In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Golf and Politics welcomes Mike Blackham — world traveler, elite golfer, and one of the few people on Earth closing in on completing the World Top 100 golf course list. Mike shares his journey picking up golf in his late 20s and what he's learned about golf culture, club access, and course architecture along the way. From Augusta and Pine Valley to international B-side hidden gems, we dive into the passion (and sacrifice) behind the world top 100 golf quest.

The conversation then shifts gears into a wide-ranging and honest debate on the current state of U.S. politics, college sports NIL reforms, the growing national debt crisis, tariffs under Trump 2.0, and whether Congress will ever step up to solve America's fiscal challenges.

Key Topics Covered:

Mike’s pursuit of completing the World Top 100 Golf Courses list

The best courses & golf architecture debates: Pine Valley, National Golf Links, Myopia Hunt, Sand Hills

Golf culture differences between the U.S., UK, and Asia

The impact of NIL on college golf and how it’s reshaping recruiting

Deep-dive political debate: national debt, tariffs, Trump’s economic policies, and Congress’s dysfunction

The bipartisan frustration with leadership & common sense reform

Why leadership is vanishing from both parties as political extremes dominate

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