National Links Trust Podcast

This episode of the National Links Trust Podcast is a recording from a recent edition of the Municipal Golf Network Webinar Program. In this episode, we explore how municipal and daily fee public golf facilities can build and sustain successful junior caddie programs.

A junior caddie program not only offers golfers a unique way to experience your course—it also deepens your facility’s impact on the community. These programs teach kids and teens valuable communication and life skills, introduce them to the game of golf, and can open doors to life-changing scholarship opportunities, including the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Program, which provides full tuition and housing scholarships to deserving junior caddies nationwide.

This webinar specifically spotlights one of the country’s best models: CommonGround Golf Course in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by the Colorado Golf Association, CommonGround is home to the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, a two-year program that develops leadership and character through caddying. Like National Links Trust’s Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program, the Solich Academy partners with the WGA to connect caddies with the Evans Scholars Program. Guests in this episode include Ed Mate, Executive Director and CEO of the Colorado Golf Association, who has led the growth of the Solich Academy and Brandon Rogers, Senior Director of Caddie Development (Southwest Region) and Spencer Groessl, Director of Caddie Recruitment, (Central Region) for the WGA.

This episode of the National Links Trust Podcast is a recording from our most recent edition of the Municipal Golf Network Webinar Program. Learn more about the program here.

In this episode, we spotlight the Alamo City Golf Trail (ACGT) - the non-profit organization that oversees San Antonio’s municipal golf facilities with a commitment to affordability and accessibility. Joining NLT co-founder and host, Will Smith, was Andrew Peterson, the President and CEO of the ACGT. The pair discussed the ACGT’s success and growth as a non-profit, tips for working with city government, their recent work at their facilities includes three renovation projects in the past four years in addition to a re-grassing project this year, and more.

In this episode of the National Links Trust Podcast, we are joined by veteran course architect, Mike Young. With a career spanning more than 40 years in the golf industry, today, Mike is best known as the architect and owner of The Fields Golf Club in LaGrange, GA. Built on rolling hills southwest of Atlanta, The Fields has developed a "cult following" as an affordable, architecturally-engaging facility that places the golf experience as the most important aspect of their operations. More recently, Mike has been building Warmouth Sands, a soon-to-be-opened municipal course in Vidalia, GA. 

In this interview, Mike discusses his path to course architecture, the story of The Fields, an update on Warmouth Sands, and his views on the state of public golf. Mike is consistently one of the most interesting voices in the game, having not just designed great affordable golf, but having operated it as well.

In this episode of the National Links Trust Podcast, we dive headfirst into public golf in New York City and the role of municipal golf within the game at-large with Richard Johnson of CBS Sports.

While Richard’s primary domain is college football - working broadcasts and writing for CBS Sports, as well as co-hosting the popular college football podcast, “Split Zone Duo” -  he is also a passionate golfer. Like so many other New York City residents, he fights tooth and nail to play whenever he can despite the challenges that come with golf in the city. In this episode, we explore what being a public golfer is like in New York City and hear his thoughts on the importance of accessible, affordable municipal golf.

In this episode of the National Links Trust Podcast, we're joined by Ryan Book AKA @BethpageBlackMetal on Instagram. Ryan's account is one of the most interesting in golf as he shares golf course construction and architecture updates from projects big and small around the country. It is a definitive source for all things golf development, and we highly recommend you follow it if you haven't already.

In this interview, Ryan and National Links Trust co-founder, Will Smith, discuss trends in public and municipal golf development, the importance of accessibility to the game, and Ryan's favorite munis around New York City, where he grew to love the game, and his home state of Ohio.

You can read more of Ryan's work at bethpageblackmetal.com.

This episode of the National Links Trust Podcast features a recording of a recent Municipal Golf Network webinar highlighting Barrier Free Golf and their first project: The Loop at Chaska.

Barrier Free Golf is a nonprofit dedicated to making golf accessible to people with disabilities, veterans, juniors, and beginners of all ages. Their first project, The Loop at Chaska, is a 9-hole short course ( and putting course!) designed by Benjamin Warren in partnership with the City of Chaska, MN. Opened in spring 2024, it was specifically built with adaptive golfers in mind and has quickly become a community favorite. Looking ahead, Barrier Free Golf aims to collaborate with more municipalities to develop inclusive, engaging golf facilities. 

Joining our host and National Links Trust co-founder, Will Smith, are Paul Andersen, Chair of Barrier Free Golf’s Board of Directors, and Benjamin Warren, the course’s architect. They share insights on The Loop at Chaska, discuss the keys to a successful public-private partnership, and explore the organization’s vision for the future of accessible golf.

In this episode of the National Links Trust Podcast, we're joined by Tim Gavrich. Tim is a senior writer at GolfPass, and he covers nearly every facet of the game with a focus on golf travel, architecture, and products. A champion of municipal golf, Tim is perhaps best known for his "Munaissance" article series where he highlights municipal golf courses undergoing renovations and revitalizations.

A native of Connecticut now living in Florida, Tim has seen countless architecturally and historically significant municipal facilities across the country. In this interview, Tim talks about municipal golf in his home state and in Florida, discusses the origins of the "Munaissance", and more.

In this episode of the National Links Trust Podcast, our host, Will Smith, is joined by Geoff Shackelford. Geoff is one of golf’s most influential writers having authored 11 books and with his work appearing in the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, and more.  He is also the publisher of The Quadrilateral, a newsletter that covers the game through the lens of the four majors. Geoff teamed up with Gil Hanse to design Rustic Canyon Golf Course: one of Southern California's best public courses. He is a native Southern Californian and still resides in the greater Lost Angeles area today. 

In this interview, Geoff and Will discuss public golf in the greater Los Angeles area. They touch on the challenges and opportunities presented by the public and municipal courses in the area, as well as golf's role as Los Angeles recovers from the devastating fires earlier this winter. 

This episode of the National Links Trust Podcast is a recording from the Municipal Golf Network Webinar Program. It features the story of Brookline Golf Course in Brookline, MA and its relationship with the local community.

Opened in 1933, Brookline Golf Course (also known as Robert T. Lynch and previously, Putterham Meadows) has elevated its role in the community in recent years largely thanks to the leadership of Justin Lawson, the facility's general manager. In his role, Justin has overseen a successful public affairs campaign to protect the long-term future of the property when doubts were raised in local politics, led the push for a master plan to restore the historic character of the course, and spearheaded community events that specifically target non-golfers in the community. The result is one of the best examples in the country of how a municipal golf course and its leadership can further ingrain themselves in a community and deliver a true asset to both golfers and non-golfers.

This episode of the National Links Trust Podcast features a recording of a recent Municipal Golf Network Webinar. In this episode, we head to the Lone Star State to check in with the Dallas Golf Initiative (DGI), a non-profit organization modeled similarly to the National Links Trust. DGI was formed in 2020 in response to the proposed closing of 9 holes at the Glen Course at Tenison Park to make way for a paved walking and biking trail that connects to the larger trail network within the City of Dallas. Knowing what was coming, DGI worked diligently around a vision for a golf facility that honored Tenison’s rich history while creating a more inclusive, engaging, and accessible business model that included a two-story driving range, a par 3 course, and an urban golf park.

DGI Executive Board members Brett Messerall and Benton Payne join moderator Will Smith to provide updates on the Tenison Glen project and DGI’s vision for the future of the property, navigating the difficulties (and disappointment) of creating change within the City of Dallas Park and Recreation system, and how everyday municipal golf enthusiasts, like themselves, can get involved in their own communities and apply the lessons learned from Brett’s and Benton’s experiences over the past 4 years.