next on the tee

On this episode of Next on the Tee, I’m excited to welcome golf instruction and broadcasting legend Peter Kostis. A trusted voice in the game, Peter spent decades delivering expert swing analysis and commentary for USA Network and CBS Sports while coaching countless Tour players and amateurs. He shares how a casual round with his cousin sparked his love for golf and how his passion for learning the swing evolved into teaching players at every level.

Peter reflects on his time with Golf Digest Golf Schools, his journey from a young instructor in Maine to one of golf’s most sought-after teachers, and how broadcasting allowed him to teach millions of amateur golfers in real time. He also shares memorable rounds with presidents, athletes, and celebrities, along with the joy of helping others improve their game.

We also dive into the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf saga, whether a true merger is possible, and the increasing divide between the "haves and have-nots" on Tour. Peter weighs in on whether former commissioner Deane Beman could have prevented today’s split. Plus, he opens up about his abrupt departure from CBS Sports and his favorite memories from Augusta National.

This week on Next on the Tee, I’m joined by two fantastic guests who bring both incredible stories and valuable insights to the show. Leading things off is John Cook, a 21-time winner across the PGA and Champions Tours and a former National Champion from his days at Ohio State. This marks John’s 10th visit to the show, and every conversation with him ha been fantastic thanks to his upbeat attitude and passion for the game — you can literally hear the smile in his voice. We kick things off by talking about this year’s Mexico Open, a tournament that holds special meaning for John since his father, Jim Cook, helped resurrect it back in the 1980s, and John himself went on to win it in 1995. As we continue looking ahead to this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, John also shares his memories of competing in the 1994 U.S. Open there. We also reminisce about some of the fun team events he’s played in alongside Sergio Garcia, Mark O’Meara, and Rex Caldwell.

Following John, I’m excited to welcome Jeff Harper to the show for the first time. Jeff is the Director of Operations for Byler Holdings, which owns and manages five fantastic golf courses across Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. Each course presents its own unique challenge, making them the perfect progression for players as they advance their skills. Jeff takes us on a virtual tour of Broad Run Golfer’s Club in West Chester, Iron Valley in Lebanon, Berkleigh Golf Club in Kutztown, Lebanon Valley in Myerstown, and Blue Mountain in Fredericksburg. With his passion for golf and knack for storytelling, Jeff brings these courses to life and highlights what makes each one special.

It’s a can’t-miss episode for anyone looking to discover hidden gems and enjoy some great golf stories along the way.

In this special segment, I catch up with Cindy Miller, whose incredible career continues to be recognized with two more Hall of Fame inductions. Cindy reflects on what it means to be honored by the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame and how special it is to join an elite group of athletes, including Jim Kelly, Jimmy Johnson, Ed Reed, and Neal Heaton, in the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame—where her induction makes her the 13th golfer to be enshrined. We also talk about her exciting new book, Take Another Shot: At Business, Golf, or Life, and the powerful personal experiences that shaped it, including her family’s journey through her husband Allen’s struggles with depression and a suicide attempt, and how they all overcame those challenges together.

Cindy shares her thoughts on the negative influence of social media, referencing Lexi Thompson’s comments about how much words can hurt, and how she overcame people telling her she wasn't good enough to play college and then she helped the Hurricanes win back-to-back National Championships, and how she wasn't famous enough to write a book yet here we are a couple of months away from hers being published. 

Welcome to this week’s edition of Next on the Tee! I hope your week has been filled with reasons to smile. If not, I’m sending some positive vibes your way and hoping to bring you a little mental relief over the next couple of hours. This week's episode, to quote Billy Joel, is in a New York State of Mind. All of my guests hail from New York, and we take a way-too-early look ahead to the Ryder Cup, including a discussion about Keegan Bradley with his former college coach at St. John’s.

Leading things off, our resident Director of Instruction, Tom Patri, joins me to dive into Ryder Cup predictions and early concerns. With the event set to take place at Bethpage State Park, a course that Tom grew up near, he’ll give us insights on the layout and playing conditions. Plus, with six of the first seven winners on the PGA Tour this season being non-U.S. players, is it too soon to worry about Team USA’s chances? Maybe it’s time to start sending some positive energy out to them. Tom and I will break it all down in the first segment.

Following TP, I welcome back Frank Darby, former St. John’s Men’s Head Golf Coach and Co-Host of the On Course show on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. Frank, another New York native, has served as a rules official and has been involved in setting up tournaments at Bethpage, giving him firsthand knowledge of what players can expect at the Ryder Cup. And with Keegan Bradley—one of his former players—hoping to make the team as a player, Frank shares his perspective on if that's a good idea. We’ll also get into Tiger Woods’ potential move to the Champions Tour and what the PGA Tour should do about slow play. Frank is fantastic and has great golf insights!

In Part 2 of Season 12, Episode 7, I get the privilege of spending more time with Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor and Golf Digest's Best in the State of Indiana, Jeff Smith. You probably also know Jeff as Co-Host of the popular golf podcast Those Weekend Golf Guys alongside John Ashton.

Jeff is the Taylor Swift of Golf Instructors, sought out by thousands everywhere he goes. We start out hearing about his home course The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California. Jeff tells us about his recent Golf School there featuring lessons from Jason Day. We also hear about his incredible day caddying for the Pro-Am sponsor at the Waste Management Open.

Jeff also delivers two valuable lessons to get you out of some very tough situations: how to hit a hybrid from a downhill lie and what to do when your ball winds up behind a tree with a low-hanging limb.

Don’t miss this insightful and entertaining conversation. Jeff Smith is an all-timer. Thank you for tuning in to Next on the Tee!

In Part 1 of Season 12, Episode 7, I'm joined by John Hughes and John Mahaffey.

John Hughes, is one of only 448 among approximately 30,000 PGA members to reach Master Professional Status. He has been recognized by Golf Digest as a top instructor in Florida, and The Golf Range Association as a Top 100 Growth of the GAme Instructors. During our conversation, John offers his perspective on whether investing in the latest and greatest golf equipment can enhance your game or if those funds are better spent on lessons. He also provides strategies for setting effective golf goals, discussing whether to aim for reducing stroke counts or going after milestone scores such as breaking 100, 90, or 80.

Following John, I welcome back 1970 NCAA National Champion and 1978 PGA Champion John Mahaffey. John was a great player, but he's an even better person which I hope you get a sense of as you listen to his insights. John shares the ironic story of winning the 1978 American Optical Classic by two strokes over Dr. Gil Morgan—the only optometrist on Tour. He also weighs in on the upcoming structural changes to the PGA Tour, including reduced field sizes and fewer available Tour cards. Additionally, John names one of the most formidable competitors from the 70s and 80s—a choice that may surprise listeners. Finally, he offers a unique perspective on why former President Donald Trump might be the key to bringing together the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger.

Tune in for these great conversations, expert insights, and much more on this week’s episode!

In Part 2 of Season 12, Episode 6, I welcome David Swan in for his debut appearance on the show. David is the inventor of the PUR Golf putting trainer, a game-changing aid designed to help golfers refine their stroke and sink more putts.

Both Tom Patri and I were immediately drawn to this innovative training aid when we saw it at last year’s PGA Merchandise Show, and now, David breaks down how it works and why it’s making waves in the golf world.

If you’ve ever wished you could drain more putts, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Plus, you can check out the PUR Golf trainer for yourself at PUR.golf while you listen in!

Thanks for checking out Part 2 of the episode, it could change your putting game forever!

Golf season is just around the corner, and that means new equipment drops from all the major manufacturers! In this episode of Next on the Tee, we break down the latest gear and help you make smart decisions before dropping big money on new clubs.

Joining me first is Scott Felix, one of the Top 100 Club Fitters, to guide us through the maze of new equipment. From TaylorMade’s Qi35 woods and irons, which just earned top honors on the Golf Digest Hot List, to other big-name releases, Scott takes us beyond the marketing hype. We’ll cover:

Then, we shift gears to the mental side of the game with our monthly visit from Dr. Bob Winters, aka The Confidence Doctor. This month, Doc shares strategies on "finding a way to get it done" and how to remind yourself that you're smarter than your doubts and better than your fears. His insights will be worth jotting down in your golf notebook before your next round!

It’s an episode packed with game-changing advice—don’t miss it!

In this very special episode of Next on the Tee, 2011 U.S. Senior Open Champion Olin Browne and 1987 US Amateur Champion Billy Mayfair join the show.

Olin shares his thoughts on the PGA Tour’s controversial changes—smaller field sizes, fewer Monday qualifiers, and the dominance of signature events. Is the tour catering too much to top players at the expense of the grinders? Olin shares his perspective on how these changes might impact the next generation of Tour players.

We also discuss the financial side of the game, from $25 million purses to sponsors pulling out. With TV ratings down and fans feeling disconnected from today’s stars, what can the PGA Tour do to bring back its audience? Olin weighs in on whether accessibility and engagement changes could make a difference.

Shifting gears, we reminisce about Olin’s experiences at Oakmont, site of the 2025 U.S. Open. He reflects on his rounds there in ‘94 and ‘07, the legendary greens, and even witnessing Arnold Palmer’s farewell.

Billy Mayfair was also witness to The King's final US Open round and talks about sticking around following his Friday round to see it. We discuss his trip to Morocco to open up his Champion's Tour season. Billy reflects on his legendary iron play, including a streak of six consecutive birdies on Par 3s last season—an impressive feat on today’s long courses.

Billy also gives his perspective on equipment advancements, comparing today’s clubs and balls to those from earlier eras. He recalls playing alongside icons like Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, and Trevino, sharing his favorite memories from competing against legends.

Billy also gets candid about his journey in professional golf, revealing how he turned pro without telling his parents and when he finally broke the news.

Finally, we check in on his wife, Tami, who has been a huge influence on his career—both as a caddie and in her own golf endeavors—and ask Billy how much longer he envisions competing at a high level, given that Bernhard Langer is still winning at 67!

It’s a fascinating discussion with two of golf’s true competitors—don’t miss it!

In Part 2 of Season 12, Episode 4, I’m joined by my gumba Rob Strano, who brings us his unique perspective from the PGA Merchandise Show. As the host of The Golf Kingdom Golf Show, Rob always has his finger on the pulse of the latest golf trends, and he’s here to share the most exciting innovations he spotted at the event. He also takes us inside the Coaches Academy he hosted at Bay Hill prior to the show. We’ll also talk about his incredible recreation of Bryson DeChambeau’s famous over-the-house hole-in-one that he recreated in his in-studio simulator and his view on data vs. old school ball flight.

Then, I wrap things up with a return visit from Christopher Carter, who’s back to talk about his new book, The Zen Golfer: Cultivating Calm and Concentration on the Course. Chris will help us understand how to relax over shots, stay loose, and truly enjoy the game more. He’ll also explain why having a consistent pre-shot routine is key to better performance. If you want to improve your mental game, you’ll definitely want to hear this conversation. You can grab a copy of The Zen Golfer now on Amazon. I’m excited to have Chris back on the show!