Golfers Anonymous

BONUS: Open Championship & Scotland Trip Recap

What a week in Scotland! To recap The Open Championship I brought our links golf correspondent Ben Firn back on the show. We stack rank the majors from this year, predict when Xander gets his third major, and talk about what made Royal Troon such an awesome venue.
Ben also just got back from a golf trip to Scotland where he traveled across three different regions of the country. Highlights include Royal Dornoch and North Berwick. Listen for the full breakdown!

Episode 16: Neal Shipley +6 Handicap

This episode marks our first ever interview with a professional golfer. In this episode we were lucky enough to interview Neal Shipley, winner of the low am award at both The Masters and the US Open.
Neal recently turned pro after completing the low am double at Pinehurst. He talks us through his journey with collegiate golf, compares Augusta vs Pinehurst, and explains what was going through his head when he played with Tiger in the final round at The Masters.
Neal is one of the most fun young guys to watch on tour and I had a blast chatting with him. This is a special one!

Episode 15: Mike Normant - 17 Handicap

Every golfer loves the Ryder Cup, but few go the extra mile to host their own version of it every year. On this episode I talk to Mike Normant, who has proudly ran the Fiord Cup for over ten years. 
 
Mike talks us through how he fell in love with golf at an early age, the inception of the Fiord Cup, and his near disaster at The Masters.
 
Listen for the full scoop!

Episode 14: Breaking 80

I typically bring a new guest on the show to learn about their golf journey, but this week I had Matt interview me about my first time breaking 80. We go hole by hole and talk through the roller coaster of emotions that come along with a 10 handicap shooting 74. 
This was a really fun one to record, hopefully parts of this resonate with my mid/high handicappers out there!

Episode 13: Sean Melia - 2 Handicap

In this episode we bring on Sean Melia, writer for the New England Golf Journal and founder of Bay State Golf.
 
Sean is on a quest to play and review every course in Massachusetts so he came on the show to discuss why he is on this journey, why golf is such a big part of his life, and his rankings for both public and private golf in Massachusetts (so far). 
 
Truly awesome episode!

BONUS: US Open Preview

Excitement levels are at an all time high for this year's US Open at Pinehurst. To break down the tournament, we brought back Connor Mulligan who played Pinehurst #2 from the tips about 18 months ago. We talk through all things Pinehurst, what to expect from the course, and who we like heading into the week.
00:00 Intro
04:29 Playing Pinehurst Number 2
11:37 Preparing for the Round at Pinehurst Number 2
30:23 Comparing Pinehurst to New England Courses
36:03 Donald Ross's Design Philosophy
43:09 The Importance of Creativity
44:32 Scottie Scheffler
46:41 Other Contenders: Colin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Sahith Theegala
53:28 Scottie vs Tiger 
 

Episode 12: Severiano Saiz - 4 Handicap

In this episode we bring on Sev, the founder of Course Maps, a rapidly growing business that sells custom map prints of golf courses. Sev talks us through why he fell in love with golf and how he turned that passion into a full-time job.
 
00:00 Introduction 
04:53 Sev's journey with golf
09:23 Turning passion into a business: Course Maps
24:43 Challenges of playing golf in New York City
34:41 Golf Fandom
41:35 Excitement for the Ryder Cup and Future Golf Travel
47:06 The Addictive Nature of Golf
 
 

BONUS: PGA Preview and Scotland Itinerary

The PGA Championship is finally here! In this episode of the Golfers Anonymous podcast, we bring back Ben Firn to discuss the PGA Championship and Ben's upcoming Scotland trip. We share our predictions for the tournament and discuss underdog players to watch. The conversation then shifts to Ben's Scotland trip with his brother. The trip is highlighted by rounds at North Berwick, Royal Dornoch, and The Old Course. Tune in for the full breakdown!
 
00:00 Introduction
07:11 PGA Championship
22:06 Introduction and Scotland Trip 

Episode 11: Mark Weinstein - 5 handicap (Part 1)

Mark joins us with the most golf experience out of any guest on the show thus far with 55 years and counting. After playing division II golf at the University of Hartford, Mark went on to have an awesome amateur career filled with plenty of ups and downs. In part 1 we focus on Mark's journey through competitive golf, then in part 2 we shift the conversation to my game as Mark loves to teach and help others improve.

Episode 10: John Long - 11 Handicap

For our 10th interview on the podcast we brought on our first ever caddie. While John isn't a full time professional golf caddie, he does have over 10 years of experience and told some awesome stories from his time as a looper.
00:00 Introduction
03:02 John's Early Golfing Days as a Caddie
07:57 Crazy Stories from Caddying Experience
16:01 John's Initial Dislike for Golf and Developing a Love for the Sport
23:06 The Impact of Javelin Throwing on John's Golf Swing
24:56 John's Best Ever Round 
26:04 The Quest for Breaking 80
27:01 The Mental Game of Golf
27:31 Favorite Golf Shot
30:16 Golf Fandom
32:14 Betting on Golf
34:47 Favorite Golfer on Tour
36:02 Attending Golf Tournaments
40:26 Favorite Golf Course Played
41:48 Golf Trips and Bucket List Courses
44:56 Best Golf Memory
47:51 The Love of The Game