Australian golf architect Mike Cocking returns to the pod for the first time in five years. Along with OCM design partners Geoff Ogilvy and Ashley Mead, Mike has been working more in the U.S. recently, so he and Andy have a lot to catch up on. They cover a variety of topics, including the best Ben Hogan story Mike heard while renovating Shady Oaks Country Club in Texas, how to design and build site-specific bunkers, the differences between Sandbelt golf and American golf, and some off-the-wall design concepts he'd like to try . Mike and Andy also dig deeply into two of OCM's current projects: an ambitious renovation of Course 3 at Medinah Country Club, which will debut at the 2026 Presidents Cup; and a 36-hole new build in Georgia, which will feature both a heathland-style and a Sandbelt-style course.

Mike Cocking of OCM on Breaking into the U.S. Market and Remaking Medinah

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Andy and Garrett convene for their first golf architecture mailbag in a while, tackling questions about new courses they're excited to see in the next couple of years, which current tour pros might make good architects, how The Lido bucks convention, the holes at Yale that they're most eager to see restored, and the cultural forces that are shaping golf course design right now. As usual, they open the episode with In and Out, and they wrap it up with Recommendations.
Note: The Scottie Scheffler interview that Garrett refers to in this episode was conducted by Friend of the Program Sean Martin for PGA Tour dot com. Read that piece here.

Golf Architecture Mailbag: Exciting New Courses, the Yale Restoration, and the State of the Industry

Designed by Brian Schneider and Blake Conant, Old Barnwell near Aiken, South Carolina, is one of the best-reviewed and most buzzed-about new golf courses of the past several years. In this episode, Garrett sits down with Old Barnwell's founder Nick Schreiber to delve into the nuts and bolts of how the course came to be. They talk about Nick's early years as a caddie, his vision for a "mission-focused" private club, how he found the property, why he hired Schneider and Conant, and his plans for Old Barnwell's second and third courses. They also discuss the broader state of the golf course industry—specifically, whether the current surge in construction might prove to be a bubble.

How Old Barnwell Got Built

Following an exciting weekend of both men's and women's professional golf, Andy and Joseph convene to discuss the biggest storylines in professional golf. They start with what they are IN and OUT on, including appreciation for the dominance by Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, along with qualms about tours stacking high-profile events against one another. Next, the two go through the biggest question marks remaining in the 2024 men's major championship season. Then Meg Adkins joins to provide her perspective on the Chevron Championship, Nelly Korda's ascension, and how women's golf should be prepared to capitalize on the momentum in women's sports. The episode closes with Recommendations.

Questions for the Remaining 2024 Majors and the Rise of Nelly Korda

Shane Bacon joins the podcast to talk about calling the featured groups at the Masters plus a debrief of the tournament and Scottie Scheffler. The two get into Augusta National as a tournament venue and how the course has changed its identity for the purpose of challenging the best in the game. Then they dive into all things Scottie Scheffler and how his simple process and mindset have set him up for a long run of greatness and how other players have struggled with the things Scottie does so well. Finally they finish off with some Harbour Town/RBC Heritage chatter and rounding thoughts on Bryson Dechambeau and other Masters loose ends.

Final Thoughts on the 2024 Masters with Shane Bacon

After Scottie Scheffler's victorious march through Augusta National on Sunday, Garrett and Joseph sat down to discuss a terrific 2024 Masters. First they talk about what they're IN and OUT on this week; then they run through a couple of their high-level takeaways from the tournament. Later, they bring on Andy Johnson (24:49) and Shane Bacon (58:18) to get some on-the-ground perspectives. Garrett and Joseph wrap up the episode with Recommendations.

Mike Cocking of OCM on Breaking into the U.S. Market and Remaking Medinah

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