Episodes

  • Episode 55: Trailer for The Ancient Arts of Golf with Iain Forrester

    Episode 55: Trailer for The Ancient Arts of Golf with Iain Forrester
    Jan 8 2025
    Iain Forrester is a Scottish Golf Professional who has been based in The Netherlands since 1988. He joined me recently for an extensive chat about Hickory Golf, Golf in the Netherlands and his life in golf. This is a story he forgot to tell us, thankfully I managed to press record again before we ended our time together. The preceding conversation was most enjoyable and will be released over the coming days... keep an eye out for it! If you're enoying the pod, I would be very grateful if you could submit a review on your podcast hosting platform of choice. It really would be appreciated. Trailer sound track supplied under licence from Epidemic Sound Earthbound (Instrumental) by Victor Lundberg Special Guest: Iain Forrester.
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    4 mins
  • Episode 56: The Ancient Arts of Golf with Iain Forrester

    Episode 56: The Ancient Arts of Golf with Iain Forrester
    Jan 9 2025
    Scotsman Iain Forrester has been a golf professional since 1983, moving to The Netherlands to become the Head Professional at Hoenshuis Golf & Country Club in Limburg. Iain believes that “……a PGA Professional needs to have a diverse skillset – a jack of all trades and a master of one or two. That’s what I’ve tried to do with my career, to be as flexible as possible, learn as many skills as possible and then have a niche that separates you from others.” Iain’s particular niche of choice focusses on maintaining and preserving the history of golf, in particular the way it was played in the past with wooden hickory clubs. Iain repairs and restores hickory equipment for fellow collectors while also suppling sets for hickory events throughout Europe. As if that’s not enough he has also written extensively about hickory golf and golf history in general. Safe to say he’s a great man to have on the pod to talk about on all things relating to hickory and Dutch golf. Iain's website can be found here (https://hickoryclubs.eu/) The Golfika article on the history of British Handicapping mentioned in the show can be found here (https://en.golfika.com/_files/ugd/72472f_cdab7f2449764a07881a5d9711ca6a67.pdf) - pages 6 - 11. Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy listening. Episode music supplied under license from Epedemic Sound Shoreline Serenade - Dye O.1.1
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    1 hr and 34 mins
  • Episode 29: New Series on Dutch Golf... Releases tomorrow... Advance Bonus Content

    Episode 29: New Series on Dutch Golf... Releases tomorrow... Advance Bonus Content
    Sep 17 2023
    We are releasing a new format docupod series tomorrow which will take a deep dive into golf in the Netherlands. This snippet was too good to leave out so I have included here as sneak peak of my recent chat with Mike Clayton...sage advice as to why you should consider a golf trip to the Netherlands, Belgium & France. I hope you enjoy tomorrows release. Special Guest: Mike Clayton.
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    4 mins
  • Episode 54: The Irish Golf Wanderings of Mr. Richard J. Pennell

    Episode 54: The Irish Golf Wanderings of Mr. Richard J. Pennell
    Dec 5 2024
    Aspiring honorary Irishman, Richard Pennell, joins us on this episode to reminisce about four golf trips he undertook to Ireland over the past 12 months. The North Coast & Donegal featured heavily and rightly so. The intrepid traveller also found time to schedule two whistle stop visits to County Mayo on the very Wild Atlantic Way, while also visiting a smattering of what the Dublin area has to offer from a golfing perspective. It amounted to a links overload which left Richard energised and plotting an imminent return. We hope the pod may give you some ideas as to where you might travel to in 2025, however, word of warning it might also make you a little envious that Richard passes these visits off as 'work'..... Either way, many thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy our chat! One of the last few copies of Richard's first book Grass Routes can be purchased by following this link (https://pitchmarks.bigcartel.com/product/grass-routes-by-richard-pennell) The Links Diary (https://www.thelinksdiary.com/no-10) Richard has written some great pieces on his @pitchmarks substack account and elsewhere. Please find a few links below to musings on some of his travels around Ireland: County Louth - currently a blank piece of paper.... he has promised us one, just as soon as inspiration arrives Royal Dublin - a work in progress, early 2025 methinks #71 - Portmarnock (https://pitchmarks.substack.com/p/pitchmarks-71-3rd-november-2024-very) #50 - Ballyliffin (https://pitchmarks.substack.com/p/pitchmarks-50-16th-june-2024-the) The North Coast (https://golftoday.co.uk/on-the-causeway-coast/) - an Article that appeared in Golf Today Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound Special Guest: Richard Pennell.
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    1 hr and 37 mins
  • Episode 53: Mike Clayton Returns to F&F

    Episode 53: Mike Clayton Returns to F&F
    Nov 21 2024
    Mike Clayton joins me on this episode to provide us with an update on grow in at 7 Mile Beach, The Sandbelt Invitational, the Australian Summer of Golf and some local projects that Clayts, Harley Kruse and Lukas Michel have been working on recently. We also explore; the challenges that flatter sites present to the course designer, the relative under appreciation of English Golf, Tom Simpson, CDP in France, why routing and flow are important elements in course design and some bucket list design projects. Many thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy the show! Pic credits - CDP Golf & 7 Mile Beach Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound Special Guest: Mike Clayton.
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    1 hr and 36 mins
  • Episode 52: Colin Byrne - The Bagman

    Episode 52: Colin Byrne - The Bagman
    Oct 9 2024
    After a summer break filled with a research project (which is almost assuredly going to translate into an episode), F&F are back with a new episode recently recorded with Colin Byrne... Many listeners will recognize Colin's name as bag man supremo with more than 40 years logged thus far as a globe trotting golfing sherpa. He has caddied for many of the modern greats including Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Darren Clarke and Fred Couples. We take a trip down memory lane with Colin to explore writing, winning US Opens at Shinnecock Hills, bad bahaviour and Q school amongst other topics. We hope you enjoy the chat. As mentioned during the show, copies of Bagman 1 & 2 are available online via the links below (you can also access them through an Irish Times online subscription) https://www.amazon.com/Bagman-Inside-Exclusive-World-Professional/dp/0954865308/ref=sr111?sr=8-11 https://www.amazon.com/Bagman-Inside-Ropes-Leading-Looper/dp/0954865383/ref=sr113?sr=8-13 Colin has also released another book, entitled The Little White Ball, which is full of practical advice on improving your game, link below https://www.amazon.com/Little-White-Ball-score-ability-ebook/dp/B01JBHUPSE Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound Special Guest: Colin Byrne.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Episode 51: ODG Series #6 with Philip Truett on Herbert Fowler and related off piste golfing matters

    Episode 51: ODG Series #6 with Philip Truett on Herbert Fowler and related off piste golfing matters
    Jul 12 2024
    A recent trip to Walton Heath afforded me an opportunity to meet with Philip Truett at his home at Walton on the Hill. Philip recently co-authored a biography on William Herbert Fowler, entitled 'A Matter of Course'. The book paints a brilliant picture of a life well lived, not without a modicum of drama. Fowler by all accounts was a by-product of his time and social standing, who undoubteldy left an indelible mark on golf both in the UK and the USA. We mainly stay on topic or at the very least always return to the vicinity of where we meandered away from it.... please enjoy the chat, it was great fun to put it together for our collective enjoyment, engaging with someone as knowledgable as Philip has been a real treat. Episode music used under license from Epidemic Sound Special Guest: Philip Truett.
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Episode 50: Nathan Bennett - Superintendant @ Royal Adelaide Golf Club

    Episode 50: Nathan Bennett - Superintendant @ Royal Adelaide Golf Club
    Jun 27 2024
    Recorded 1/5/2024 Nathan Bennett comes from counrty Victorian farming stock, so he's not afraid of hard yakka ('hard work' for non Australians). His can do approach has seen him on a green keeping journey which started in Murray Downs and would go on to include Metropolitan, Moonah Legends, The Sands and finally Royal Adelaide Golf Club. We take a look at Nathan's journey while also lingering upon the Royal Adelaide story, since the clubs foundation back in 1892. The clubs centenary book is a great read (if you can get your hands on it.... its out of print for many years btw but there are a limited number of copies available from Abe Books - see link below) and through its auspices we tease out some of the ongoing historical and modern challenges that maintaining a world class golf course in a dry and arid climate, such as Adelaide, represents. Nathan is a great guest and I really enjoyed my time with him. We hope you enjoy the conversation! The Royal Adelaide Golf Club - By Michael Cudmore (https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31708992448&searchurl=ds%3D20%26kn%3Droyal%2520adelaide%2520golf%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17) - 1892 to 1992 Please feel free to check out an article on our Substack account that profiles Royal Adelaide Golf Club and the delights of Adelaide (https://shanederby.substack.com/p/awesome-adelaide) Firm & Fast Links Twitter/X (https://x.com/firmandfastgolf) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firmandfastgolfpodcast/) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLiP9k8WaS6_5i9JF5WtwzA) The Firm & Fast Golf Podcast Occasional Newsletter on Substack (https://shanederby.substack.com/) Music used under license from Epidemic Sound Episode Imagery - credit Gary Lisbon (provided through RAGC) Special Guest: Nathan Bennett.
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    1 hr and 43 mins