there as a golf

course I think three and a half I think it is I think it's 92 93 in the world I think that's

that's wildly wildly overranked I think it is it's obviously got loads of history um one of the

earliest opens maybe the first open I think it could even have been at the home of the open the

original home but any golf course that has a blind par three is crap is kind of where I'm going to

start and and that has a blind par three I think it's fun I think that as I said this history

and I would say that go and check it out for yourselves because I would imagine it's a golf course

that divides opinion and just because of its lunch and its experience and it's heritage it's

well worth playing and walking the footsteps of great in the past but I can see why it's dropped

off the open rate rotor it's not big enough golf course I don't think there is enough variation to

it and I think that it's a pretty bland test it's a harsh scathing assessment and I would say go

and prove me wrong definitely like go and have a lot go and prove me wrong two of the boys that

I know played it thought similar to me two of the others loved it so again it really does divide

opinion but that that was my take I think get it on a sunny day got it played okay but got it again

on a bit pretty gray ox over day so maybe I'm doing it at this service from that perspective as well

yeah I've I've heard a lot of divided opinion over it it's by the sounds of it is one of those

tracks in Scotland that is pulled up by history you know we're talking about the old courses another

example maybe if you put that anywhere else in the world potentially not a top 10 golf course in

the world but the history does have a pull in this game and I believe it was the first open at

presswick and and so definitely if you're if you're in so ticking ticking your boxes around the

world it's one you got to go do and if you go do go and do it we'll be interesting to hear

opinion because I said I think there are definitely two camps when it comes to presswick

and I'm sorry to just jump in I'm just going to say and worth noting that we were back in the

marine hotel the night before after we'd played Dale sir and it's 15 minutes to presswick and

10 minutes each to western gale done Donald it's a really handy location to to clip off three

really good golf courses and that's even if you're not touching turnberry which of course is

is the one to do but that's why you can do those sort of different levels of packages

tick a few bits off as you go and from that perspective I think it's it's well worth playing

100% and and then just to conclude we did move I I certainly moved out of Scotland and on the

Sunday I drove back past south port which actually is four hours away from from that part of Scotland

which is remarkable you think someone lives up there really the plethora of unbelievable golfing

options that they have available to them now I only played nine holes at hillside okay the

the plug was pulled and have played it before which helped massively in that decision

I was I would say I was dragged off so the the fellow we know there who's the member he was like

I'm done and so was his mate and then me and Dewin Dewin was like I want to carry on and I was

like yeah I do want to carry on but he was my big problem right I had been rocking I had I've

got a pair of IJP waterproof trousers so you know that's that's throughout it back a solid

decade for those that know obviously Ian Polk's brand back in the day and they they did a really

really good job for me all week they really did God bless their hearts but it rained probably the

most consistently across that front nine at hillside and about seven holes in they just decided to

pack it in on the scenes and so just my trousers underneath the office we're just starting to get

quite soggy and you're there and you're like it's the back and on it hillside it's the

thing they all speak about and let me tell you even though we played it in the dry rain because it

wasn't that windy I kind of was like oh this is fine I was getting wet and it was getting quite

miserable but like I was they were all my group were complaining so much about it I was like

like you have no idea how much worse you can get and I have to say we played it before together

and I was filming quite a lot I got very cold because of camera kept coming out and I wasn't

this time and I only played the front nine back nine was especially much better one unbelievable

golf course hillside it's like I it just like jumped so far and up in my in my head just being back

on the turf carpet fairways oh my god they were so good best I mean best conditioning by a mile

that we played that week the grass paths walking around the greens were quick for that time of

year the grass was up the holes were framed I love that style the dunes with the trees and it's

kind of coastal but you can't really see the it was hillside I I got a lot of time for hillside

and it really for whatever reason it really moved up but didn't play the back nine and yeah

had a quite miserable soggy undressing session we're getting better in some some cleaner clothes

afterwards and in a driving home so yeah it wasn't wasn't necessarily as big a stoppers as it was

meant to be but nine hills nine hills sides always nice that was it yeah it's it's a great track

it really is a great track we got it on a cold day and sorry to see that you've got it in

an a rainy day but it's it's brilliant I actually just wanted to before we do conclude just for

the last couple of minutes just wanted to do a bit of a core to check in on our goals for the year

that we we discussed and at the stop and I think what how many core new courses did we agree

don't I can't remember what 20 20 20 new courses and four in the top one world 100 now I

have immediately stuck myself behind the eight ball with this because we did have Elsa done top

top 100 and Lido San Valley is booked and then we had Rossapena booked as well I have unfortunately

had to withdraw from Rossapena because a very good friend of mine he's having a stag do in

Mexico City and he's having his wedding in Athens all in one year can you believe that aggressive

very aggressive and it's it's that weekend so I I had a couple of those where it's just been like oh

just not quite married so I'm I'm down to now two world top 100s booked but yeah 20 new courses

I'm just glancing to my do you know your number maybe you can take it away I do know my number

and I've also got a ranking in order and peace that I've I've started working on please I am

currently nearly a quarter in on six new golf courses I do expect actually that to by the time

we roll around into the end of quarter one getting that to seven got a little a little a little chicken

up my sleeve which I will we'll talk about another time and over on the west coast of Ireland so

looking forward to hopefully trying to nibble that one off but I'm on six and I've got one in the

world top 100 obviously what we've discussed today and Elsa and I also have a ranking that I'm

not going to disclose now I think that might be maybe a mid season ranking a halfway house if

you will and ranking of the courses to date so that for me is a very strong start to my so sorry

so the ranking to date so I've got my six and then in order of where I think oh okay I will do

that for for the for the midway point I am at five and I have one top 100 so on track exactly

I suppose and I not to want to fall too far behind I do have six in the diary which is a week

today which is a bit of a random one but looking forward to that so trying to keep pace with you

I thought you were playing more in Ireland so I thought that got my open up a little bit

I've got another one but that will fall into quarter two so yeah so I'm I've started the year

how I need to but I'm worried I'm worried about Q4 that's yeah now I'm I'm here there and everywhere

in the summer so the summer is really where I'm going to have to make my hay and how much hay we

make I'm not sure but there's opportunity there to maybe stretch out maybe into into a lead but I

I feel like I need to work through it before Q4 because Q4 is going to be pretty dead for me so

yeah it's going to be interesting I like that I like that good update nice that will keep the quarterly

updates coming and we'll we'll do a half year rowing you as well we need to review we need to review

all of our goals I suppose but that was this is definitely the the top the top one for sure so

let's do it all right mate appreciate it good to catch up as ever we are full program golf

Instagram TikTok and YouTube and I will see you in the next one just ball